Your savings rate is the single number that decides how long financial independence takes. Not your income, not your returns — the share of what you earn that you keep.
$1,200 a month
Until you reach $840,000, 25× your annual spending
| Savings rate | Years to FI |
|---|---|
| 10% | 51 years |
| 20% | 37 years |
| 30% | 28 years |
| 40% | 22 years |
| 50% | 17 years |
| 60% | 12 years |
| 70% | 9 years |
Saving more does two things at once, which is why the effect is so steep. Every extra point saved adds to the pile, and it also lowers the pile you need — because the target is a multiple of what you spend. Someone saving 10% needs about 50 years. At 50% it is closer to 17.
This is also why a raise only helps if your spending stays put. Income and spending rising together leaves the savings rate unchanged, and the timeline with it. It is the most common reason people earn far more than they used to and feel no closer.
Use a real return here — the expected return minus inflation — because the target is expressed in today's spending. Around 5% is a common assumption for a diversified portfolio, but it is an assumption, not a promise.
A number today is nice. Watching it grow month after month is what builds wealth. Track it free with Totala — no bank connections, your data stays yours.
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