What is the difference between Lean, Chubby, and Fat FIRE?

The tiers are defined by annual spending. Lean FIRE funds a frugal budget under about 50,000 dollars a year, Regular FIRE covers a typical middle-class lifestyle, Chubby FIRE runs roughly 100,000 to 200,000 dollars a year, and Fat FIRE funds 200,000 dollars a year or more. Higher spending means a much larger portfolio.

Do taxes change your FatFIRE number?

Yes, and the effect is large at high spending. If your withdrawals are taxed at an effective 15 percent, you need to withdraw more than you spend to net your target budget, which raises the portfolio you need. This calculator lets you set an effective tax rate so your FatFIRE number reflects after-tax spending.

What withdrawal rate should you use for FatFIRE?

Because FatFIRE retirements are often long, many people use a more conservative rate than the classic 4 percent rule, commonly 3.25 to 3.5 percent. A lower rate raises your target but improves the odds the portfolio lasts 40 to 50 years. This calculator defaults to 3.5 percent and lets you change it.

FatFIRE Calculator

Find the portfolio you need for a high-spending early retirement, the tax drag most calculators skip, and where you land across Lean, Regular, Chubby, and Fat FIRE.

Free · no sign-up · figures in today's dollars

Current age

Current invested savings (portfolio)

Amount you invest per year

Target annual spending (after tax, today's $)

Advanced assumptions

Expected annual return

Inflation

Safe withdrawal rate (long retirements: 3.25 to 3.5)

Effective tax on withdrawals (varies a lot)

Progress to your FatFIRE number

Editorial note: This tool is for informational and educational purposes only and is not financial or tax advice. Projections are estimates based on the assumptions you enter and assume steady average returns, which real markets never deliver. Tax treatment varies widely by account type, state, and income. Consult a qualified financial professional before making decisions.

How the FatFIRE calculator works

FatFIRE is financial independence without cutting back. Rather than trimming your lifestyle to retire early, you build a portfolio big enough to fund a generous budget for the rest of your life. This calculator answers three things: the portfolio you need to fund your target spending after tax, how many years you are from it at your current pace, and where your number sits across the FIRE tiers.

Everything is shown in today's dollars. We convert your expected return into a real return after inflation, so your target and timeline stay in money you understand right now instead of inflated future figures.

How much money do you need for FatFIRE?

The core math is simple: your target annual spending divided by your safe withdrawal rate. At a conservative 3.5 percent rate, $200,000 of yearly spending points to roughly $5.7 million before tax. Spend $250,000 and the target climbs to about $7.1 million. The exact figure depends on your withdrawal rate and, importantly, on the taxes you pay on the money you pull out.

Why taxes change your FatFIRE number

Most FIRE calculators quietly assume every dollar you withdraw is a dollar you get to spend. At FatFIRE spending levels that assumption breaks down. If your withdrawals are taxed at an effective 15 percent, you have to pull out about $176,000 to actually spend $150,000, and that larger withdrawal needs a larger portfolio behind it. This calculator grosses up your spending by the effective tax rate you set, so your FatFIRE number reflects what you keep, not what you gross. The extra amount taxes add shows up as your tax drag in the results.

Your real rate depends heavily on where the money lives. Roth withdrawals are tax free, long-term capital gains and qualified dividends get preferential rates, and traditional 401(k) and IRA withdrawals are taxed as ordinary income. A blend of account types is the usual way high earners keep the effective rate down.

Lean, Regular, Chubby, and Fat FIRE

The FIRE tiers are just shorthand for how much you plan to spend each year:

Lean FIRE: a frugal budget, under about $50,000 a year.
Regular FIRE: a typical middle-class lifestyle, roughly $50,000 to $100,000.
Chubby FIRE: comfortable and flexible, about $100,000 to $200,000.
Fat FIRE: a genuinely high-spending life, $200,000 a year or more.

Because your target scales directly with spending, moving up a tier moves your number up fast. The ladder in your results shows the portfolio each tier needs at your withdrawal rate and tax assumptions, with your own target highlighted.

What withdrawal rate to use

FatFIRE retirements are often long, sometimes 40 to 50 years, which argues for a more cautious withdrawal rate than the classic 4 percent rule. Many people planning a long, high-spending retirement use 3.25 to 3.5 percent. A lower rate raises your target but improves the odds the portfolio survives a bad early market. You can set your own rate under Advanced assumptions.

Curious where you stand today? Check our Net Worth Percentile Calculator, or run the standard numbers in the FIRE Calculator. If you want to know how much freedom you already have, the FU Money Calculator breaks it into three levels.

Frequently asked questions

What is FatFIRE?

Financial independence at a high level of spending. You build a portfolio large enough to fund a generous budget, often $100,000 to $250,000 or more per year, indefinitely.

How much do you need for FatFIRE?

Target spending divided by your withdrawal rate, grossed up for taxes. At 3.5 percent, $200,000 of after-tax spending needs well over $5 million.

Do taxes really change the number?

Yes. At high spending, the tax on withdrawals meaningfully raises the portfolio you need, which is why this tool lets you set an effective rate.

What withdrawal rate should I use?

For long FatFIRE horizons, 3.25 to 3.5 percent is common and more conservative than the 4 percent rule.

Methodology. FatFIRE number = annual spending ÷ ((1 − effective tax rate) × withdrawal rate). No-tax number = spending ÷ withdrawal rate; tax drag = the difference. Real return = (1 + expected return) ÷ (1 + inflation) − 1. Years to FatFIRE is projected year by year: the portfolio grows at the real return and your annual contribution is added until it reaches the target. Tiers use reference spending of $40k Lean, $80k Regular, $150k Chubby, and $250k Fat at your withdrawal rate and tax rate. All figures are in today's dollars and assume constant average returns.