⚡ Key Takeaways
- The Coast Number: The specific net worth where compound interest takes over 100% of the heavy lifting.
- Front-Loading: Why saving hard from age 22-30 allows you to coast from 30-60.
- Barista FIRE: Using part-time work to cover living expenses while your portfolio grows in the background.
- The Freedom Dividend: How to calculate the exact day you can stop contributing to your 401k forever.
WORKFORCE SHIFT: 28% of Millennials are opting for 'Coast FIRE' strategies in 2026, choosing lower-stress jobs now over a traditional retirement at 65.
Table of Contents
The Rebellion
The old deal was: "Work a job you hate for 40 years, save 15% forever, and retire at 65." The Coast FIRE deal is: "Save aggressively for 8 years, then stop saving forever. Work a job you love just to cover bills, and let your money grow itself."
Part 1: The "Front-Loading" Math
Compound interest needs a base to work. If you build that base early (e.g., $150k by age 30), you never need to add another penny. That $150k will grow to $1.6 Million by age 65 (at 7%) without you lifting a finger.
The Magic Formula
Coast Number = Retirement Need / (1 + r)^t
- Retirement Need: e.g., $1,500,000
- r: Return Rate (e.g., 0.07)
- t: Years to Retirement (e.g., 30)
Part 2: The Barista FIRE Loophole
Once you hit your "Coast Number," you no longer need a high-stress career to save for the future. You only need enough income to pay today's bills. This unlocks "Barista FIRE."
Corporate Job
- - Income: $100k
- - Stress: High
- - Savings Required: $30k/yr
- - Spendable: $70k
Coast FIRE Job
- - Income: $45k (Part-time / Passion)
- - Stress: Low
- - Savings Required: $0 (Done!)
- - Spendable: $45k (Tax is lower too!)
You can often live the same lifestyle on half the income because you don't have to "feed the beast" (retirement savings).
Part 3: Calculate Your Coast Number
Are you already free? Or close to it? Use the algorithm below to find out. If your current net worth is higher than your Coast Number, congratulations. You are working because you want to, not because you have to.
About Walid Taha
Walid is a financial strategist and lead developer at SmartLoansAnalysis. He is a passionate advocate for non-traditional retirement paths and specializes in building the mathematical models that empower individuals to reclaim their time from the corporate treadmill.
Try It Yourself: Coast FIRE
Apply what you just read. Calculate your numbers below.
Analysis Report
Coast FIRE
2/22/2026
SmartLoansAnalysis.com
Inputs
Analysis
Enter your numbers to generate a report.