The FIRE Number Problem

You're probably planning to retire on half of what you'll actually need.

Generic calculators give you a comfortable-sounding number. Real life — Indian inflation, your children's education, your parents' healthcare, longevity to 90 — will cost you 4–6× more. Most people don't find out until it's too late to do anything about it.

Calculate my real FIRE number →

Takes 5 minutes · No sign-up · Built on Bengen (1994) + Trinity Study (1998)

🔒 No data stored📊 Runs in your browser🎓 Research-backed methodology🇮🇳 India-specific assumptions
4–6×
How much people underestimate their FIRE number
Real case study: expected ₹8–10 Cr. Actual requirement: ₹32 Cr. The gap doesn't forgive.
6%
India's structural inflation — double the US rate
Your corpus must beat 6% just to stay still. Generic calculators built for the US 3% world are dangerously optimistic here.
₹8K
Starting SIP vs. ₹76K flat, for the same corpus
A step-up SIP that grows with your salary changes everything — most people never model this.
The four lies your current plan believes

Why most retirement plans fail before they start

Each of these assumptions is baked silently into the number your bank or advisor gave you. Each one makes your plan look better than it is.

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You'll move everything to FDs the day you retire
Generic calculators assume you earn 6–7% post-retirement. In reality, you still have 30+ years — keeping 60% in equity changes the entire math.
Real impact: ₹40 Cr → ₹27 Cr with correct post-retirement returns
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You'll spend exactly what you spend today, forever
By retirement, your EMIs are done. Your children are educated. Moving 1 city tier lower cuts your corpus requirement by 20–35% — linearly.
Geo-arbitrage can save 1.5–3 Cr on a standard 10 Cr FIRE plan
⏹️
You will earn exactly ₹0 after retiring
Even ₹25,000/month in consulting, teaching, or rentals dramatically cuts the corpus you need. This single assumption inflates most FIRE numbers by 20–40%.
₹30K/mo part-time income → ₹9 Cr less corpus needed (at 4% SWR)
📅
Your SIP must be the same amount every month
A step-up SIP that grows 10% annually matches your income trajectory. You start at ₹8K/mo instead of ₹76K/mo flat — and reach the same corpus at retirement.
Step-up SIP saves 90%+ of cash flow strain in the first decade
What you actually get

Not a number. A complete plan.

In 5 minutes, you'll know exactly what to do — not just what your FIRE corpus is, but how to get there, what to buy, and what to never sell.

✓
Your real FIRE number — in today's money and future rupees
SWR-adjusted for your exact retirement horizon. 30 years is a 3.5% rate, not 4%. That difference is crores.
✓
Exactly how much gap you have — and the precise SIP to fill it
Flat SIP vs. step-up SIP. Both modeled. The step-up SIP is always recommended. You'll see why instantly.
✓
The 3-bucket drawdown plan — so you never sell equity at the wrong time
Safety, Income, Growth. Exact amounts. The strategy that keeps retirees solvent through 30-year bear markets.
✓
Every life goal priced in — education, wedding, relocation, healthcare
Kept separate from your FIRE number the right way, inflation-adjusted to each goal's target year.
✓
Personalised product recommendations to act on today
Direct MF platforms, health cover, term insurance, NPS — matched to your specific gap and goals.
He expected to need ₹8–10 crore to retire at 50. The real number was ₹32 crore. He found out at 38.
Real case study · Deserve FIRE Planning Research · 2024
₹32 Cr
Actual FIRE number after modelling longevity, lifestyle creep, and children's costs
3 yrs
Working until 53 instead of 50 cuts the required SIP from ₹3.8L to ₹2.1L/mo
Research foundation
Built on William Bengen's Safe Withdrawal Rate research (1994), the Trinity Study (1998), Harold Evensky's 3-Bucket strategy (1985), and adapted for India's 6% inflation environment and 12–15% equity CAGR market.
How it works

5 steps. 5 minutes. A complete picture.

01
Profile & Currency
Pick your FIRE variant (Lean, Barista, Regular, or Fat), set your timeline and planning currency — INR, USD, GBP, EUR, SGD, and more.
02
Your Financial Baseline
Enter your existing corpus by asset class — equity, debt, gold, real estate. Each compounds at its own rate to retirement day.
03
Retirement Vision
Set your lifestyle spend, location cost factor (geo-arbitrage), retirement income, and healthcare reserve.
04
Life Goals
Model children's education, weddings, relocation, property — each inflation-adjusted to its target year and kept separate from your FIRE corpus.
05
Your Complete Plan
FIRE corpus, gap analysis, 3-bucket breakdown, SIP plan, and product recommendations to close the gap starting today.
After your calculation

Matched products to close your gap

Your plan will surface the specific tools, platforms, and cover you need — matched to your actual numbers. Not generic recommendations. Yours.

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Direct Mutual Funds
Start or migrate your SIP — zero commission
Switch from regular to direct plans and reclaim 80 bps annually. That's the exact alpha you need to beat your FIRE target.
Avg. 80 bps saved annually
🏥
Health Insurance
Lock in super top-up cover before you retire
Pre-existing conditions make post-FIRE cover expensive or impossible. Lock in a ₹50L+ super top-up while you're still employed.
Lock in while employed
🛡️
Term Life Insurance
Protect your corpus-building years
Your corpus builds over the next 10–20 years. A term plan ensures your family's FIRE plan survives even if you don't.
Pure protection
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NPS (National Pension System)
Tax-efficient long corpus with equity upside
80C + 80CCD(1B) deduction. Equity Tier-1 funds average 13%+ CAGR. A mandatory annuity on exit creates guaranteed Bucket 1 income.
Extra ₹50K tax deduction
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SEBI RIA Review
Get your plan reviewed by a fee-only advisor
A SEBI-registered Investment Advisor earns nothing from product commissions. Pay once for advice that's actually in your interest.
Fee-only · No commissions
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International Relocation
Planning to retire abroad? Pre-fund the move
SE Asia, Portugal, UAE, Canada — geo-arbitrage can cut your corpus requirement by 30–50%. Model the relocation cost inside the calculator.
30–50% corpus reduction

Stop estimating. Know your number.

Most people spend more time planning a two-week holiday than their 30-year retirement. Five minutes now can save you from working 10 years longer than you have to.

Calculate my FIRE number — free →

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