LogoCOAST FIRE Calculator

Coast FIRE Calculator with Pension — Cut Your Target (Free)

Plug in your pension and Social Security estimates to see how much less the portfolio may need to cover. Planning scenario only — not personal advice.

Pension Ready
Instant Results
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$329,443→

$43,459

With Pension

Save $285,984
100%$50,000
0years
Achieved!
2gap yrs
Your Information
How does income change this target?
Required without pension$329,443
Your Coast FIRE target$43,459
Enabled annual income$45,000/yr

Income bridge. From age 65 to 67, the model reserves $49,065 for spending not covered by enabled income.

Why put pension income into Coast FIRE?

In one sentence: This Coast FIRE calculator with pension shows that once a pension (and optional Social Security) starts covering part of spending, your investments only have to fund what's left, so the Coast number can drop.

Why it matters: a pension is not just "extra cash later." It changes how much retirement spending your portfolio still has to carry.

If you skip this check, it's easy to keep saving toward a full nest egg you may not need — or to coast while counting on start ages and amounts you never verified.

Doing it right helps you:

  • •See how much lower the Coast target gets when enabled income is counted
  • •Spot the waiting years between retirement and when income actually starts
  • •Keep every amount and start age tied to your own statements — not a guess

What do sample pension Coast FIRE plans look like?

Each card shows every model input and this calculator's output. Load one to fill the tool above with the same assumptions.

Teacher pension + Social Security

A $40,000/year teacher pension starting at 60, plus $18,000/year Social Security at 67. Without income: about $706K needed by age 45. With both benefits: about $35K — the pension alone covers 80% of a $50K annual budget.

Base Coast FIRE assumptions

Current age
45
Retirement age
60
Current savings
$150,000
Monthly contribution
$0/mo
Annual spending
$50,000/yr
Return / inflation / withdrawal
7% / 3% / 4%

Enabled income assumptions

Pension
$40,000/yr · starts at age 60
Social Security
$18,000/yr · starts at age 67

Output from this model

No-income Coast FIRE target
$705,849
Income-adjusted Coast FIRE target
$35,361
Income bridge
$62,621, ages 60–67

Illustrative scenario only, not your result or financial, tax, investment, or benefits advice.

Military pension + Social Security

Pension is already payable before retirement, so part of spending is covered right away. Savings still bridge the rest until Social Security begins.

Base Coast FIRE assumptions

Current age
38
Retirement age
55
Current savings
$100,000
Monthly contribution
$0/mo
Annual spending
$50,000/yr
Return / inflation / withdrawal
7% / 3% / 4%

Enabled income assumptions

Pension
$30,000/yr · starts at age 38
Social Security
$24,000/yr · starts at age 67

Output from this model

No-income Coast FIRE target
$654,062
Income-adjusted Coast FIRE target
$102,722
Income bridge
$196,316, ages 55–67

Illustrative scenario only, not your result or financial, tax, investment, or benefits advice.

Corporate pension + Social Security

Pension begins at retirement but covers only half of spending. The model bridges the two years before Social Security, then keeps capital for the ongoing shortfall.

Base Coast FIRE assumptions

Current age
50
Retirement age
65
Current savings
$200,000
Monthly contribution
$0/mo
Annual spending
$50,000/yr
Return / inflation / withdrawal
7% / 3% / 4%

Enabled income assumptions

Pension
$25,000/yr · starts at age 65
Social Security
$22,000/yr · starts at age 67

Output from this model

No-income Coast FIRE target
$705,849
Income-adjusted Coast FIRE target
$66,950
Income bridge
$49,065, ages 65–67

Illustrative scenario only, not your result or financial, tax, investment, or benefits advice.

How does the calculator treat pension income?

Why does the Coast number fall?

Income only reduces the spending the portfolio must cover after it starts.

The model subtracts each enabled income from annual spending only from its start age, then applies your withdrawal-rate input to what's left.

  • •Before the start age, that income does not shrink the target
  • •Your withdrawal rate turns remaining spending into a nest-egg need
  • •This is a planning assumption — not a valuation of the pension or a promise about withdrawals

What if income starts after you retire?

Those waiting years need a bridge — money reserved for uncovered spending.

When an income source begins after retirement, the model adds only the uncovered spending in each waiting year to the retirement-date target.

  • •The bridge covers ages between retirement and when enabled income begins
  • •Only uncovered spending in those years is reserved — not a full second nest egg by default
  • •This page does not choose a work, spending, or retirement strategy for you

Next: verify each start age and annual estimate against your pension statement and your Social Security statement.

Does your pension keep up with inflation?

COLA terms vary — and FERS COLAs are not full inflation protection.

Enter an amount and start age you have verified for your own situation. The calculator does not apply each plan's COLA formula for you.

  • •Regular FERS annuitants generally do not receive COLAs before age 62, subject to stated exceptions, and the FERS formula can be below CPI
  • •Other pension COLA terms vary by plan
  • •If your benefit grows differently, adjust the annual amount you enter to match the scenario you want to test
OPM: how FERS COLA is determined

Which pension policy details still matter?

Policy facts come from the linked official sources. The calculator still uses only the numbers you type.

Does WEP still cut Social Security if I have a pension?

WEP and GPO no longer apply to benefits payable from January 2024. The Social Security Fairness Act ended those reductions for people whose benefits were cut because of a pension from work not covered by Social Security — it does not mean every public worker receives a change.

💡 Use your current SSA estimate. The calculator does not determine eligibility or revise a benefit.
SSA: Social Security Fairness Act update

Can this page compare a pension, annuity, or buyout?

No. An entered pension is one income-timing assumption. The tool does not value a lump-sum buyout or annuity contract, calculate a breakeven period, or recommend one payment option over another.

💡 Review the plan or contract terms — payment options, survivor coverage, COLA, and the payer's obligations.

Which Social Security claiming age should I enter?

Retirement benefits can start at 62, but early-reduction and delayed-credit percentages vary by birth year. Survivor rules can differ. This calculator does not pick an optimal claiming age.

💡 Enter the estimate for the same claiming age from your SSA statement or SSA calculator.
SSA: early and delayed retirement benefits

How do I run my own scenario?

1

Step 1: Enter pension details

Toggle "Include pension income," then enter the annual amount and start age from your pension statement or plan estimate. The calculator does not verify either input.

2

Step 2: Add Social Security if you want it

Toggle "Include Social Security income," then enter the annual estimate for the same claiming age from your SSA statement or SSA calculator.

3

Step 3: Compare before and after

The impact section compares the income-adjusted target with the no-income baseline. Read it as a scenario comparison — not a benefit calculation or a savings recommendation.

4

Step 4: Check the income bridge

If enabled income starts after retirement and leaves spending uncovered in the waiting years, the calculator shows the bridge ages and amount. Verify those dates and estimates before relying on the scenario.

❓

Frequently Asked Questions

For every $10,000/year in pension income, subtract $250,000 from your required nest egg — that's the income divided by the 4% withdrawal rate. Enter the pension amount and start age you expect, and the tool recalculates the target for you.

Related Calculators

Need a different calculation? Try these:

Quick Calculator

Simple Coast FIRE calculator with just 3 inputs

With Social Security

Count all, some or none of your benefit and see the lower target

Coast FIRE by Age

See benchmark numbers for every age from 25 to 55

For Couples

Calculate with dual incomes and joint expenses

How to Calculate

Step-by-step formula with research sources

"It's not that I don't want to work hard—I just want to work hard for myself."

May you reach the shore soon 🌅