What FIRE means
FIRE (financial independence, retire early) means having enough invested that its returns pay your expenses for the rest of your life, so working becomes optional. Your FIRE number = yearly expenses ÷ safe withdrawal rate. At 3.5%, that's about 29 times what you spend in a year.
- Lean FIRE: a simpler life, here 75% of today's spending.
- FIRE: today's lifestyle.
- Fat FIRE: 50% more than today, for travel, a bigger home or helping family.
Why 3.5% and not the 4% rule
The "4% rule" comes from US data for 30-year retirements. For India, a lower rate is safer: inflation is higher (around 5–6% against 2–3%), long-term data is shorter, and an early retirement can last 40 or 50 years. Many Indian planners use 3–3.5%. You can change it; a lower rate needs a bigger corpus but is less likely to run out.
How the calculator works
Everything is in today's rupees. Your savings grow at the return minus inflation, and you add the same amount each year in today's money (so it rises with prices). Your yearly saving comes from your savings rate: spending ₹6 lakh and saving 40% means an income of ₹10 lakh and ₹4 lakh saved. The age shown is the first year your savings reach the number.
The biggest lever is the savings rate: it builds the corpus faster and lowers the spending the corpus has to cover. Not covered here: taxes on withdrawals, big one-off costs (children's education, a home), and health insurance after you leave your employer's cover. Plan those with the goal planner, and see how a corpus lasts with the SWP calculator.
Results are estimates for illustration only, not financial advice. Banks and schemes may round, apply TDS or use slightly different day counts — confirm figures with your bank or employer. Written by the Welthr team; last reviewed on .