Coast FIRE Number for a 32-Year-Old: Savings Guide

What is the Coast FIRE number for a 32-year-old?

Coast FIRE means you have saved enough that growth alone can fund retirement by your target age, without you adding more retirement money. For a 32-year-old who spends $60,000 a year and wants to retire at 65, the illustrative target sits around $304,000, assuming a 5% real return. Your own number moves with your spending, target age, and return assumption.

These are the questions that come up when people run the math for the first time.

How is the Coast FIRE number actually calculated?
Two steps. First, estimate the retirement portfolio: annual spending divided by the withdrawal rate, so $60,000 ÷ 0.04 gives about $1.5 million. Second, discount that back to today: divide by the growth factor, so $1.5 million ÷ 1.05^33 gives about $304,000.

Is the 4% rule safe to rely on?
It is a starting assumption, not a guarantee. Sequence-of-returns risk, inflation, taxes, and fees all change the outcome. Run the same number with 3.5% and with a lower expected return and see how much the target moves before you commit to a plan.

Should I use real returns or inflation-adjusted returns?
Be consistent. Nominal returns (around 7-8% for a broad equity index) pair with nominal spending; real returns (around 5%) pair with today's spending power. Mixing the two silently inflates the target.

Does Coast FIRE mean I stop saving entirely?
No, it just means retirement contributions stop being mandatory. Most people keep saving for goals that come before retirement: a house, travel, kids, or an earlier target age. The math only covers the retirement portion.

What if my spending changes in retirement?
Healthcare, housing, and travel usually behave differently after 60. Recompute the target with a higher or lower spending number rather than carrying one figure for 30 years. Check the plan annually, not when the market dips.

Where can I run these scenarios without spreadsheet errors?
A calculator helps you change age, spending, and return assumptions quickly. Try Coast FIRE Calculator (https://thecoastfirecalculator.com) to see how far current savings are from the milestone under different assumptions, and treat the output as a planning aid, not financial advice.