Financial Independence Progress Calculator
How close you are to financial independence.
Calculate your progress toward financial independence as a percentage of your FI number. Enter portfolio and expenses for an instant result.
What this tool does
Enter current portfolio, annual expenses, and withdrawal rate. The tool shows progress toward FI.
Enter Values
Formula Used
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Disclaimer
Results are estimates for educational purposes only. They do not constitute financial advice. Consult a qualified professional before making financial decisions.
400,000 portfolio, 30,000 annual expenses, 4% withdrawal rate: FI number 750,000. Current progress 53%. Compound growth from here dominates over new savings — a portfolio past 50% FI usually reaches 100% within 10-15 years even without heroic saving.
Quick example
With current portfolio of 400,000 and annual expenses of 30,000 (plus withdrawal rate of 4%), the result is 53.33%. Change any figure and watch the output shift — it's often more useful to see the pattern than to memorise the formula.
Which inputs matter most
You enter Current Portfolio, Annual Expenses, and Withdrawal Rate. Not every input has equal weight. Flip one at a time toward extreme values to feel which ones move the needle most for your situation.
What's happening under the hood
Standard FI calculation: FI = expenses / SWR. Progress = portfolio / FI. The formula is listed in full below. If the number looks off, you can retrace the calculation by hand — that's the point of showing the working.
The annual review habit
Plug new numbers in every year. Income changes, expenses shift, markets move. A plan that isn't revisited quietly drifts out of date. This tool is cheap to re-run — so re-run it.
What this doesn't capture
Real plans get re-run against new information every year or two. The result here is a reasonable direction, not a destination. Treat it as a starting point for thinking, not a commitment to a specific future.
Where to go next
This calculation rarely sits alone in a planning exercise. If you're running these numbers, you'll probably also want the fire number calculator, the coast fire calculator, and the f you money calculator — each one answers a different question in the same territory. Treating them as a set rather than in isolation usually produces a more honest picture.
FI progress produces a percentage based on the inputs provided.
Inputs
This example uses typical values for illustration. Adjust the inputs above to match a specific situation and see how the result changes.
Sources & Methodology
Methodology
Standard FI calculation: FI = expenses / SWR. Progress = portfolio / FI.
References
Frequently Asked Questions
4% withdrawal — still safe?
Past halfway — when do I hit 100%?
Should I include home equity?
Health insurance in expenses?
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