The Problem with $2 Million

Open any retirement calculator. Enter $5,000/month in spending. It'll tell you to save around $1.5 million. Some say $2 million to be safe.

That number assumes you have zero income from federal benefits. Every dollar of retirement spending comes from your portfolio.

But you have VA disability compensation. It's tax-exempt. It grows with inflation. It's guaranteed by the federal government. And it covers part of your expenses without touching your investments.

So why are you using a calculator that pretends it doesn't exist?

The Formula That Changes Everything

That's it. Your VetFIRE Number is the investment portfolio you actually need — not the inflated number that ignores your VA income.

Your Number at Every Rating

2026 VA rates, single veteran, no dependents, $5,000/mo spending:

Rating	VA Monthly	Gap	VetFIRE #	Traditional #	Savings
10%	$177	$4,823	$1,446,900	$1,500,000	$53,100
20%	$350	$4,650	$1,395,000	$1,500,000	$105,000
30%	$552	$4,448	$1,334,400	$1,500,000	$165,600
40%	$795	$4,205	$1,261,500	$1,500,000	$238,500
50%	$1,119	$3,881	$1,164,300	$1,500,000	$335,700
60%	$1,418	$3,582	$1,074,600	$1,500,000	$425,400
70%	$1,808	$3,192	$957,600	$1,500,000	$542,400
80%	$2,241	$2,759	$827,700	$1,500,000	$672,300
90%	$2,521	$2,479	$743,700	$1,500,000	$756,300
100%	$3,937	$1,063	$318,900	$1,500,000	$1,181,100

Why These Numbers Are Actually Conservative

The table above uses a simple 4% withdrawal rate without accounting for several factors that make the real number even lower:

• VA COLA. Your VA comp grows annually (2.5% in 2026). The gap shrinks over time as VA income rises but your portfolio withdrawal stays the same real amount.
• Social Security. Starting at 62-67, SS adds another federally backed income stream that further reduces the gap.
• Tax-exempt advantage. VA income isn't taxed. A civilian earning the same gross amount keeps less after taxes, so they actually need an even bigger portfolio.
• Dependent benefits. Married veterans with children receive significantly higher VA rates. An 80% veteran with a spouse and two children receives $2,825/mo (vs. $2,241 single).

What About Spending Levels?

The $5,000/mo example is moderate. Here's how the VetFIRE number changes at different spending levels for an 80% rated veteran ($2,241/mo):

Monthly Spending	Gap	VetFIRE Number	Traditional FIRE
$3,000	$759	$227,700	$900,000
$4,000	$1,759	$527,700	$1,200,000
$5,000	$2,759	$827,700	$1,500,000
$6,000	$3,759	$1,127,700	$1,800,000
$7,000	$4,759	$1,427,700	$2,100,000

At low spending levels, the difference is dramatic. An 80% veteran spending $3,000/mo needs only $227,700 — a civilian needs $900,000.

Stop Using the Wrong Calculator

Every hour a veteran spends planning with a civilian calculator is an hour spent working toward the wrong number. FireCalc, cFIREsim, and NerdWallet's tools are fine for civilians. They don't know what VA compensation is.

VetFIRE is the only FIRE calculator built specifically for disabled veterans. It models VA compensation (with COLA), military pension, Social Security, spouse income, the two-phase retirement strategy, and the VA Firewall method. Free version covers the basics. Pro version ($29, one-time) adds Monte Carlo simulation, stress testing, and a personalized PDF report.

Your VA compensation is your most powerful retirement asset. Use a calculator that knows it.

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