Coast FIRE
Save hard early, then stop saving and let growth carry you to retirement. You still work, but only to pay for today.
What it is
Coast FIRE separates two goals: paying for today and saving for later. Once your savings are large enough to grow into your retirement target on their own, you only need to earn what you spend.
Who it suits
People who saved a lot in their twenties or thirties and want a calmer job, part-time work or a career change without giving up on independence.
The Swiss angle
While you work, AHV contribution years and pension-fund credits keep building, even on a lower salary. That makes coasting in Switzerland stronger than the simple formula suggests. A lower salary also means a smaller pension, so check both.
How to model it
Use the coast FIRE tool to find your coast number. In the calculator, set your savings and a monthly saving of zero to see when your current pot alone would carry you. More in lean, fat, barista and coast FIRE.
Tools for this plan
Terms
Frequently asked questions
When do I reach coast FIRE?
When your savings today, grown at a careful real return until your retirement age, would reach the amount you need then. The coast FIRE tool checks it.
Does it work with Swiss pensions?
Yes, and pensions help: AHV and the pension fund keep growing while you work, so the pot you need at retirement is smaller.
Related reading
FIRE basics
Lean, fat, barista, coast: which kind of FIRE fits you
Four ways to reach financial independence, from a CHF 2,500 lean budget to a CHF 7,000 fat one. What each needs in francs and who it suits.