Hey Reader ♥,

I got a message last week that I still can't stop thinking about.

I got a text from someone who listened to my conversation with Tobi Adekeye on her podcast, Wealth On Your Terms—where FIRE came up, specifically Coast FIRE. Her message:

"Loved this podcast. I didn't know FIRE had many phases. Very informative."

And then, a few minutes later:

"I am so close to Coast FIRE I can't wait."

That's the reaction I want more of you to have. Because most people have heard of FIRE — retire early, save half your income, never work again — and assumed it wasn't for them. Too extreme, too far away, not built for someone also supporting family.

Most people don't know FIRE has more than one version. And one of them, Coast FIRE, is a lot more realistic than people think.

Quick definition: FIRE stands for Financial Independence, Retire Early — a movement built around saving and investing aggressively enough that you don't need a paycheque anymore, often decades before the traditional retirement age. That's the umbrella. Underneath it are a few different versions — Lean FIRE, Fat FIRE, Barista FIRE — each with a different lifestyle and number attached. Coast FIRE is the one I want to talk about today because it fits a life that includes a career you don't hate and family you're supporting.

Here's the short version: Coast FIRE doesn't mean you're retired. It means your portfolio has grown enough that, left alone, it will compound to your actual retirement number by the time you get there — without you adding another dollar. You keep working. You keep earning. You just stop needing to work for retirement.

I touched on this with Tobi in the podcast episode—that point is linked below.

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After you watch, do this math yourself:

1. What will you actually spend in retirement? Not 70–90% of your current income — what your real life will look like. Mortgage gone? Renting? Travelling a lot?
2. Subtract what CPP and OAS — roughly $18,600 a year combined at 65. For some who have made a career history in Canada and plan to retire in Canada, that's a realistic average, but not a guarantee. And besides, if you are here, you know on its own it's not enough to live on. But it's the piece your investments in your pensions, RRSP and TFSA don't have to cover. (I'll break down exactly where this number comes from in a future video.)
3. Take what's left and multiply it by 25. That's your retirement target — the number your portfolio needs to reach by retirement, not what you need invested today.
4. To find out how much you'd need invested right now for compound growth alone to carry you there — I built a free calculator that does exactly this math for you: liannehannaway.com/coast-fire-calculator.

That target number is usually smaller than the "million dollars" figure people quietly dread — but the amount you need today depends heavily on your age and years until retirement, which is exactly what the calculator works out for you.

I'm working on a full breakdown video that walks through this in even more detail — including what happens when you're also supporting family, and why that changes the math. That's coming soon. For now, the Tobi episode is the deepest dive on a financial journey that includes building wealth while supporting family. I'd love for you to actually run your own numbers while you listen.

If it lands the way it did for the person who messaged me — please share it. We need more conversation around money.

And if you're in Toronto — come be in the room with me. I'm co-hosting an evening for the BE Program with Mante Molepo on September 24th, an intimate networking evening for senior women leaders over conversation and good company — [register here].

With love,

Lianne Hannaway, CPA, CA
​Financial Educator​ | Money Coach | First-Gen Wealth Strategist

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P.S. Haven't run your own numbers yet? That's exactly what the calculator's for — liannehannaway.com/coast-fire-calculator.

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