Starting FIRE at 25
Little money, a lot of time. At 25 the most valuable thing you own is the number of years ahead.
Education, not financial advice. Use at your own risk. Read the full disclaimer
The short answer
With these numbers you could stop needing a salary at about 41.3, in 2042.
- Independent at
- 41.3
- Needed on the day
- CHF 513’762
- Bridge from savings
- 23.7 years
- Pensions cover
- 78%
- AHV from 65
- CHF 2’730 / month
- Savings at 95
- CHF 941’253
Open this scenario in the calculator → Change any number and see your own answer.
Twenty-five, CHF 6’500 net a month, almost nothing invested yet, spending CHF 3’500 and saving CHF 2’000. Early savings grow the longest. Habits matter more than amounts at this stage: keeping spending steady as the salary rises is what makes the plan.
Your savings over time
Age 42 (2042) Accessible CHF 500’393 Pension fund and 3a CHF 268’330
What the numbers say
From 41.3 you live on accessible savings for about 23.7 years, until pension-fund money, Pillar 3a and AHV have all started at 65.0. That stretch is the hard part of early retirement in Switzerland.
After that, AHV of about CHF 2’730 a month covers 78% of spending of CHF 3’500 a month; savings pay the rest.
On the default return, savings would still be about CHF 941’253 at 95 in today’s francs. A bad first decade in the markets can cut that sharply, which is why the plan uses a withdrawal rate with a margin.
The plan behind it
- Age today
- 25
- Net income per month
- CHF 6’500
- Spending per month
- CHF 3’500
- Saved per month
- CHF 2’000
- Invested today
- CHF 10’000
- Pension fund
- CHF 10’000
- Pillar 3a
- CHF 0
Other inputs are the calculator defaults: Pillar 3a CHF 5’000 a year, statutory pension-fund credits, full AHV, stocks 8.0% and bonds 1.5% before inflation, 4.0% withdrawal rate, taxes for Zug.
What would change it
- Spend CHF 1’000 less a month: 2.8 years earlier, independent at 38.6
- Save CHF 500 more a month: 2.2 years earlier, independent at 39.2
Frequently asked questions
Are taxes included?
Yes, in retirement: wealth tax, income tax on pensions and investment income, and the tax on lump sums, estimated for Zug with 2026 figures of the Federal Tax Administration. Check the latest rules with your canton.
What if markets do worse?
Every year earns the average return here. With one percentage point less, the date moves by about 1.4 years. The calculator’s sensitivity chart shows the other assumptions that matter.