ffree
In plain words
What is a Freedom Number?
A Freedom Number is how much money you would need, invested, for the income it earns to pay for the life you want, without you having to work for it.
How it is worked out
Start with what you want to spend in a year. Take away any income you already get without working, like rent or a pension. Then divide what is left by a withdrawal rate: the share of your money you could take out each year without running out.
At 4%, your Freedom Number is 25 times the yearly amount.
The 4% rule is a result from US market history, for money that has to last about 30 years. If you plan to stop working early, ffree offers a safer 3.5%.
Why it starts from spending, not income
Your Freedom Number pays for a life, so it starts from what that life costs. A number built from your salary assumes you must replace all of it, and for most people that sets the bar higher than it needs to be.
Why your home does not count towards it
Your progress is measured with the money you could invest, minus what you owe. Your home and your car are left out, because you cannot live off them without selling them.
There is more than one way to stop
Live simply, live as you do now, live better, work part-time instead, or just stop saving and let what you have grow. Each has its own number, and ffree works out all five, so you can see which one is closest.
What it is not
It is not a promise or a prediction. It is a target, worked out from assumptions you can see and change. And it is not financial advice.
Get early access
ffree is coming 12 December.
ffree is not open yet. We are building it now, and early-access members get in first. Leave your email and we will tell you when it opens.