Coast FIRE Calculator UK (£) — ISA, Pension & State Pension
Work out your Coast FIRE number in pounds — when you can stop saving and let your ISA and pension compound to retirement.
Your Coast FIRE path
Today's Coast FIRE target
£259,252
The investments needed today if you stopped retirement contributions now.
You have £0 invested.
Add a monthly contribution to see when active saving can end.
If you keep contributing
£0
Projected investments at age 67.
Monthly saving needed for retirement target
£949/mo
This targets the full retirement pot at your selected retirement age, not the Coast target.
Coast FIRE does not mean you are retired: you still need income for current spending. Your monthly contribution changes when active saving ends; it does not change today's Coast target.
State Pension scenario
Both targets are in today's pounds.
Without State Pension
£259,252
Selected scenario
£259,252
This State Pension scenario leaves the Coast FIRE target unchanged.
Turn on your personal forecast to compare a State Pension scenario.
State Pension bridge
Add your personal State Pension forecast to check whether an early-retirement bridge is needed.
State Pension forecast
Include my State Pension forecast
Enter your own annual forecast. The full rate is not assumed.
Your Coast FIRE path
Today's Coast FIRE target
£259,252
The investments needed today if you stopped retirement contributions now.
You have £0 invested.
Add a monthly contribution to see when active saving can end.
If you keep contributing
£0
Projected investments at age 67.
Monthly saving needed for retirement target
£949/mo
This targets the full retirement pot at your selected retirement age, not the Coast target.
Coast FIRE does not mean you are retired: you still need income for current spending. Your monthly contribution changes when active saving ends; it does not change today's Coast target.
State Pension scenario
Both targets are in today's pounds.
Without State Pension
£259,252
Selected scenario
£259,252
This State Pension scenario leaves the Coast FIRE target unchanged.
Turn on your personal forecast to compare a State Pension scenario.
State Pension bridge
Add your personal State Pension forecast to check whether an early-retirement bridge is needed.
What does this Coast FIRE target mean?
In one sentence: The default £259,252 is the invested amount a 30-year-old needs today so their ISA and pension pots can grow to a £30,000-a-year retirement at 67 on their own, with State Pension left off.
Why it matters: the figure is in today's pounds, which is why it looks bigger than UK tools that grow a 7% nominal return into a future inflated pot. Hitting it does not mean you are retired; you still need income for today's bills.
If you skip this, it's easy to treat the Coast target as a quit-your-job number, or to turn on a full State Pension before you've checked your own forecast.
What to do next:
- • Check your own State Pension forecast before switching the toggle on. This page does not fill in the full rate.
- • If you have a workplace or defined-benefit pension, run the calculator with pension.
- • If two of you are planning together, use the couples calculator.
How is that different from full FIRE?
Your pot isn't big enough to retire on today. Leave it untouched and it should grow to your full retirement target by the age you select. Full FIRE is the much larger amount you'd need to stop working right now.
What's the formula, in plain English?
Two steps do all the work:
- 1.Full FIRE number = annual spending ÷ 4%. This is the pot you'd need to live off forever using the 4% safe withdrawal rule.
- 2.Coast FIRE number = Full FIRE ÷ (1 + real return) raised to the years left to retirement. Real return is your growth after inflation.
We use a 6% expected return and 3% inflation by default, so a real return of about 2.9%. Every figure is shown in today's money.
What does that look like with real numbers?
Take someone who is 35, spends £30,000 a year, and retires at 67. Their full FIRE number is £30,000 ÷ 4% = £750,000. Discount that back 32 years at a 2.9% real return and the Coast FIRE number is about £299,000. Leave that £299,000 invested and it grows back to £750,000 by 67 — without adding another penny.
Which UK pots should you count?
Coast FIRE only works if you count the right money. Add up pots that grow like investments. Treat guaranteed income, like the State Pension, as a cut to spending instead.
| Pot or account | Include? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Workplace pension (DC) | Yes | Counts fully as part of your invested pot. |
| Stocks & shares ISA | Yes | Counts fully, and the growth is tax-free. |
| SIPP | Yes | A self-invested personal pension counts like any other pot. |
| Lifetime ISA | Yes | Counts, plus the 25% government bonus on what you pay in. |
| State Pension | As income | Use the yearly amount in your personal forecast. Do not assume the full rate or add it to your pot. |
| Defined benefit / final salary | As income | Treat the guaranteed yearly amount as a cut to your spending. |
| Cash savings | No | Cash grows slower than investments, so including it overstates your number. |
| Your home | Depends | Only count it if you actually plan to sell and invest the proceeds. |
How does the State Pension change your number?
