FIRE Number Calculator Canada 2026

The most complete Canadian FIRE calculator. Enter all your inputs — expenses, CPP, OAS, current assets, savings rate — and get your exact FIRE number, years to FIRE, and projected retirement year.

Understanding Your FIRE Number

Your FIRE number is the total investment portfolio required to fund your retirement indefinitely using a safe withdrawal rate. The most common benchmark is the 4% rule — meaning your annual withdrawal equals 4% of your portfolio, and with a balanced portfolio of equities and bonds, your money should last 30+ years in nearly all historical market conditions.

For Canadians, the FIRE number is lower than for Americans for two key reasons: CPP and OAS act as a guaranteed pension that reduces how much your portfolio needs to generate, and universal healthcare eliminates the massive healthcare cost variable that inflates US FIRE numbers.

The formula is straightforward: FIRE Number = (Annual Expenses - Annual CPP/OAS Income) ÷ Safe Withdrawal Rate. If you spend $55,000/year and expect $18,000/year from CPP and OAS, your portfolio only needs to generate $37,000/year. At 4%, that's a $925,000 FIRE number — not $1,375,000.

How Long Will It Take?

Time to FIRE depends on three factors: your current portfolio, your annual savings rate, and your investment return. The single most powerful lever is savings rate. Doubling your savings rate cuts your FIRE timeline roughly in half — independent of your income level.

Current Portfolio	Annual Savings	FIRE Number $1M	Years to FIRE
$0	$20,000	$1,000,000	~25 years
$0	$40,000	$1,000,000	~15 years
$100,000	$40,000	$1,000,000	~12 years
$200,000	$50,000	$1,000,000	~9 years
$300,000	$60,000	$1,000,000	~7 years

Assumes 6% real annual return.

CPP and OAS — The Canadian FIRE Multiplier

Every dollar of monthly CPP or OAS income reduces your FIRE number by $300 (at 4% rule). The maximum combined CPP + OAS benefit is approximately $2,091/month ($25,092/year) in 2026. This alone reduces FIRE numbers by $627,300. Even a modest combined benefit of $1,200/month ($14,400/year) reduces your FIRE number by $360,000 — the equivalent of 7-10 years of extra saving for most Canadians.

The key planning point: even if you retire at 45 and stop working, you'll still receive reduced CPP (based on your contribution years) and full OAS (if you've lived in Canada for 40+ years) starting at 65. Factor this into your FIRE number from the beginning.

See our dedicated guides: CPP Canada and OAS Canada.

TFSA vs RRSP — Account Order Matters

Maximizing both TFSA and RRSP is the foundation of Canadian FIRE. The strategic question is which to prioritize and in what order to draw down. Generally:

During accumulation: RRSP first if in a high tax bracket (35%+), TFSA first if in a low/medium bracket. Many high earners do both. See our TFSA guide and RRSP guide.

During decumulation: TFSA first, then RRSP. TFSA withdrawals are tax-free and don't affect OAS/GIS eligibility. RRSP/RRIF withdrawals in years when CPP and OAS aren't yet active keep you in low tax brackets. This two-phase strategy significantly reduces lifetime tax paid.