On Track to Coast? “Convincing husband we are well past coast number.”

The Richuel Team
Oct 1
4 min read

Updated: Oct 2

A Reddit poster on r/CoastFIRE believes she and her husband have reached CoastFIRE and is looking for tips on how to talk to her husband about it. However, he doesn’t believe they can coast and worries it’s “frivolous and delusional.”

This really resonated with me, as I’m often the one in my household running the numbers to reassure my lifelong thrifty saver husband that we’re actually in good shape to give ourselves some room to coast and enjoy life a little.

I’m on a mission to help this Reddit poster show her husband the math, so they can align and make the best decision together.

What is CoastFIRE?

CoastFIRE is a retirement strategy where you save enough early in life to let your investments grow on their own. This allows you to stop or reduce contributions and "coast" financially until traditional retirement age while covering current expenses.

Household Profile and Assumptions

Household: Wife (37), Husband (38), one child (2)
Assets: $1.8 million in IRAs and 401(k)s
Home: Owned but excluded from calculations due to unknown mortgage and equity
Annual Contributions: Estimated max $61K; scenario models $2K/month reduction, so $37K yearly contributions including 5% employer match
Retirement Targets:
- Wife retires at 50 with federal pension starting
- Husband retires at 65 (needs further discussion)
Expenses: Approx. $10K/month ($120K/year) in a high cost-of-living (HCOL) area, consistent with typical household budgets ranging $100K-$130K+
Income: Combined take-home pays for expenses, contributions, plus $24K annual “fun” money
Pensions & Benefits:
- Federal pension at 50 @$5K/month
- Social Security benefits taken at 70 for max payout

The Bottom Line

Congratulations! With $1.8M in investable assets and likely above $2M net worth including home equity, you’re well within the top 10% of U.S. households at your age. You are arguably at CoastFIRE! You have a 97% chance of fully funding your plan through longevity ages of 95, even if you reduce contributions by $2K per month from now until retirement at age 50.

This success likelihood is based on thousands of Monte Carlo market simulations, assuming “Average” outcomes based on standard investment return and inflation rates.

Below is a table that shows detailed projections showing your lower end forecast in the event of a poor outcome, and an average forecast based on a likely outcome, so you can see the range. You can also see the savings amounts in current dollar value and future dollar value, with year-over-year inflation modeled in.

Investment Savings Forecast

Scenario	Average Value "Likely Outcome", Age 50 (Current $)	Lower End Value "Poor Outcome", Age 50 (Current $)	Average Value "Likely Outcome", Age 50 (Future $)	Lower End Value "Poor Outcome", Age 50 (Future $)
CoastFIRE - Reduced Contributions	$3.7M	$2.1M	$5.1M	$2.9M
Current Trajectory - Max Contributions	$4.1M	$2.4M	$5.7M	$3.4M

Lifetime Cash Flow & Income Projections

With the reduced contributions scenario, your lifetime income exceeds expenses year over year. See the chart below, where the bars represent various income sources year-over-year, and the squiggly line is the expenses and taxes.

Work income covers expenses early on until the federal pension starts at 50. After “the hubby” retires, there is a small drawdown before Social Security income begins at 70.

Super important to note is that by age 75, your savings grows to about $9M in current value ($22M future value), triggering Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs). The IRS requires you to withdraw a minimum amount annually from all tax-deferred accounts, calculated by dividing the account balance by a life expectancy factor (24.6 at age 75).

In this case, $9M ÷ 24.6 = approximately $366K minimum withdrawal in the first year and similarly every year after. This means substantial taxes unless you withdraw savings to spend or convert before then.

The chart shows your tax line substantially increasing at age 75. There’s an argument to be made that if you don’t enjoy your money earlier in life, the IRS will likely take more of it away later.

Things to Consider

Tax & Withdrawal Strategy: Work with a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) to optimize Roth conversions, withdrawal timing, and lifetime tax minimization strategies.

College Education: Plan for a likely $258K for public college and $544K for private college cost for your 2-year-old’s college education starting in 2041, assuming 5% annual tuition inflation. That’s a huge chunk of change that you’ll want to model into your plan.

Healthcare: Consider accounting for potential increases beyond modeled healthcare costs with added buffers.

Social Security: You may want to rerun the math assuming you’ll receive 70%-77% of projected benefits. The 2025 Social Security Trustees Report highlights that the fund is projected to be depleted by 2033. Without legislative action, benefits would be automatically cut by about 23% to balance income with payouts.

Home Equity: Know that you can consider tapping or downsizing for liquidity if necessary. People are even considering "geo-arbitrage" to move and enjoy life in lower-cost areas (like Lisbon or Bali).

Investment Performance: This model assumes a 7% rate of return on investment based on a relatively conservative benchmark planners often use. Over time, you may see a different performance rate. Review your portfolio regularly with a CFP to monitor performance, optimize, and adjust for evolving conditions.

Conclusion

Assuming these assumptions are accurate, this math shows you’re not delusional—your smart savings have put you at CoastFIRE. It’s perfectly reasonable to tell your husband it might just be time to live a little. With this solid plan, easing up on contributions now won’t derail your future but might bring some well-deserved joy today!

It’s also wise to acknowledge that changing habits and behavior takes time. After all, the frugal saver in you both got you to the great position you’re in now. But at the end of the day, it’s important to align on what’s ultimately important to both of you. Wishing you the best of luck! And don’t forget to celebrate. 🎉

Disclaimer: This information is provided for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment or legal advice. Always consult a qualified professional before making any financial decisions.

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Richuel is an AI-powered digital financial health platform dedicated to helping people navigate career and life shifts with better financial decision support. People often think finance is difficult and time-consuming. With the help of better digital experiences and hybrid AI technology, plus easy and affordable access to human expert support, we’re changing that one daily financial “richuel” at a time.