Passive Income Calculator

Calculate your passive income streams, FIRE number, and timeline to financial independence. Free passive income planner with retirement projection. No signup.

How to Use Passive Income Calculator

  1. Add each passive income stream (dividends, rental income, royalties, etc.) with its monthly amount.
  2. Enter your average monthly living expenses to calculate your coverage ratio.
  3. Adjust the annual growth rate slider to model conservative or aggressive income growth.
  4. Review your FIRE number (25× annual expenses) and how close you are to reaching it.
  5. Check the 20-year projection chart to see when your passive income fully covers expenses.

Who Uses Passive Income Calculator?

Tech Worker Pursuing FIRE

A 34-year-old engineer in Seattle invests $4,000/month in index funds yielding 2% dividends plus has a rental generating $800/month and wants his retirement timeline.

Result: Calculator shows he covers 22% of expenses now and reaches full FIRE in 11 years at age 45.

Real Estate Investor

A 41-year-old in Phoenix owns 3 rental properties netting $4,200/month and wants to know how many more to reach $120,000/year passive income.

Result: Calculator reveals he needs 6 more comparable properties and shows the 5-year acquisition plan to get there.

Creator Building Streams

A 29-year-old content creator in New York earns $1,500/month YouTube, $600 from a course, $400 from affiliates — wondering when she can quit her day job.

Result: She covers 38% of expenses and needs to grow streams 2.6x — a clear 3-year sprint goal revealed.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the FIRE number?

Your FIRE number is 25× your annual expenses — the amount you need invested to safely withdraw 4% per year forever, based on the Trinity Study.

What counts as passive income?

Income that requires little ongoing work: dividends, rental income, royalties, interest, and digital products that sell on autopilot.

What is coverage percentage?

The percentage of your monthly expenses covered by passive income. At 100%, you're financially independent and could stop working.

How realistic is a 10% growth rate?

10% matches the long-term S&P 500 historical average. For diversified portfolios with rentals or businesses, adjust to your actual blended return.

Is the 4% withdrawal rule still safe?

Yes for 30-year retirements, but FIRE seekers planning 50+ year retirements often use 3.25–3.5% for extra safety.

How do I start building passive income from zero?

Start with dividend-paying index funds (even $100/month invested grows substantially over time), then add one active stream like a digital product or rental property. The key is consistency: most successful passive income portfolios took 7-10 years to build to coverage levels.