At 40, you have 25 years of compounding before a traditional retirement at 65. With $50,000/yr of retirement spending, a 7% return, 2.5% inflation, and a 4% withdrawal rate, your Coast FIRE number is about $427,000. Cross it, and the second half of your career can be about meaning, not maxing contributions.
Want contributions, a coast-date chart, and adjustable rates? Use the full Coast FIRE calculator.
Assumes retirement at 65, 7% nominal returns, 2.5% inflation, 4% safe withdrawal rate. All figures in today's dollars.
| Retirement spending | Full FIRE number | Coast number at 40 |
|---|---|---|
| $40,000/yr | $1,000,000 | $342,000 |
| $50,000/yr | $1,250,000 | $427,000 |
| $60,000/yr | $1,500,000 | $512,000 |
| $80,000/yr | $2,000,000 | $683,000 |
Each dollar invested at 40 still grows to about $2.93 in today's purchasing power by 65 — compounding remains firmly on your side. Forty is when burnout and "is this it?" questions peak. Knowing your coast number turns a vague desire to downshift into a concrete target: hit ~$427k and a career change, consultancy, or four-day week no longer threatens your retirement.
I have $250k at 40 — how far off am I? About 59% of the way to a $427k target. At $2,000/month, most scenarios coast within 6–7 years. Verify with the full calculator.
Should I count home equity? Only if you'd genuinely sell or borrow against it in retirement. Most planners count invested assets only — it keeps the math honest.
Coast FIRE vs. Barista FIRE at 40? Coast = keep working full-time but stop saving. Barista = quit full-time now with a smaller portfolio plus part-time income. Compare with the Barista FIRE calculator.