Getting Started
What is My FIRE Journey?
My FIRE Journey is a financial planning app designed to help you achieve Financial Independence, Retire Early (FIRE). It helps you calculate your FIRE number, track your progress, and plan for major life events.
How do I get started?
Getting started is simple:
- Download the app from the App Store
- Create an account or continue as a guest
- Enter your basic financial information (income, expenses, savings)
- See your personalised FIRE number and timeline
Is my financial data secure?
Yes, your data security is our top priority. All financial data is stored locally on your device by default. If you enable cloud sync, your data is encrypted end-to-end. We never sell or share your personal financial information.
FIRE Calculations
How is my FIRE number calculated?
Your FIRE number is calculated using the 4% rule:
This gives you the portfolio size needed to safely withdraw 4% per year to cover your expenses indefinitely. For example, if your annual expenses are £36,000, your FIRE number would be £900,000.
What is the 4% rule?
The 4% rule comes from the Trinity Study, which found that withdrawing 4% of your portfolio annually gives you a 95% chance of your money lasting 30+ years. It's a widely used guideline in the FIRE community for retirement planning.
What return rate does the app assume?
The app uses the return rates you set for each investment type in your savings and portfolio sections. You have full control over the assumed return rate for each investment (ISA, Stocks, Funds, etc.), so projections match your actual strategy.
What are the different FIRE types?
There are four main FIRE types:
- Lean FIRE: Retire with minimal expenses, achieve freedom early through frugal living
- Barista FIRE: Semi-retirement with part-time work to cover some expenses
- Coast FIRE: Saved enough that compound growth alone will cover retirement
- Fat FIRE: Retire with a comfortable or luxurious lifestyle (£100k+/year)
Take the in-app FIRE Quiz to discover which type suits you best.
App Features
FIRE Calculator
The calculator lets you enter your birth date, monthly income, expenses, savings allocations (with return rates per investment type), and your current portfolio. It calculates your FIRE number, retirement timeline, saving rate, and provides a post-tax retirement summary including ISA and GIA breakdowns.
Dashboard
The Dashboard shows your FIRE goal, portfolio progress, percentage achieved, and a Wealth Projection chart plotting your portfolio growth against your FIRE target over time. It also links to the Compounding Breakdown for detailed year-by-year projections.
Scenario Planning
Scenario Planning lets you test "what-if" situations to see how they affect your FIRE timeline. You can add life events like buying a house, having children, changing careers, taking a sabbatical, relocating, or a wedding. Each scenario shows its impact on your financial independence date.
FIRE Quiz
A 10-question quiz that determines your FIRE type (Lean, Barista, Coast, or Fat FIRE). Based on your answers, you get a personalised game plan and roadmap with phases: Accumulation, Transition, and Stability.
Compounding Breakdown
Visualise year-by-year how your savings grow through compound interest. The table shows prior balance, savings contributions, investment earnings, and total for each year. You can adjust the starting amount, monthly savings, and return rate to see how changes affect your timeline.
Confidence Score
Get a FIRE readiness score from 0 to 100, broken down across five areas: savings rate, portfolio diversification, emergency runway, income stability, and progress to goal. Scores are rated as Getting Started, Building Momentum, Strong Position, or FIRE Ready.
Milestones Timeline
Track financial milestones like emergency fund, debt payoff, house deposit, investment targets, and your FIRE goal. Set target amounts, dates, and monitor your progress towards each milestone.
Expense Tracker
Track your daily spending by category. Add expenses with notes, view them by date, and keep your spending aligned with your FIRE plan.
Early Exit Simulator
Test what happens if you retire earlier than planned. Explore what works and what breaks in your financial plan when you bring your retirement date forward.
Account
Do I need an account?
No, you can use the free calculator features without an account. Creating an account is required for Premium features and cloud sync.
How do I delete my account?
You can delete your account from within the app: Profile > Account Settings > Delete Account. This will permanently remove all your data from our servers. Data stored locally on your device will be removed by uninstalling the app.
Troubleshooting
The app isn't syncing my data
If your data isn't syncing, try these steps:
- Check your internet connection
- Make sure you're signed in to your account
- Pull down to refresh on the main screen
- Sign out and sign back in
- If the issue persists, contact support
I forgot my password
On the sign-in screen, tap "Forgot Password" and enter your email address. We'll send you a link to reset your password. Check your spam folder if you don't see the email within a few minutes.
Still need help?
Can't find what you're looking for? Contact our support team at support@retireearly.app