FIRECalc
FIRECalc is a free web calculator for assessing whether savings and planned spending could sustain retirement under historical market conditions.
What FIRECalc is
FIRECalc is a free web calculator for assessing whether savings and planned spending could sustain retirement under historical market conditions. It evaluates plans across historical starting years using market data beginning in 1871, then reports how often a portfolio would have remained funded for the planned term. Users can include Social Security, pensions and other income or spending changes. Spending choices include inflation-adjusted amounts, Bernicke's Reality Retirement Plan, or a percentage of the remaining portfolio. Portfolio inputs include historical investment portfolios, fees, and consistent or random returns. Users can also enter a future retirement date, contributions before retirement and future lump-sum changes. Defaults use 75% stock index and 25% bond funds, a 0.18% fund fee, and inflation-adjusted spending over 30 years. FIRECalc says it applies historical data rather than predicting returns. It does not provide tax planning or account synchronization. The homepage says data was updated April 17, 2026, with data through January 1, 2026.
Good
- Evaluates plans against historical data beginning in 1871.
- Includes Social Security and pension income inputs.
- Offers several spending models.
- Users can set fees and portfolio returns.
- Core calculator is free.
Watch out
- Cannot predict future investment returns.
- Does not provide tax planning.
- Does not synchronize accounts.
Who it suits
FIRECalc suits people evaluating early retirement who want to compare a savings and spending plan with historical market periods. It can also model income such as Social Security or pensions.
Verdict
FIRECalc gives retirement planners a way to examine how plans would have fared in historical market conditions. Its results are not forecasts, and it leaves tax planning and account synchronization out.
Plans and prices
From FIRECalc's own pricing page, checked 7 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| FIRECalc | Free | Core retirement calculator; supporter registration provides some additional features on request |
The facts
Each one read from FIRECalc's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Additional features
- Registering as a supporter provides access to some additional features available only on request.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Data freshness
- The homepage says its data was updated April 17, 2026, with data through January 1, 2026.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Default assumptions
- The default portfolio is 75% stock index and 25% bond funds with a 0.18% fund fee, and default spending is adjusted for inflation over 30 years.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Historical analysis
- It evaluates retirement plans across historical starting years, with market data beginning in 1871.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Income inputs
- Users can include Social Security, pensions, and other future income or spending adjustments.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- The site presents FIRECalc for people evaluating early retirement and whether their savings, spending, and other resources can maintain their lifestyle.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Model limitation
- FIRECalc says it cannot predict future investment returns and instead applies historical market data to retirement plans.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Portfolio choices
- Users can select historical investment portfolios, set investment fees, or model consistent or random portfolio returns.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Privacy
- FIRECalc says it does not store users' financial entries; temporary files for spreadsheets and graphics are session-only and deleted approximately 15 minutes after creation.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- FIRECalc helps assess whether savings and planned spending can sustain a retirement across historical market conditions.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Spending models
- Options include inflation-adjusted constant spending, Bernicke's Reality Retirement Plan, and spending based on a percentage of the remaining portfolio.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Success rate
- Results report how often a retirement plan would have succeeded historically, meaning the portfolio remained funded for the planned term.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Support
- The contact page directs usage questions to the FIRECalc support section of the Early Retirement forum and accepts bug reports and suggestions.checked 7 Oct 2026
Money
- Future planning
- Users can set a future retirement date, add annual contributions before retirement, and enter future lump-sum portfolio changes.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Tax planning
- FIRECalc says it does not account for taxable versus nontaxable portfolios or provide tax planning.checked 7 Oct 2026
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