Planning
FIRE Calculator (Financial Independence)
FIRE means having enough invested that a sustainable withdrawal covers your living costs. Enter your expenses, invested assets and monthly savings to see an estimated FIRE number and how many years it could take — all figures are simplified estimates.
Estimated years to financial independence
32 years
At this pace you would reach an estimated FIRE portfolio around age 67.
FIRE number (today's francs)
CHF 1'714'286
CHF 60'000 of expenses ÷ 3.5% withdrawal rate
Estimated FIRE age
67
From age 35 today
Target at that point
CHF 2'518'574
Your FIRE number grown by 1.2% inflation
Projected portfolio
CHF 2'527'133
CHF 894'000 paid in, CHF 1'633'133 estimated growth
Implied savings rate
28.6%
Savings ÷ (savings + expenses)
Progress today
7%
Of your FIRE number already invested
Portfolio trajectory vs. your FIRE number
The stacked area is your projected portfolio. The dashed line is the FIRE target, which drifts upwards as expenses inflate.
Estimated crossing: age 67, in about 32 years.
What if you save more or less?
Same assumptions, only the monthly amount changes.
20% less per month
36 years
CHF 1'600 / month
Your plan
32 years
CHF 2'000 / month
20% more per month
29 years
CHF 2'400 / month
Saving CHF 400 more per month shortens the estimated path by roughly 3 years — the savings rate usually moves the date far more than the assumed return does.
What these numbers mean
The FIRE number is simply your annual expenses divided by the withdrawal rate you trust: CHF 60'000 ÷ 3.5% = CHF 1'714'286 in today's francs. Cutting recurring costs lowers this target twice over — you need less income, and you can invest more of what you earn.
Years to FIRE come from compounding your existing CHF 120'000 plus CHF 2'000 per month at 5% a year until the portfolio crosses the target. Because expenses inflate at 1.2%, the target itself rises to about CHF 2'518'574 by then.
The withdrawal rate is the most debated assumption here. 4% comes from US studies over 30-year retirements; a Swiss early retirement can last 40 to 50 years, which is why 3% to 3.5% is often used as the more cautious planning figure.
Treat the result as a direction, not a date. Markets do not deliver a smooth return, and later in life AHV/AVS and pension income usually reduce how much your own portfolio has to carry.
Assumptions used
- This is a deliberately simplified model: returns are assumed constant every month, while real markets fluctuate, sometimes heavily.
- Sequence-of-returns risk is not modelled — a crash in the first years of withdrawal is far more damaging than the same crash later.
- Only liquid, investable assets are counted. 2nd pillar (BVG/LPP) and Pillar 3a balances are excluded, as is any future AHV/AVS pension, which typically supplements FIRE income later in life.
- No tax on withdrawals, no wealth tax and no fund, custody or trading costs are deducted. Enter a return that is already net of fees for a more realistic figure.
- Health insurance premiums, family changes, career breaks and one-off costs are not modelled.
- Contributions are invested at the start of each month and are assumed to stay constant in nominal terms.
- Expenses grow with the inflation assumption, so the FIRE target grows too. Amounts are in Swiss francs (CHF).
- The projection horizon is capped at 60 years; beyond that the tool reports that the target is not reached.
This calculator provides approximate, educational estimates only. It is not investment, tax or retirement advice, not a forecast, and it does not consider your personal situation, pension entitlements or tax position. Your inputs stay in your browser and are never sent to a server.
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to the questions that come up most often with this calculator.
- How is the FIRE number calculated?
- It is your annual expenses divided by the safe withdrawal rate you choose. At a 3.5% rate, CHF 60,000 of expenses implies an estimated FIRE portfolio of about CHF 1,714,000 in today's francs.
- Which withdrawal rate makes sense in Switzerland?
- The well-known 4% figure comes from US studies covering 30-year retirements. A Swiss early retirement can last 40 to 50 years, so many people plan with 3% to 3.5% instead. The rate is editable so you can compare both.
- Should I include my 3a and pension assets?
- This version deliberately counts only liquid, investable assets, because 2nd pillar (BVG/LPP) and Pillar 3a money is normally locked until close to retirement age and cannot fund the early years. Future AHV/AVS income is also excluded, which makes the estimate conservative for the later decades.
- Why do the years to FIRE change so much when I adjust the monthly amount?
- Early on, contributions dominate and compounding is small, so the savings rate moves the date far more than the assumed return. The sensitivity block on the page shows this with 20% more and 20% less per month.
- Are taxes and fees included?
- No. There is no tax on withdrawals, no wealth tax and no fund or custody cost in the model. Entering a return that is already net of fees gives a more realistic estimate.