Inputs

Educational projections only. This does not constitute financial, investment, tax, or legal advice. Consult a qualified professional before making financial decisions. Full disclaimer.

Personal

Current Age

FIRE Target Age

Filing Status

State

State Tax Rate

Auto-filled from state. Override if you know your effective rate.

State at FIRE

TX, FL, WY, NV = 0%

Income & 401k

Annual Salary

Salary Growth

Traditional 401k Contribution

Roth 401k Contribution

Shares the annual employee 401k limit with Traditional 401k

Employer Match

Side Income (annual estimate) 1099 / self-employment. Tax is simplified; business expenses and deductions are not modeled.

Side Income Growth

Side Income Modeled as Saved

Side income is included in the tax estimate. Only this share is modeled as saved; spending is not modeled.

VA Comp (monthly) Tax-exempt under current law (26 USC §104(a)(4))

VA Compensation Modeled as Saved Before FIRE

VA savings are modeled in brokerage during working years; ongoing VA compensation offsets spending after FIRE.

VA COLA Rate

Other Retirement Income (annual) Annuity, trust, or pension income at FIRE that fills tax brackets before Roth conversions (ordinary income, taxable).

Balances

Traditional 401k Balance

Traditional IRA Balance

Roth IRA Starting Balance

Roth 401k Starting Balance

Brokerage

Brokerage Cost Basis Original amount invested (not gains)

Additional Brokerage Contribution ($/mo) Non-VA savings, held flat during working years. VA savings are modeled separately.

Roth IRA Contribution ($/mo)

FIRE Goals

Monthly Spending (today's $) Inflated to FIRE date automatically

Return (pre-FIRE)

Return (post-FIRE)

Inflation Rate

Adjusts spending to future dollars

IRS tax assumptions loading…

IRS tax brackets and deductions · IRS contribution limits · SSA wage base

Roth IRA eligibility depends on modified AGI and filing status. High earners may have limited or no direct Roth IRA contribution eligibility; verify current IRS rules.

Roth Conversion Explorer

Compare projected taxes under different Traditional 401(k) contributions and Roth conversion assumptions. By default, all entered VA compensation is modeled as saved to brokerage while you work. You can change that percentage in the inputs. VA compensation is separate from your 401(k) contribution.

VetFIRE™ Tax Explorer

Projected Tax Difference

Portfolio at FIRE

Marginal Rate

VA Coverage

Bridge Funds

Adjust Traditional 401k Target

Slide between your current contribution and the annual max. Hero numbers update live.

Traditional 401k: Max/yr

Current Max

Accumulation Comparison

VA savings remain in brokerage. Working-years spending and affordability are not modeled. This scenario keeps the modeled non-VA contribution budget fixed and reallocates it under the selected Traditional 401(k) target and displayed tax-year limits.

Current Path

⇔

Higher Traditional 401(k) Scenario

Tax difference: -- · Per year: -- · Per month: --

Roth Conversion Ladder $XX,XXX/yr at X.X%

Bridge Drawdown Timeline XX years funded

RMD Avoidance Analysis $XX,XXX saved

Year-by-Year Wealth Map Ages XX - 80

Personalized Scenarios 5 what-ifs

PRO

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What This Could Look Like

Working Years

At FIRE

Conversion Window

What-If Scenarios

These are educational projections based on your inputs, not recommendations. Consult a CPA or financial advisor before making changes.

One more thing

Lifetime Tax Comparison -- Through Age 90

Total estimated taxes paid under each approach: accumulation years + post-FIRE (conversions or RMDs). This is the full picture.

Current Path

Accumulation taxes --

RMD taxes (through age 90) --

Lifetime total --

Higher Traditional 401(k) Scenario

Accumulation taxes --

Conversion taxes --

RMD taxes (remainder) --

Lifetime total --

Projected lifetime tax difference --

Real-world results depend on execution discipline. Even partial implementation -- converting some years but not all, or starting late -- typically captures the majority of the benefit.

Yr	Age	Salary	401k EE	Match	Brok $/mo	VA saved/mo	Fed Tax	State Tax	Traditional 401k	Traditional IRA	Roth IRA	Roth 401k	Brok	Total

Projected Roth Balance at 59½

After all conversions complete

Total Converted

Conversion Tax

Blended Rate

Remaining Trad

If Conversions Are Skipped -- Required Minimum Distributions

Traditional at RMD start age

First RMD (forced)

Tax on that RMD

Effective rate on RMD

vs. conversion rate

Cumulative RMD Schedule -- If Conversions Are Skipped

What your current-path Traditional balance could face in Required Minimum Distributions through age 90, with no Roth conversions. Start age is estimated from current age because exact birth date is not collected. Uses the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table.

Age	Trad (BOY)	Divisor	RMD	Tax	Eff Rate	Cum. Tax

Total RMDs (through age 90) --

Total RMD taxes --

Roth Conversion Ladder

The estimate applies the selected tax-year brackets and assumes no other taxable income unless entered in the retirement-income field. VA compensation is tax-exempt under current law. The modeled conversion amount fills up to the selected-year 12% bracket ceiling. Trad shows start-of-year balance; Roth shows end-of-year balance after conversion and growth.

Yr	Age	Trad (BOY)	Convert	Tax	Eff Rate	Roth (EOY)

VA Covers Spending

Tax-exempt income at FIRE

Monthly Spending

VA Comp (COLA)

Tax-exempt

Monthly Gap

VA Coverage at FIRE

Bridge Timeline

Bridge Sources (ages )

Roth IRA contributions (basis) --
Withdrawable anytime, $0 tax, $0 penalty
Brokerage account --
LTCG taxed, low bracket
Roth conversion ladder Available
After 5 years, converted amounts become accessible

Bridge Drawdown -- Year by Year

How brokerage covers the gap between VA comp and spending from FIRE to age 59. Monthly columns show per-month amounts. Brok Draw is the annual total withdrawn. Balances are end-of-year (after draws + growth).

Yr	Age	VA/mo	Spend/mo	Gap/mo	Brok Draw/yr	LTCG Tax	Brok (EOY)	Roth Basis Avail

Total Account Balances -- Year by Year

Combined view of all accounts from FIRE through age 90. All balances are end-of-year, after conversions, withdrawals, and investment growth.

Yr	Age	Traditional	Roth accounts	Brokerage	Total

Important: This calculator provides educational projections only. It does not constitute financial, investment, tax, or legal advice. Tax laws change. Projections use simplified assumptions and may not reflect your actual tax situation. VA disability compensation is tax-exempt under 26 USC §104(a)(4) as of 2026. Consult a qualified CPA, CFP, or tax professional before making any financial decisions based on these projections.

VetFIRE LLC is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or any government agency. See our full disclaimer.

Roth Conversion Explorer

Adjust Traditional 401k Target

Accumulation Comparison

Unlock the Full Roth Conversion Planner

What This Could Look Like

What-If Scenarios

Lifetime Tax Comparison -- Through Age 90

Current Path

Higher Traditional 401(k) Scenario

If Conversions Are Skipped -- Required Minimum Distributions

Cumulative RMD Schedule -- If Conversions Are Skipped

Roth Conversion Ladder

Bridge Sources (ages )

Bridge Drawdown -- Year by Year

Total Account Balances -- Year by Year

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