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

401k Contribution

Employer Match

Side Income (annual) 1099 / self-employment (no 401k match)

Side Income Growth

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

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/IRA

Roth IRA

Brokerage

Brokerage Cost Basis Original amount invested (not gains)

Brokerage ($/mo)

Roth IRA ($/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

401k Annual Max 2026 base. Catch-up auto-applied: 50+ $32,500 · 60–63 $36,500

Roth IRA Annual Max 2026 base. Auto-bumps to $8,500 at 50+

Roth Conversion Explorer

See how traditional 401(k) contributions and Roth conversions could affect your tax picture. VA disability compensation is tax-exempt under current law and does not count as taxable income.

VetFIRE™ Tax Explorer

Potential 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: $24,500/yr

Current Max ($24,500)

Accumulation Comparison

Same total personal dollars allocated -- routed to different accounts. The tax-optimized path maxes Traditional 401k + Roth IRA, with the remainder to brokerage.

Current Path

⇔

Tax-Optimized Path

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

Unlock Your Personalized Roth Conversion Plan

Unlock the complete Roth conversion ladder, bridge drawdown timeline, RMD comparison, wealth map through age 90, and personalized what-if scenarios.

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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 (75--90) --

Lifetime total --

Optimized Path

Accumulation taxes --

Conversion taxes --

RMD taxes (remainder) --

Lifetime total --

Lifetime tax savings --

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	Fed Tax	State Tax	Trad	Roth	Brok	Total

Projected Roth Balance at 59½

After all conversions complete

Total Converted

Conversion Tax

Blended Rate

Remaining Trad

If Conversions Are Skipped -- RMDs at 73

Traditional at 73

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 from age 75 through 90, with no Roth conversions. Uses the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table.

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

Total RMDs (75--90) --

Total RMD taxes --

Roth Conversion Ladder

After FIRE, the only taxable income is what gets converted. VA comp is tax-exempt under current law. Conversions fill up to the top of the 12% bracket each year. Trad shows start-of-year balance (before converting). Roth shows end-of-year balance (after conversion + 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	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 Your Personalized Roth Conversion Plan

What This Could Look Like

What-If Scenarios

Lifetime Tax Comparison -- Through Age 90

Current Path

Optimized Path

If Conversions Are Skipped -- RMDs at 73

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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