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What's Your Financial Independence Number?
FI isn't just for early retirees. It's the point where work becomes optional — and knowing your number is the first step to getting there.
Your numbers
What you actually spend per year — not your income
Total across all investment accounts (401k, IRA, brokerage, etc.)
% of gross income you save and invest each year
Assumes 7% nominal annual return, 3% inflation (~3.88% real return), and the 4% safe withdrawal rule. All projections in today's dollars.
Years to FI
41
At age 76 — saving 15% of $80K/yr
Your FI number
$1.25M
Progress toward FI number
Every great climb starts at the base. Your journey begins now.
FI number (25× expenses)
$1.25M
Current portfolio
$30K
Years to FI
41 yrs
Your savings rate
15%
Portfolio growth to FI
Ready to build your plan?
Your FI number is the destination. Your personalized educational roadmap maps the route — free, in 5 minutes.
Start My Free AssessmentThe math behind the calculator
The 4% Rule
Withdraw 4% of your portfolio in year one, then adjust for inflation each year. Research shows this survives 95%+ of 30-year historical periods across diversified portfolios.
The 25× Rule
Your FI number is simply 25 times your annual expenses. Spend $40,000/year? You need $1,000,000. Spend $60,000/year? You need $1,500,000.
Savings rate is king
Increasing your savings rate by 5% can shave years off your timeline. It works two ways: you accumulate faster and you prove you can live on less — which lowers your FI number.
Investment returns matter less than you think
A 1% difference in returns changes your timeline by 2–3 years. A 10% increase in savings rate changes it by 5–10 years. Focus on what you can control.
What is Financial Independence?
Financial Independence (FI) is the point at which your investment portfolio could generate enough passive income to cover your living expenses — indefinitely. You don't have to stop working, but you no longer have to work. The math is simpler than most people think: it's based on the 4% Rule, a guideline from the Trinity Study showing that a diversified portfolio can sustain a 4% annual withdrawal rate for 30+ years without running out of money.
Your FI Number
Your FI Number = Annual Expenses ÷ 0.04 (or Annual Expenses × 25). That's the portfolio target. Everything else — savings rate, investment returns, current savings — determines how long it takes to get there.
Why savings rate is the biggest lever
At a 10% savings rate it takes roughly 40 years to reach FI. At 25% it drops to about 32 years. At 50% it's around 17 years. The more you save, the faster you accumulate — and the less you need, because your lifestyle costs less.
Deep-dive article
What Is Your FI Number — And How Do You Hit It?
The full story behind the math: why 25× expenses, what a 3% withdrawal rate means for conservative planners, and the savings rate that actually moves the needle.
Read the article
Ready to build your plan?
Your FI number is the destination. Your personalized educational roadmap maps the route — free, in 5 minutes.
The Cube Wealth Readiness Assessment shows you where you stand today and your suggested educational priorities — built on the same foundational framework financial professionals use to evaluate client readiness. Free, in 5 minutes.
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