At 45, you have 20 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 $529,000. It's a higher bar than at 30 — but for peak-earning-years households, often very reachable.
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 45 |
|---|---|---|
| $40,000/yr | $1,000,000 | $424,000 |
| $50,000/yr | $1,250,000 | $529,000 |
| $60,000/yr | $1,500,000 | $635,000 |
| $80,000/yr | $2,000,000 | $847,000 |
Each dollar invested at 45 grows to roughly $2.36 in today's purchasing power by 65. Mid-forties earners typically have their highest income yet, kids aging out of daycare, and (from 50) catch-up contribution limits ahead. If you're at $400k invested, one or two strong saving years can close the gap to a $529k coast number — after which downshifting becomes a real option.
Is coasting risky this close to retirement? Twenty years is still long enough for markets to be volatile. Consider a coast buffer (110% of the number) or stress-test with the Monte Carlo planner's crash simulator.
What about college costs? Coast math covers only your retirement. Fund 529s separately — they're step 7 in the Financial Order of Operations, covered in the full planner.
Could I semi-retire instead? If part-time work appeals, the Barista FIRE calculator shows how much smaller your target gets when part-time income covers some expenses.