Inputs

Educational projections only. Not financial, tax, or investment 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

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 limit. 50+: $32,500

Roth IRA Annual Max 2026 limit. 50+: $8,500

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

See Your Full Roth Conversion Strategy

Unlock the complete Roth conversion ladder, bridge drawdown timeline, RMD comparison, wealth map through age 80, and personalized what-if scenarios.

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Yr	Age	Salary	401k EE	Match	Brok/mo	Fed Tax	State Tax	Trad	Roth	Brok	Total

What This Could Look Like

Working Years

At FIRE

Conversion Window

One more thing

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

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.

Yr	Age	Trad Bal	Convert	Fed Tax	State Tax	Eff Rate	Roth Bal

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 funds the gap between VA comp and spending from FIRE to age 59.

Yr	Age	Spend/mo	VA/mo	Gap/mo	Brok Draw	LTCG Tax	Brok Bal	Roth Basis

Total Account Balances -- Year by Year

Combined view of all accounts from FIRE through age 80.

Age	Traditional	Roth	Brokerage	Total

Potential Tax Difference

5 educational observations

What-If Scenarios

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

Important: This calculator provides educational projections only. It is not financial, tax, or investment 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.