Free financial independence calculator

You Might Need LESS Money Than You Think to Start Building Wealth.

Discover your Coast FI number and visualize what your investments could become—even if you started with just $10.

Find My Coast FI Number →What Happens If I Invest $10?

Free to use • No account required • Results in under 60 seconds

Investment growth is hypothetical. Actual returns vary.

Already ready? Find a Brokerage to Start Investing → (opens a third-party brokerage comparison page)

I may earn compensation if you open an account through links on this site. This helps keep the calculator free.

Example only: $10 a week from age 20, 7% nominal, 3% inflation

Hypothetical illustration in today’s dollars. Not a prediction or guarantee.

Coast FI calculator

Answer a few easy questions.

Defaults are pre-filled so you can explore right away. Nothing you type leaves your device.

The earlier you start, the more years your investments may have to grow.
3. How much would you want to spend every year in retirement?
Think in today’s purchasing power. If you want to spend $3,000 per month in retirement, that’s $36,000 per year. Examples only, not cost-of-living classifications.
4. How much do you already have invested?
Count money already invested toward retirement, such as eligible brokerage, IRA, or retirement account balances. Don’t automatically include emergency savings or cash that isn’t invested. Account type, allocation, taxes, and access rules can affect retirement planning.
5. How much are you investing regularly?
You do NOT need thousands of dollars to begin exploring investing. Results are estimates, not guarantees.
6. Growth assumptions (advanced)

Illustrative assumptions, not predictions. Net return = nominal return − fees. Real return = (1 + net) ÷ (1 + inflation) − 1. No investment is certain to earn any particular return.

How Coast FI works

Understand the number, not just see it.

Step 1

Pick Your Retirement Lifestyle

Estimate how much you’d want to spend annually during retirement.

Step 2

Find Your Retirement Number

Divide annual spending by a withdrawal rate. At 4%, $30,000 á 0.04 = $750,000. The 4% rule is a simplified planning guideline, not a guaranteed safe rate for everyone.

Step 3

Let Time Do Some of the Heavy Lifting

Calculate how much would need to be invested today to potentially grow toward that target by retirement age.

Coast FI is about building enough invested assets early that future investment growth could potentially carry you toward your retirement target—even without additional retirement contributions.

Compound growth demo

Think You Need Thousands to Start Investing? Think Again.

Explore how small, consistent investments could grow over decades.

It’s not about starting with a fortune. It’s about giving yourself time to build one. Small contributions don’t guarantee a fortune or any particular outcome.

Ready to Make Your First Investment?

You’ve seen what starting small could potentially do. Now explore beginner-friendly investing accounts and compare your options. Minimums and fractional-share availability depend on the provider and the investment, so not every broker or promotion is available with $10.

Ready to Start? Compare Brokerages →

Opens a third-party brokerage comparison page. I may earn compensation if you open an account through links on this site. This helps keep the calculator free.

Frequently asked questions

Your Financial Future Doesn’t Have to Start With Thousands.

Whether you have $10 or $10,000, learning how investing works is a powerful first step. Explore your brokerage options and find an account that fits your needs.

Compare Investing Accounts →

Explore brokerage options, features, fees, minimums, and eligibility before choosing an account. Different brokerages have different account and investment minimums.

I may earn compensation if you open an account through links on this site. This helps keep the calculator free.

Third-party link. I may earn compensation if you open an account.Explore Investing Accounts →