Free Tool

The Nomad Number Calculator

Your Nomad Number is how much you need invested to never need a job again. Find yours in 30 seconds.

Your numbers

Monthly expenses ($)

What it costs to be you each month (rent, food, transport, fun)

Safe withdrawal rate (%)

4% is the classic rule. 3.5% is more conservative for early retirement.

Optional: How fast can you get there?

Currently invested ($)

Monthly contribution ($)

Expected return rate (%)

Your Nomad Number

Invest this much and you can withdraw your monthly expenses indefinitely:

Based on $X/month at 4% withdrawal

Your path to financial independence

Years to FI

Age when you arrive

Your current age (for the "Age when you arrive" calc)

Adjust your numbers on the left to see your path.

💡 What if you contributed more?

Want to retire by a specific age?

Set a target age and see how much you'd need to invest each month to get there.

Target retirement age

Required monthly contribution

Understanding the 4% rule

The 4% rule (also called the "Safe Withdrawal Rate" or SWR) comes from the 1998 Trinity Study, which back-tested historical market returns to find a withdrawal rate that would survive a 30-year retirement without running out of money.

The math is simple: If you can live on 4% of your portfolio per year, you can withdraw that much indefinitely (in most historical scenarios). Inverted, that means your "FI Number" is your annual expenses × 25.

So if you spend $48,000 per year, you need $1.2M invested. If you spend $36,000 per year, you need $900K. The 4% rule is what makes the dream of "never needing a job again" a calculable number, not a vague hope.

Why I called it the Nomad Number

"FI Number" is technically correct but emotionally cold. The Nomad Number is the same math wearing different clothes. It's the number you cross when you stop being chained to your job and start having options. Whether you keep working is up to you. The point is you don't have to.

Caveats (read these)

The 4% rule was designed for 30-year retirements. If you're retiring at 35 and want your money to last 60 years, use 3.25% to 3.5% to be safer.
This assumes a balanced stock + bond portfolio. All-stock or all-bond portfolios have different risk profiles.
Healthcare, big one-time expenses, lifestyle inflation - the calculator uses your current expenses. Real life has surprises.
Tax-efficient withdrawal strategies (TFSA + RRSP + non-registered mix) can squeeze 5-15% more out of your portfolio. That's coaching territory.

This calculator is for educational purposes only. Returns and inflation are assumptions. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Want help building the actual system to get there?

See the Coaching Program

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