Coast FIRE Blog
Deep-dive guides on reaching Coast FIRE faster — how Social Security, pensions, and planning as a couple change the number you need invested today.
Coast FIRE in Europe: Your Number in Euros (2026 Guide)
Coast FIRE in Europe: your number in euros, how state pensions reshape the target, UCITS ETFs and country tax wrappers, and a full worked example with a €-ready calculator.
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Coast FIRE in Canada: RRSP, TFSA, CPP and Your Real Number (2026)
Coast FIRE in Canada: your number in Canadian dollars, why the TFSA is the coast superstar, the RRSP-vs-TFSA decision, CPP timing, and a full worked example with 2026 figures.
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Coast FIRE in Australia: Your Number, Super & the Preservation Age (2026)
Coast FIRE in Australia: calculate your number in A$, understand how superannuation's preservation age of 60 shapes the plan, and run the two-part coast check with a worked example.
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Coast FIRE UK: How Much You Need Invested Today (2026 Guide)
Coast FIRE in the UK: your number in pounds, the ISA/SIPP bridge problem, the State Pension as an income floor, and a full worked example with 2026 figures.
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Can I Retire at 55? The Complete Math & Checklist (2026)
Can you retire at 55? The complete math: the 4 unique challenges, the Rule of 55 for 401(k) withdrawals, portfolio targets by spending level, a sample bridge plan, and an 8-item checklist.
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Is $1 Million Enough to Retire? What It Really Buys in 2026
Is $1 million enough to retire? What $1M really buys in 2026: $40k/year at the 4% rule, SWR sensitivity table, Social Security combined income, inflation's bite, and who needs more.
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Can I Retire with $500k? The Honest Math (2026)
Can you retire with $500k? The honest math: what $500k generates at 4% and 3.5%, how Social Security changes everything, income tables by retirement age, and 5 strategies that make it work.
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What Is a FIRE Number? How to Calculate Yours (With Examples)
Your FIRE number is the portfolio size at which work becomes optional. Learn the formula, see worked examples for Lean, Coast, Barista, and Fat FIRE, and how your savings rate sets your timeline.
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The Rule of 25: How Much Do You Really Need to Retire?
The Rule of 25 explained: multiply annual retirement spending by 25 to get your retirement number. Includes a quick-reference table, conservative variants, Fidelity salary benchmarks, and the Coast FIRE shortcut.
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What Is the 4% Rule? Retirement Withdrawals Explained (2026 Update)
The 4% rule explained: Bengen's 1994 research, the Trinity Study, sequence-of-returns risk, and the 2026 update — Bengen's new 4.7% SAFEMAX vs Morningstar's 3.9% — plus how it drives your Coast FIRE number.
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Coast FIRE vs Barista FIRE: Which Path Fits You?
Coast FIRE vs Barista FIRE explained: the key difference, a worked example with the same person on both paths, pros and cons tables, tax and health insurance notes, and how to combine them.
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5 Best Coast FIRE Calculators in 2026 (Honest Comparison)
An honest comparison of the best Coast FIRE calculators in 2026: CoastFireCalculator.org, WalletBurst, Clark.com, Marriage Kids and Money, and The Fioneers — features, strengths, and which to choose.
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Coast FIRE Formula Explained (With Real Examples)
The Coast FIRE calculator formula broken down step by step: FIRE number, real vs nominal returns, a worked example, a sensitivity table by age, spreadsheet formulas, and common mistakes.
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Coast FIRE for Couples: How to Calculate Your Combined Number
How couples calculate a combined Coast FIRE number: merge invested assets and spending, coordinate two Social Security benefits, handle different ages and account access rules — with a worked example.
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Coast FIRE with a Pension: How Guaranteed Income Shrinks Your Number
How a pension changes your Coast FIRE number: subtract guaranteed income from spending, handle COLA vs fixed pensions, the lump-sum decision, and bridge years — with a full worked example.
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Coast FIRE with Social Security: How Benefits Change Your Number
How to adjust your Coast FIRE number for Social Security: subtract expected benefits from retirement spending, handle the bridge years, and see a full worked example with correct math.
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Know your number first
Every guide on this blog builds on one metric: your Coast FIRE number. Find yours in seconds with our free Coast FIRE calculator.