Enough

Alternative to Fidelity's retirement calculator alternative

Fidelity's retirement rules of thumb — recalibrated.

Fidelity publishes widely-cited retirement benchmarks: 10x salary by age 67, 25% savings rate, 10% annual return assumption. They're a fine starting point. Here's where they break and what to use instead.

Assumed return

7.0%

Withdrawal rate

4.0%

Savings rate

15.0%

Fidelity Investments retirement research team

What Fidelity's Numbers Mean For You

Using Fidelity'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 # (Fidelity)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

Fidelity's Viewpoints research recommends savings milestones: 1x salary by 30, 3x by 40, 6x by 50, 8x by 60, 10x by 67. They assume 15% savings rate (including employer match), 50% income replacement in retirement, and 'average' pre-retirement returns of ~5.5% real. Their online retirement score tool uses Monte Carlo but with relatively modest input flexibility.

Citations

  • “10x salary saved by age 67” — Fidelity Viewpoints, 'How much do I need to retire?'
  • “15% savings rate recommended” — Fidelity retirement-savings research
  • “50% pre-retirement income replacement target” — Fidelity Retirement Readiness Assessment

Our Honest Take

Where Fidelity is right

The milestones are a useful calibration tool. '3x salary by 40' is an easier-to-grok anchor than 'run a Monte Carlo simulation.'

Where we differ

Their retirement-calculator tool assumes you continue living in a US city at US inflation. It doesn't model geo-arbitrage, early retirement (pre-67), variable withdrawal, or international tax treatment. It's also a funnel to Fidelity products. Our calculator is the same math without the product sell.

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

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Where You Retire Changes Your Number

Fidelity'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 Fidelity's publicly stated retirement methodology. It is not officially endorsed by or affiliated with Fidelity or their organization. Retirement planning involves significant uncertainty — consult a qualified fiduciary advisor before acting on any calculation.