How much should I have saved by 30 to retire early?
TL;DR: There's no universal number — what matters is your savings rate and expense multiple, not your age. Someone saving 40% of their income from age 25 is on a very different FIRE timeline than someone saving 15%, regardless of what either has "by 30."
Why age-based milestones mislead
Common rules like "have 1x your salary saved by 30" are built for a traditional retirement at 60-65, not early retirement. FIRE timelines depend far more on your savings rate than your current balance — a high savings rate can outrun a late start.
The number that actually matters: your FIRE number
Your target is a multiple of your annual expenses (commonly 25x for a standard 4% withdrawal assumption, though this varies with your risk tolerance and expected lifestyle). "By 30" only matters in the context of how far that puts you from your specific FIRE number, given your specific savings rate.
Get your actual number, not a generic milestone
Our Retirement & FIRE Readiness Report calculates your real Lean/Standard/Fat FIRE numbers and exact years-to-FIRE timeline from your own income, expenses, and savings rate — including whether you've already hit Coast FIRE.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 4% withdrawal rule still considered safe?
It's a widely used starting point, but sequence-of-returns risk (a market downturn early in retirement) can meaningfully affect it — a more conservative rate or a flexible withdrawal strategy is worth considering for an early retirement with a long time horizon.
What is Coast FIRE?
The point where your current investments, left untouched, will grow to your full FIRE number by traditional retirement age purely through compounding — meaning you could stop contributing entirely and still get there.