Retire Early.
Bridge the Gap.
Live Free.
Most FIRE calculators stop at "do you have enough?" We go further — showing you exactly how to fund the years between retirement and 59½ without tax penalties or guesswork.
The Bridge Strategy,
Explained
Retiring before 59½ means you can't touch your 401(k) without a 10% penalty. The bridge strategy uses your taxable accounts to cover the gap — strategically and tax-efficiently.
Model Your Bridge Strategy
Adjust the inputs and see your year-by-year withdrawal plan update in real time.
| Year | Age | Withdrawal | Account | Taxable | 401(k) | Roth | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2030 | 52 | $40,000 | Taxable | $84,000 | $682,500 | $94,500 | $861,000 |
| 2031 | 53 | $41,000 | Taxable | $45,150 | $716,625 | $99,225 | $861,000 |
| 2032 | 54 | $42,025 | Taxable | $3,281 | $752,456 | $104,186 | $859,924 |
| 2033 | 55 | $43,076 | Taxable + Roth | $0 | $790,079 | $67,611 | $857,691 |
| 2034 | 56 | $44,153 | Roth | $0 | $829,583 | $24,632 | $854,215 |
| 2035 | 57 | $45,256 | Roth | $0 | $871,062 | $0 | $871,062 |
| 2036 | 58 | $46,388 | Roth | $0 | $914,615 | $0 | $914,615 |
| 2037 | 59 | $47,547 | Roth | $0 | $960,346 | $0 | $960,346 |
| 2038 | 60 | $48,736 | 401(k) | $0 | $957,190 | $0 | $957,190 |
| 2039 | 61 | $49,955 | 401(k) | $0 | $952,598 | $0 | $952,598 |
| 2040 | 62 | $51,203 | 401(k) | $0 | $946,464 | $0 | $946,464 |
| 2041 | 63 | $52,483 | 401(k) | $0 | $938,680 | $0 | $938,680 |
| 2042 | 64 | $53,796 | 401(k) | $0 | $929,128 | $0 | $929,128 |
| 2043 | 65 | $55,140 | 401(k) | $0 | $917,687 | $0 | $917,687 |
| 2044 | 66 | $56,519 | 401(k) | $0 | $904,227 | $0 | $904,227 |
| 2045 | 67 | $57,932 | 401(k) | $0 | $888,609 | $0 | $888,609 |
| 2046 | 68 | $59,380 | 401(k) | $0 | $870,691 | $0 | $870,691 |
| 2047 | 69 | $60,865 | 401(k) | $0 | $850,317 | $0 | $850,317 |
| 2048 | 70 | $62,386 | 401(k) | $0 | $827,327 | $0 | $827,327 |
| 2049 | 71 | $63,946 | 401(k) | $0 | $801,551 | $0 | $801,551 |
| 2050 | 72 | $65,545 | 401(k) | $0 | $772,806 | $0 | $772,806 |
| 2051 | 73 | $67,183 | 401(k) | $0 | $740,904 | $0 | $740,904 |
| 2052 | 74 | $68,863 | 401(k) | $0 | $705,643 | $0 | $705,643 |
| 2053 | 75 | $70,584 | 401(k) | $0 | $666,812 | $0 | $666,812 |
| 2054 | 76 | $72,349 | 401(k) | $0 | $624,186 | $0 | $624,186 |
| 2055 | 77 | $74,158 | 401(k) | $0 | $577,529 | $0 | $577,529 |
| 2056 | 78 | $76,012 | 401(k) | $0 | $526,594 | $0 | $526,594 |
| 2057 | 79 | $77,912 | 401(k) | $0 | $471,116 | $0 | $471,116 |
| 2058 | 80 | $79,860 | 401(k) | $0 | $410,819 | $0 | $410,819 |
| 2059 | 81 | $81,856 | 401(k) | $0 | $345,411 | $0 | $345,411 |
| 2060 | 82 | $83,903 | 401(k) | $0 | $274,583 | $0 | $274,583 |
| 2061 | 83 | $86,000 | 401(k) | $0 | $198,012 | $0 | $198,012 |
| 2062 | 84 | $88,150 | 401(k) | $0 | $115,355 | $0 | $115,355 |
| 2063 | 85 | $90,354 | 401(k) | $0 | $26,251 | $0 | $26,251 |
| 2064 | 86 | $92,613 | 401k + Roth | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| 2065 | 87 | $94,928 | Roth | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| 2066 | 88 | $97,301 | Roth | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| 2067 | 89 | $99,734 | Roth | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| 2068 | 90 | $102,227 | Roth | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
* This calculator is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Consult a qualified financial planner before making retirement decisions. Returns are not guaranteed; actual results will vary.
Tools We Actually Use
Every recommendation is one we'd stake our own retirement on. Vetted for the FIRE community.
Free net worth tracking, retirement planning, and investment fee analyzer. The gold standard for FIRE community tracking.
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Open Account →Zero-expense-ratio index funds and excellent Roth IRA tools. The FIRE community's favorite brokerage for good reason.
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File Taxes →Automated tax-loss harvesting and smart rebalancing. Perfect for hands-off management of bridge account assets.
Get Started →Get the Bridge Planner
The spreadsheet that maps your Taxable → 401k → Roth withdrawal strategy year-by-year. Free. Yours forever.
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