Coast FIRE Calculator With Pension
A pension can reduce how much retirement spending your investments need to fund, but the start date matters. Enter your pension amount and when it begins to see the effect on your Coast FIRE plan.
Your Coast FIRE + Pension Plan
Use the pension amount for the retirement or employment scenario you are actually modeling.
The age when recurring pension payments begin.
Pension DetailsConfigure inflation adjustments, dollar basis, and step changes
Planning AssumptionsReuse site shared return, inflation and fee assumptions
Modeled Real Return: 3.69%/yr
Your Coast FIRE Target With Pension
Coast FIRE Target Today (With Pension)
Your pension reduces your required Coast FIRE target today by $283,244 compared to an un-pensioned plan.
Without Pension
$969,057
Difference From Pension
-$283,244
Portfolio-Funded Spending
$50,000/yr
Pension Gap
5 Years
What Covers the Years Before Your Pension Starts?
Your pension does not reduce spending that occurs before the benefit begins.
Pension and Portfolio-Funded Spending
Visualizes how pension income and portfolio withdrawals meet your retirement spending by age.
How Much Does Your Pension Change Coast FIRE?
Coast Target Today
$969,057
Portfolio Spending: $80,000/yr
Coast Target Today
$685,813
Spending After Pension: $50,000/yr
Required Savings Reduction
-$283,244
29.2% lower target
What If Your Pension Starts Earlier or Later?
Enter the actual quoted pension benefit for each start age to compare Coast FIRE targets.
| Start Age | Annual Pension | Gap Years | Coast FIRE Target | Diff vs Current Plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 55 | $20,000/yr | 0 yrs | $726,793 | +$40,980 |
| Age 60 | $30,000/yr | 5 yrs | $685,813 | -$0.00 |
| Age 65 | $42,000/yr | 10 yrs | $651,504 | -$34,309 |
Does Leaving Your Job Change the Pension?
Compare the vested pension you retain if leaving now versus the projected benefit if staying.
Use pension estimates supplied by your plan. A benefit that depends on future service should not be treated as already earned in a leave-now scenario.
Do Not Count the Pension Twice
Model recurring pension payments as retirement income. Do not also add an estimated pension present value to Current Investments unless the plan is actually offering that investable lump sum in the scenario.
Taxation Note (IRS Pub 575)
Pension payments can be fully or partly taxable depending on the plan and the participant's basis, so this page does not apply a generic tax rate.
Does the Pension Affect a Partner Too?
If two people have different pensions, survivor options or retirement dates, model the household timeline with the Couples Coast FIRE Calculator.
Why Pension Start Age Matters
An immediate pension can reduce portfolio-funded spending from the first year of retirement. A later pension leaves gap years when investments may need to fund more of the household budget.
Use the Pension You Actually Keep
If leaving work changes service credit or the pension formula, use the benefit retained under that scenario rather than a projection that assumes you keep working.
Questions About Coast FIRE With Pension
Answers to common questions about pension start ages, gap years, COLA adjustments, and leave-now scenarios.
What if my pension starts five or ten years after I retire?▼
Model those years separately. Before the pension begins, the portfolio may need to fund more of the retirement budget. After it starts, pension income can reduce the portfolio-funded portion.
Should I add the value of my pension to my investment balance?▼
Not when you are already modeling the recurring payments as retirement income. Doing both can double count the pension unless an actual lump-sum benefit is available and selected.
What if my pension estimate assumes I keep working?▼
Use the benefit your plan says you retain if you leave for the leave-now scenario. Compare it separately with the larger benefit projected from additional service.
Can I compare starting my pension at 55, 60 and 65?▼
Yes, but use the actual benefit estimate for each age. Pension formulas differ, so the calculator should not invent an early-retirement reduction.
How does a pension with no COLA affect Coast FIRE?▼
A fixed nominal pension can lose purchasing power as prices rise. The calculator should model that decline rather than treating the pension as a constant inflation-adjusted offset.
What if my pension is temporarily higher and then drops?▼
Enter the initial pension, the age when it changes and the later amount. The calculator should model the retirement cash flow in separate phases.
What if my spouse also has a pension?▼
If both pensions start at different ages or the partners retire on different dates, use the Couples calculator to model the household timeline and avoid double counting shared spending.
Want to Start Without a Pension Preset?
Use the main Coast FIRE Calculator to enter single-person baseline spending and custom planning assumptions.
Verified Sources & Methodology
IRC Sec. 72(t)(2)(A)(v) Early Distribution Exception
2026 Federal Brackets & Standard Deductions
Summary Plan Description (SPD) Distribution Rules
Retirement Claiming Ages (62–70)