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
These are planning estimates in today's pounds, based on the assumptions you entered.
Today's Coast FIRE target
£259,252
The investments needed today if you stopped retirement contributions now.
Current gap to Coast target
£259,252
Your invested savings compared with today's target.
When active retirement saving can end
Your current monthly contribution does not reach Coast before the retirement age you selected.
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.
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.
State Pension bridge
Add your personal State Pension forecast to check whether an early-retirement bridge is needed.
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 forecast
Include my State Pension forecast
Enter your own annual forecast. The full rate is not assumed.
Your Coast FIRE path
These are planning estimates in today's pounds, based on the assumptions you entered.
Today's Coast FIRE target
£259,252
The investments needed today if you stopped retirement contributions now.
Current gap to Coast target
£259,252
Your invested savings compared with today's target.
When active retirement saving can end
Your current monthly contribution does not reach Coast before the retirement age you selected.
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.
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.
State Pension bridge
Add your personal State Pension forecast to check whether an early-retirement bridge is needed.
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.
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With Pension
Subtract pension income from your target, including the gap years
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Is Coast FIRE Worth It?
Honest pros, cons, and risks to help you decide
What does Coast FIRE mean for a UK saver?
In one sentence: It's the invested amount you need today so your ISA and pension pots can grow to your retirement target on their own — without more retirement contributions.
Why it matters: it marks when you can stop feeding retirement pots, while work still covers today's bills.
If you skip this checkpoint, it's easy to keep grinding for a full FIRE pot you may not need yet — or to stop contributions before the maths actually works.
Doing it right helps you:
- • See a clear Coast number in pounds instead of guessing
- • Know which UK pots count, and how State Pension changes the target
- • Spot the access-age gap between Coast day and when you can actually withdraw
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.
How do you use this UK Coast FIRE calculator?
What age and invested pots do you enter?
Put in your current age and the total you've already invested — workplace pension, ISA and SIPP added together. Leave out cash savings; they grow at a different rate.
What retirement spending should you set?
Enter how much you want to spend each year in retirement, in today's pounds. The default is £30,000. Retiring at 67 is a modelling choice — it is not your State Pension age.
What do the results in pounds mean?
Your Coast FIRE path appears straight away in £. It shows how much you need invested today, when active retirement saving can end, and what continuing contributions could mean at your selected retirement age.
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.
Yes for pots that grow like investments — your workplace DC pension, SIPP and ISA all count.
Treat guaranteed income differently: subtract the State Pension and any defined benefit pension from your yearly spending instead of adding them to your pot.
For 2026/27, the full new State Pension rate is £241.30 a week, or about £12,548 a year. It is not your guaranteed amount: check your official forecast.
The 35-qualifying-year rule generally applies only when your NI record started after April 2016; earlier records and contracted-out periods can change the result. Use your forecast amount to reduce the spending your investments must cover.
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.
A nominal return of 5–7% is a reasonable long-term assumption for a global stock portfolio. What matters is the real return after inflation.
This calculator uses 6% growth with 3% inflation, giving about 2.9% real. Going above 8% is optimistic for planning.
No. With Coast FIRE you stop saving for retirement and only earn enough to cover today's costs. Barista FIRE means working part-time to pay for part of your expenses.
Barista FIRE matters less in the UK than the US because the NHS means you don't need a job just for health cover.
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.
"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 🌅