Treat it as income that reduces what your investments must cover — not as cash sitting in your pot.
For 2026/27, the full new State Pension rate is £241.30 a week — about £12,548 a year (£241.30 × 52). That is not a promise of what you will receive: use your official State Pension forecast.
Eligibility is not one-size-fits-all:
- You normally need 35 qualifying National Insurance years only if your NI record started after April 2016.
- Earlier records, including periods when you were contracted out, can mean a different calculation or more years for the full rate.
What does a worked example look like?
Illustration only: if your own forecast shows £12,548 a year and you want £30,000 a year, your investments need to cover the remaining £17,452. That gives a full FIRE number of about £436,000 instead of £750,000. Change the amount to match your forecast before relying on the result.
State Pension starts at the age that applies to your date of birth, not necessarily when you stop work. Check the official age tool and plan savings to bridge any earlier years.
When can you actually access the money?
Hitting your Coast FIRE number is one thing. Being allowed to spend it is another. UK rules set different ages for each pot.
When can pensions usually be accessed?
The normal minimum pension age (NMPA) is generally 55 and rises to 57 on 6 April 2028. Your scheme can set a higher age. A protected pension age, ill-health retirement or certain uniformed-service schemes can differ — check your scheme and provider.
When does State Pension start?
Your State Pension age depends on your date of birth and the government timetable, which is reviewed regularly. Check the official tool; your own pots must cover any years before it starts.
How can an ISA bridge the gap?
An ISA has no minimum withdrawal age. If you want to stop work before your pension scheme allows access, a stocks & shares ISA can bridge the gap.
What are the Lifetime ISA age rules?
You can pay into a LISA until 50 (first payment before 40) and earn the 25% bonus, but penalty-free retirement withdrawals only start at 60.
What does a UK Coast number look like by age?
Based on £30,000 a year of spending, the 4% rule, a 6% return with 3% inflation, and a model retirement age of 67. All figures are in today's pounds.
| Current age | Years to model age 67 | Coast FIRE number | Full FIRE number |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | 42 | £224,584 | £750,000 |
| 30 | 37 | £259,252 | £750,000 |
| 35 | 32 | £299,271 | £750,000 |
| 40 | 27 | £345,468 | £750,000 |
| 45 | 22 | £398,796 | £750,000 |
| 50 | 17 | £460,357 | £750,000 |
These use £30,000 of spending. Change your own spending in the calculator above for your exact number.
Our numbers look bigger than some UK tools because they're in today's money — real purchasing power, not an inflated future figure.
Is Coast FIRE the same as Barista FIRE in the UK?
No — they answer different questions.
- Coast FIRE: stop saving for retirement and only earn enough for today's living costs — your pot grows on its own.
- Barista FIRE: work part-time to pay for part of your expenses.
In the US, Barista FIRE is often about keeping a job for health insurance. In the UK the NHS removes that reason, so the choice is really about income, not cover.
Is Coast FIRE right for you? Read the honest pros and cons →Where do the UK figures come from?
UK figures link to official GOV.UK sources. State Pension rate and eligibility are general information; check your personal forecast and State Pension age before using them in a plan.
- ISA allowance — £20,000 for 2026/27 (gov.uk)
- New State Pension — 2026/27 full rate £241.30 a week (gov.uk)
- State Pension forecast — check your personal entitlement and NI record (gov.uk)
- Normal minimum pension age — general age 55, rising to 57 on 6 April 2028 (HMRC)
- Pension annual allowance — £60,000 (gov.uk)
- State Pension age — check by date of birth and timetable (gov.uk)
State Pension rate checked for the 2026/27 UK tax year · last reviewed July 2026.
Educational only — not financial advice. This is an illustrative projection; markets don't grow in a straight line. Nothing is stored — every calculation runs in your browser.
Common UK Coast FIRE questions
It depends on your spending and age. With £25,000–£30,000 of annual spending, your full FIRE target is £625,000–£750,000.
Your Coast FIRE number is smaller because your pot still has years to grow — for a 35-year-old spending £30,000, it's about £299,000 in today's money. Use the calculator above for your own figure.
You can stop work before accessing a pension. The normal minimum pension age is generally 55 and rises to 57 on 6 April 2028, but scheme rules, protected pension ages and exceptions can differ.
An ISA has no minimum withdrawal age, so it can bridge the gap until your pension and State Pension are available. Check your provider and your official State Pension age.
No. Every calculation runs in your browser. Nothing you enter is sent to a server or saved anywhere, so your numbers stay private.
Want the basics first? Read our guide on what Coast FIRE is.
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