FIRE Calculator Canada
Calculate your Canadian FIRE number using the 4% safe withdrawal rule, years to financial independence, and age at FIRE.
Savings rate: 37.5% of total income
Real return = nominal return minus inflation (~2%)
Your FIRE Number
$1,250,000.00
25× your annual expenses (4% rule)
Years to FIRE
18
From today
Age at FIRE
50
Annual Withdrawal (4%)
$50,000.00
What your portfolio supports
Savings Rate
37.5%
Solid pace
FIRE Tier Comparison
LeanFIRE
$30K/yr expenses
$750,000.00
13 yrs (age 45)
Your FIRE
$50,000.00/yr
$1,250,000.00
18 yrs (age 50)
FatFIRE
$100K/yr expenses
$2,500,000.00
27 yrs (age 59)
Financial Independence, Retire Early (FIRE) in the Canadian Context
The FIRE movement combines an aggressive savings rate with low-cost index investing to achieve financial independence decades before traditional retirement age. The foundational math comes from the Trinity Study (1998), which found that a balanced portfolio supporting 4% annual withdrawals (adjusted for inflation) had a 95%+ success rate over 30-year retirements based on US historical returns from 1926–1995. The corollary — the “FIRE number” — is 25 times your annual expenses (1 / 0.04 = 25).
In Canada, FIRE pursuers stack tax-advantaged accounts to accelerate the timeline. The priority order for most Canadians is: 1) employer RRSP matching (free money), 2) FHSA if a first-time home buyer ($8,000/yr deduction), 3) maximize TFSA ($7,000/yr in 2026, all gains tax-free forever), 4) RRSP up to your contribution room (defers tax to retirement when marginal rates may be lower), 5) taxable accounts using broad-market ETFs like Vanguard’s VEQT or BlackRock’s XEQT. CPP and OAS provide a guaranteed income floor from age 60–65, reducing how much your portfolio needs to support in the post-65 phase.
FIRE Tiers and Required Capital
| Tier | Annual Expenses | Portfolio Needed (25×) |
|---|---|---|
| LeanFIRE | $30,000 | $750,000 |
| Regular FIRE | $50,000 | $1,250,000 |
| Chubby FIRE | $80,000 | $2,000,000 |
| FatFIRE | $100,000+ | $2,500,000+ |
| CoastFIRE | Variable | ~$400K at age 30 (no more contributions) |
The single largest driver of FIRE timeline is the savings rate (savings as a percentage of after-tax income), not absolute income. Mr. Money Mustache’s “shockingly simple math” shows that at a 15% savings rate, it takes 43 years to retire; at 50% savings rate, 17 years; at 70%, just 8.5 years. The mechanism is two-sided: higher savings means more money invested, and lower spending means a smaller FIRE number to hit. Canadian FIRE practitioners commonly use the Boglehead-style three-fund portfolio (e.g., 70% VEQT global equity / 20% bonds / 10% cash) or a single all-in-one asset allocation ETF, rebalanced annually. Sequence-of-returns risk — a market crash in the early retirement years — is the main threat; tools like the “guard rails” method (reducing spending in down years) and a 2–3 year cash bond ladder buffer this risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the 4% rule?
How does FIRE work in Canada?
What are LeanFIRE, FIRE, and FatFIRE?
Does the 4% rule still work?
Official Data Sources
Related Calculators
People also use
Built and reviewed by Konstantin Iakovlev · Data from CRA, CMHC, Bank of Canada · MethodologyDisclaimer: This calculator provides estimates based on publicly available data from CRA and other government sources. It does not constitute financial advice. Consult a qualified advisor for decisions about your specific situation.