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Retire early calculator
The age your savings could retire you, and how many years you would need to bridge before 59½ and Social Security.
At 30, with $50,000 invested and $30,000 saved a year at 5% after inflation, a $50,000 budget at a 3.5% withdrawal rate needs $1,428,571, reached at 53.3. That leaves 6.2 years before retirement accounts open at 59½.
You could retire at
53.3
When your portfolio reaches $1,428,571: $50,000 a year at a 3.5% withdrawal rate.
That leaves 6.2 years before 59½, when retirement accounts open without the 10% additional tax.
| Saving a year | Retire at | Years before 59½ | Years before 62 |
|---|---|---|---|
| $15,000 | 62.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| $30,000 | 53.3 | 6.2 | 8.7 |
| $45,000 | 48.4 | 11.1 | 13.6 |
| $60,000 | 45.2 | 14.3 | 16.8 |
Why the default rate is 3.5%
An early retirement can last 40 or 50 years. Morningstar's latest starting rates are 3.3% for 40 years and 2.9% for 50, against 3.9% for 30, so the calculator starts at 3.5%. Change it to see how the date moves: at 3.5% the target is $1,428,571, at 4% it would be $1,250,000.
The bridge years
Retiring before 59½ means paying for the first years from money you can reach without the 10% additional tax: a taxable brokerage account, Roth IRA contributions or 72(t) payments. Social Security can begin at 62, reduced, and Medicare at 65. How to bridge to 59½ explains the options.
Questions people ask
What is early retirement age for Social Security?
62. Claiming then gives 70% of the full benefit for anyone born in 1960 or later, whose full retirement age is 67. The break-even calculator compares claiming ages.
How much do I need to retire early?
Your yearly spending divided by a withdrawal rate that suits a long retirement: $50,000 ÷ 3.5% = $1,428,571, or $1,724,138 at Morningstar's 50-year rate.
Related
How to retire early: the steps with numbers. FIRE calculator: lean, regular and fat FIRE side by side.
Sources
- Amy C. Arnott, "How Much Can You Safely Withdraw If You Retire Early?", Morningstar, September 15, 2026 (data as of September 30, 2025).
- Internal Revenue Service, Topic no. 557, Additional tax on early distributions from traditional and Roth IRAs.
- Social Security Administration, Retirement benefits if you were born in 1960 or later.
Last reviewed by Asier Fernández, editor, on . Educational information only, not financial advice. How we calculate