The Simple Math Behind Early Retirement

It is not magic. It is just savings rate and compound interest. Let us crunch the numbers.

S
Shawn
· 1 min read

It’s Just Math

Many people think financial freedom requires a lottery win or a breakout startup.

The truth is much more boring (and reliable). It comes down to one number: Your Savings Rate.

The Shocking Truth

If you save 0% of your income, you can never retire. If you save 50% of your income, you can retire in about 17 years (starting from zero).

“The most powerful force in the universe is compound interest.” - Albert Einstein (probably)

The 4% Rule

The standard advice is that you need 25x your annual spending invested to retire safely. This allows you to withdraw 4% per year.

  • Spend $40k? You need $1M.
  • Spend $80k? You need $2M.

We will be building a calculator for this soon!


Read Next