Enough

Alternative to Bogleheads's retirement calculator

The Bogleheads three-fund portfolio: what it means for retirement.

The Bogleheads forum — built around Jack Bogle's index-fund philosophy — is the most rigorously academic retirement community on the internet. Their three-fund portfolio and 4% rule math is endorsed by Nobel laureates. Here's the calculator they'd actually endorse.

Assumed return

7.0%

Withdrawal rate

4.0%

Savings rate

—

community inspired by Jack Bogle, founder of Vanguard

What Bogleheads's Numbers Mean For You

Using Bogleheads's assumed 4.0% withdrawal and 7.0% return. "Years to FI" assumes a $50,000 starting portfolio and $2,000/month contributions.

Annual SpendingFIRE # (Bogleheads)FIRE # (4% rule)Years to FI
$40,000$1,000,000$1,000,00017.9y
$70,000$1,750,000$1,750,00024.4y
$120,000$3,000,000$3,000,00031.3y

The Methodology

The Bogleheads Wiki recommends a three-fund portfolio: US stocks, international stocks, and US bonds (VTI / VXUS / BND). Their accumulation math uses 7% real return (US equity long-run average ex-inflation). Their withdrawal math starts with the 4% Bengen rule but allows it to be reduced to 3-3.5% for 40+ year horizons or high equity valuations. Bogleheads also stress tax-efficient fund placement (bonds in tax-deferred, stocks in taxable/Roth) and Roth conversion ladders.

Citations

  • “Three-fund portfolio: VTI / VXUS / BND” — Bogleheads Wiki, 'Three-fund portfolio'
  • “7% real return assumption for US equity” — Bogleheads Wiki, Historical US returns
  • “Variable 3-4% safe withdrawal rate by horizon” — Bogleheads forum, 'Safe Withdrawal Rate' thread
  • “Tax-efficient fund placement” — Bogleheads Wiki, 'Tax-efficient fund placement'

Our Honest Take

Where Bogleheads is right

Essentially everything. Bogleheads is the best free financial education on the internet. Our calculators use the same academic framework they do — Trinity Study, Bengen, CAPE-based withdrawal variants, total-market index funds.

Where we differ

Two small additions. First, Bogleheads discussions are strongly US-centric — tax-efficient fund placement advice breaks if you're a Portugal NHR resident or a UK ISA holder. Our tax engine adjusts for 86 countries. Second, our city-level CoL data lets a Bogleheads retiree actually size the portfolio against their target retirement city, not a nationwide average.

Try the Enough FIRE Calculator

Set your own return and withdrawal rate assumptions. Pick any city in the world to adjust your FIRE number for local cost of living.

Open FIRE CalculatorSafe Withdrawal Rate Tool

Other Retirement Calculators

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Bill Bengen

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Wade Pfau

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RISK

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FI MATH

FI Number Formula

Where You Retire Changes Your Number

Bogleheads's math assumes a generic US cost of living. The state or country you retire in can move your FIRE number by 30-70%. Start with a tax-friendly state or an international destination:

Florida

No income tax

Texas

No income tax

Portugal

D7 + NHR

Thailand

Territorial

Browse all 50 US states → · International retirement guides →

This page is an independent educational analysis of Bogleheads's publicly stated retirement methodology. It is not officially endorsed by or affiliated with Bogleheads or their organization. Retirement planning involves significant uncertainty — consult a qualified fiduciary advisor before acting on any calculation.