Coast FIRE: When You Can Stop Saving and Still Retire on Time
Coast FIRE is the moment your investments are big enough that, even if you never contribute another dollar, compounding alone carries them to your full retirement number by your target age. You still work — but only to cover today's expenses, not to save. The pressure comes off.
The idea in one sentence
Save aggressively early, then "coast." Because compounding does its heaviest lifting over long horizons, money invested in your 20s and 30s can quadruple or more by your 60s untouched.
How to calculate your Coast FIRE number
Work backwards from your FIRE number. Divide it by (1 + real return) raised to the years until retirement:
Coast number = FIRE number ÷ (1 + r)years
Example: a $1,000,000 FIRE target, 30 years away, at a 5% real return. (1.05)30 ≈ 4.32, so your Coast number is about $231,000. Hit that invested balance and you could stop contributing entirely and still land at $1M at 65.
Coast FIRE vs. Barista FIRE
They overlap. Barista FIRE means working part-time (often for health insurance) to cover expenses while your portfolio coasts. Coast FIRE is the underlying math; Barista FIRE is one lifestyle that uses it.
Why it's powerful
Reaching Coast FIRE buys options: switch to lower-paying but meaningful work, go part-time, take a sabbatical, or start a business — without derailing retirement. It reframes the goal from "retire ASAP" to "stop the financial pressure ASAP."
See your Coast FIRE age in FinFire →
Frequently asked questions
- What is Coast FIRE?
- Coast FIRE is the point where your invested balance is large enough to grow into your full retirement number by your target age with zero further contributions. You only need to earn enough to cover current expenses.
- How do I calculate my Coast FIRE number?
- Divide your FIRE number by (1 + your real return) raised to the number of years until retirement. For a $1M goal 30 years out at 5% real, the Coast number is about $231,000.
- Is Coast FIRE the same as Barista FIRE?
- They are related. Coast FIRE is the math (your portfolio coasting on its own); Barista FIRE is a lifestyle where you work part-time, often for benefits, while the portfolio coasts.