What is the FIRE movement?

FIRE stands for Financial Independence, Retire Early. The core idea is accumulating enough invested assets that passive investment returns can cover your living expenses indefinitely — typically using the 4% safe withdrawal rate as the benchmark. There are several variations: Lean FIRE targets a minimal lifestyle (~$40,000/year); Fat FIRE targets a comfortable or luxury lifestyle ($80,000–$150,000+/year); Coast FIRE means you have already saved enough that even without additional contributions, compound growth alone will reach your retirement number by traditional retirement age. FIRE requires a high savings rate — typically 40–70% of income — which usually means increasing income, drastically reducing expenses, or both. Calculate your FIRE number at wealthserene.com/tools/fire-calculator.