Common questions

Yes — after your 7-day free trial, your card will be charged $6/month AUD. You'll receive an email before the trial ends. If you don't want to continue, just email hello@firepath.pro before the trial is up and you won't be charged.

If you've been charged and feel it wasn't fair, email hello@firepath.pro and we'll sort it out. FirePath is a small product built by one person — we'd rather give a refund than leave someone unhappy.

Your data stays in your account. You'll drop back to the free plan and lose access to Pro features, but your numbers and history won't be deleted. If you want your data removed entirely, email us and we'll take care of it.

Your freedom number is 25× your annual spending — the amount that, invested at 7% real returns, generates enough to cover your lifestyle indefinitely without touching the principal. If it feels high, it usually means one of two things: your spending is higher than you realise, or you're planning to spend the same in retirement as you do now. Try selecting Less on the spending toggle — most people's costs drop significantly once the mortgage is paid and kids are grown.

FirePath uses 7% real return after inflation — meaning inflation is already stripped out. This is the most widely used assumption in financial independence planning, grounded in 150+ years of global equity market data (Shiller dataset, MSCI World, Vanguard Australia research). It's a planning assumption, not a guarantee. Past returns don't predict future results. See How we calculate →

Property is complicated — it's illiquid, has holding costs, and your family home isn't something most people plan to sell to fund retirement. FirePath focuses on your investable assets (savings, ETFs, super) rather than total net worth. The Hear Me Out calculator does let you model what selling a property or receiving a lump sum would do to your timeline.

Your savings are accessible now — bank accounts, shares, ETFs, offset accounts. Your super is locked until age 60 (preservation age). FirePath treats them separately because they're on different timelines. Super is shown as a separate timeline card because it unlocks at a fixed date regardless of when you reach your freedom number.

Your freedom number is calculated from your expected retirement spending. Less (80% of current spending) assumes your costs drop once the mortgage is paid, kids leave home, and work costs disappear. More (120%) assumes travel and lifestyle upgrades. Each changes your target, which changes your timeline. Most people are surprised how much selecting Less moves the date.

Super is locked until age 60 (preservation age). It's real wealth that's working for you, but you can't access it on demand. FirePath shows it separately so you can see your two-phase timeline clearly — what you can access before 60, and what unlocks at 60 when super joins the picture.

At age 60 your super becomes fully accessible and withdrawals are generally tax-free. FirePath's super timeline card shows your projected super balance at 60 — including employer contributions growing at 7% — and how it combines with your other savings to hit your freedom number. This is educational only, not financial advice.

Yes — the super timeline card projects your super balance at 60 using the current Super Guarantee rate (12%) applied to your gross income, with 15% contributions tax deducted. This is pulled from live ATO data so it stays current as the SG rate increases.

Go to the sign in page and tap Forgot password. You'll receive a reset link at your email address. If you don't receive it within a few minutes, check your spam folder or email hello@firepath.pro.

Yes — the calculator has a partner section where you can add their income, savings, super, and age. FirePath combines your numbers to show a shared freedom date. Both free and Pro versions include partner inputs.

Your data is stored securely using Supabase with row-level security — only you can access your numbers. We don't sell your data, we don't share it, and we don't use it for advertising. See our Privacy Policy for full details.

No. FirePath is an educational tool — it shows you projections and helps you understand the maths behind financial independence. Nothing on FirePath is financial advice. For advice specific to your circumstances, consider speaking with a licensed financial adviser. We frame everything as questions worth exploring, not instructions to follow.

Your freedom number is driven entirely by your spending — not your income. If it seems too big, check what you entered as income vs savings. FirePath calculates spending as income minus savings, so if your savings amount is low, your implied spending (and therefore your freedom number) will be high. Try adjusting the spending toggle to Less to see how it changes.

FirePath shows you the maths — your freedom number, your timeline, what changes it. A licensed financial adviser gives you personalised advice accounting for your tax situation, estate planning, insurance, and specific product recommendations. FirePath is a great starting point to understand your position before (or instead of) seeing an adviser — but it doesn't replace one for complex situations.

25× annual spending comes from the 4% rule — the finding from the Trinity Study (1998) that a portfolio can sustain a 4% annual withdrawal rate over 30+ years without running out. 1 ÷ 4% = 25. So if you spend $60K/year, you need $1.5M invested. This is the most widely used framework in financial independence planning. See How we calculate →