Enough

Alternative to JL Collins's fire calculator

JL Collins' simple path: one fund, one number, FI.

JL Collins' Simple Path to Wealth is one of the most-recommended FIRE books of all time. His advice: save aggressively, put it all in VTSAX (total US stock market), and stop tinkering. Here's what that actually gets you.

Assumed return

8.0%

Withdrawal rate

4.0%

Savings rate

50.0%

author of The Simple Path to Wealth

What JL Collins's Numbers Mean For You

Using JL Collins's assumed 4.0% withdrawal and 8.0% return. "Years to FI" assumes a $50,000 starting portfolio and $2,000/month contributions.

Annual SpendingFIRE # (JL Collins)FIRE # (4% rule)Years to FI
$40,000$1,000,000$1,000,00016.8y
$70,000$1,750,000$1,750,00022.6y
$120,000$3,000,000$3,000,00028.8y

The Methodology

JL Collins built his Stock Series blog — later the book — around a single thesis: the US total stock market (via VTSAX / VTI) has returned ~8-10% long term, and stock-picking or market-timing almost never beats it net of fees. Save half your income in your wealth-accumulation years, keep expenses low, and you'll hit FI in 15-17 years at a 50% savings rate. His retirement withdrawal rule is the classic 4% — he cites the Trinity Study and Bengen research directly.

Citations

  • “Save ~50% of income for FI in ~17 years” — The Simple Path to Wealth, Part II
  • “VTSAX / VTI total-market index for accumulation” — jlcollinsnh.com Stock Series, Part VI
  • “4% safe withdrawal rate in retirement” — The Simple Path to Wealth, Chapter 29
  • “F-You Money is the real goal” — JL Collins, repeatedly — book and talks

Our Honest Take

Where JL Collins is right

Collins is as close to right as personal finance advice gets. The index-fund + high-savings-rate + 4% rule framework has three decades of rigorous academic support (Bengen 1994; Trinity Study 1998; Pfau 2012). The simplicity is not dumbing down — it's the actual answer.

Where we differ

Our only addition: geography is a lever Collins barely mentions. His assumption is you stay in the US. If you're willing to live abroad for part of your FI years, your 'number' drops 40-70% — you can hit FI in 8-12 years at a 50% savings rate if your target city is Lisbon or Medellín, not Boston. Everything else he says holds.

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

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