Coast FIRE is a variation of the FIRE movement. The core concept is: Front-load the pain, then let compound interest work for you.

You don’t need to save your entire retirement nest egg right now. You simply need to save a specific “lump sum” early in your career, then rely on time and compounding to grow that money to your target amount by retirement age. Once you reach your “Coast Number,” you no longer need to save for retirement—you only need to earn enough to cover your current living expenses.

Retirement ages vary by country, but most Western nations are trending towards 67. Below are the standard ages for full government pension/social security benefits:

Country	Current/Future Target
🇺🇸 USA (Full Age)	67
🇬🇧 UK (State Pension)	66 ~ 67
🇦🇺 Australia	67
🇨🇦 Canada	65

*Note: While you can often access private pensions (401k/Super) earlier (e.g., 59½ or 60), 65-67 is the standard conservative baseline.

When setting your “Annual Return Rate,” consider these historical averages and current yields for common Western financial assets:

Asset Class	Ref. Yield	Risk
HYSA / Money Market	3.0% ~ 4.5%	Very Low
10-Year US Treasury	3.5% ~ 4.5%	Low
S&P 500 (Hist. Avg)	8% ~ 10%	High
Global 60/40 Portfolio	6% ~ 8%	Med
Inflation (CPI)	2.0% ~ 3.0%	Benchmark

*Tip: If you invest aggressively (mostly stocks/ETFs), 7-8% is a common assumption. If conservative (bonds/cash), use 3-5%.

The 4% Rule is the golden rule of FIRE. The theory suggests that if you have a diversified portfolio of stocks and bonds, you can withdraw 4% of your initial portfolio value in the first year of retirement (adjusted for inflation thereafter), and your money should last for at least 30 years.

Conservative Note: Given potential lower future market returns and longer life expectancies (retirement potentially spanning 40+ years), many experts now suggest a 3.5% or 3% withdrawal rate to be safer.