Topic

Retirement & FIRE

Retirement targets and the path to them: the 4 percent rule, FIRE numbers, 401(k) and IRA decisions, and Social Security.

The retirement question is one number and one path: how much is enough, and are you on pace to reach it. The FIRE number playbook and the 4 percent rule guide set the target, the on-track and Coast FIRE guides measure your pace against it, and the contribution-limit and Roth guides cover the accounts you fill along the way. The FIRE number by metro study grounds the target in real prices across 75 US metros. Every figure comes from the same tested engine as the calculators, and the withdrawal-rate debate is presented as it stands, not settled by assertion.