Guides and articles on FIRE strategies, retirement planning, net worth projections, and building wealth. Practical insights to help you make informed financial decisions.
New here? Load a sample plan and read the chart in about 5 minutes.
Decision guide: when FIRECalc, cFIREsim, or ProjectionLab historical replay fits better—and when our free parametric Monte Carlo is enough. Neither method wins by slogan.
Read articleWhy a 2% vs 3% inflation setting changes purchasing-power and how your FIRE timeline looks. Real vs nominal returns, today’s dollars on the projector, and how to toggle inflation in the app—no fake year tables.
Read articleModel two incomes, two 401(k)s, and shared expenses in one household plan. Live Dual-income 30s FIRE sample—$60k start, 32→47, $1.5M goal—without spreadsheet chaos or tax claims.
Read articleOn this site’s parametric Monte Carlo, expected return centers the Gaussian and volatility widens the fan. See how success rate and percentile bands move—100–1,000 runs, Box-Muller.
Read articleBeginner guide to net worth projection—assets, debts, income and spending events, 1–60 year timelines, inflation, and export/share. Blank launch, Own → Save → Goal wizard, optional House + Student Loans sample.
Read articleFixed 4%/3.5% SWR vs cutting spending in bad years—plain English. Why rigid Monte Carlo and a 100% success chase can be too stingy when you can flex.
Read articleSame plan, shift retirement ±5 years: more contribution years vs more withdrawal years, plus sequence risk. Dual-income sample ages—change the year in the app.
Read articleOpen the blank calculator, finish or skip Own → Save → Goal, load Retired at 52 as a separate plan, and learn the net worth line, years, and What-If in five minutes—without treating sample returns as forecasts.
Read articleA one-minute Coast FIRE check: full FIRE number, years to target, a return you can defend, then the Coast FIRE calculator (or zero contributions on a projection). Optional Teacher Coast FIRE sample.
Read articleA higher savings rate shortens years to FI two ways: more invested each month and often a smaller spend target. Dual-income sample math—not a slogan chart.
Read articleAn 85% Monte Carlo success rate is a count of model paths, not a promise. Fixed 7% vs a fan of paths, why ~80–90% is common, why 100% is often too stingy.
Read articleYour FIRE number is annual spending ÷ SWR — 25× at 4%, ~28.6× at 3.5%, ~33× at 3%. Identity math, a $40k example, and how savings rate shortens years to FI.
Read articleHow long will my money last in retirement? A smooth 7% line can look fine while an early crash shortens the runway. Open a 40-year sample, then stress-test it.
Read articleLean FIRE vs Fat FIRE is about how much you spend — not whether you keep working after a savings milestone. Run the same FIRE calculator at two expense levels and see both stash sizes.
Read articleTwo retirement calculators can both say "Monte Carlo" and still be doing different jobs. One draws random yearly returns from a statistical curve. The other replays actual historical market sequences. Neither is objectively better. This article explains the difference so you pick the method that matches the question you're asking.
Read articleTwo retirees can start with identical savings and earn identical average returns. They can still finish far apart. The difference is when the bad years happen. A drop in year 1 is far more damaging than the same drop later. This article explains why and shows how to stress-test your own plan.
Read articleThe 4% rule assumed a ~30-year retirement. For 40–50 year FIRE, Bengen's 1994 paper pointed to 3–3.5%. This article compares 25x vs ~29x expenses, explains the original research, and shows how to stress-test both withdrawal rates with your own numbers.
Read articleNot every path to financial independence requires grinding until you hit a seven-figure portfolio. Coast FIRE and Barista FIRE offer two distinct ways to reduce financial stress earlier in life — but they work very differently. This guide breaks down both strategies and helps you figure out which fits your situation.
Read articleModel your financial future with our free projection calculator. No signup required.
Launch CalculatorNo signup · Privacy-first · Free forever