Coast FIRE Runway & Pitfall Simulator
Calculating when you can coast on accumulated assets comes with severe hidden hazards. Model your exact compounding glide path, pinpoint the required Coast Age, and pressure-test assumptions against early sequence shocks and healthcare inflation.
Coast FIRE Milestone Age
48
Contributions stop at age 48 to hit target
Projected Final Balance
$1,824,512.42
Nominal nest egg at retirement age
Inflation-Adjusted Purchasing Power
$862,410.15
Expressed in today's constant dollars
Active Pitfall Warnings
3
Critical risks flagged in current runway
Runway Parameters
Live Compounding
Current Age
32
20 yrs60 yrs
Target Retirement Age
62
45 yrs75 yrs
Current Portfolio Savings
$145,000
$10k$1.0M
Annual Savings Contribution
$12,000
$0$100k/yr
Expected Nominal Return
7.0%
3.0%12.0%
Assumed Inflation Rate
2.5%
1.0%8.0%
Target Nest Egg (Nominal)
$1,500,000
$500k$5.0M
Simulate WSJ Pitfall Overlays
Retirement Runway Trajectory
Nominal compounding curve vs. inflation-adjusted purchasing power
Nominal Curve
Inflation Adjusted
Nest Egg Target
• Coast Phase: From milestone age onward, portfolio continues compounding with zero added contributions.
14 Coasting Years to Retirement
Wall Street Journal Pitfall Audit
Coasting prematurely exposes future retirees to structural traps often ignored by back-of-the-envelope compounding formulas.
Critical Risk
📉
Sequence of Returns Asymmetry
Once you stop ongoing contributions, the cushion to dollar-cost-average during market downturns vanishes. A bear market within 36 months of coasting can permanently crater expected terminal balances.
Status: Severe exposure without cash buffer
Critical Risk
💸
Inflation Purchasing Drag
At a 2.5% inflation rate over 30 years, every nominal dollar loses over 52% of its real goods-and-services purchasing value. Reaching a nominal $1.5M goal yields just $862,410 in real purchasing power.
Drag: -52.7% real purchasing loss
Critical Risk
🩺
Healthcare & Life-Event Squeeze
Downshifting to low-stress or part-time work often strips employer-subsidized healthcare coverage. Out-of-pocket premiums before Medicare eligibility (age 65) frequently force unexpected early portfolio draws.
Vulnerability Window: 17 years pre-Medicare
Year-by-Year Compound Breakdown
Detailed audit schedule from Current Age through Target Retirement
Gold highlight marks the Coast FIRE crossover year
| Age | Year | Status | Annual Addition | Investment Growth | Nominal Balance | Real Balance (Inflation-Adj) |
|---|