When Can You Stop Saving for Retirement Coast FIRE vs Keep Saving

When can you stop saving for retirement without putting your future at risk? Robert and Carol are both 37 years old with $400,000 invested and the same retirement goal. Robert keeps contributing $18,000 every year. Carol reaches her Coast Number and stops making retirement contributions completely. At first, Robert's strategy seems obviously better. He keeps saving, keeps investing, and eventually builds a much larger retirement portfolio. But Carol's existing investments may already be large enough for compound interest to finish the job on its own. In our example, Carol stops contributing at 37 and still grows her portfolio to roughly $1.57 million by age 65. Meanwhile, she keeps $504,000 of cash flow that Robert continues directing toward retirement. But there is a major catch. The Coast Number depends on assumptions about investment returns, retirement age, spending, and time. If returns are weaker than expected, stopping retirement contributions too early can create a serious retirement shortfall. This video breaks down: • When you can stop saving for retirement • Coast FIRE and the Coast Number • Compound interest • Retirement contributions • Retirement planning • Opportunity cost • Financial independence • Retirement investing • How much money you need to retire • Why saving more is not always necessary The real question is not simply whether you should save more. It is whether your existing investments can already compound into the retirement portfolio you actually need. Would you keep saving if the math said you could stop today? This video uses simplified hypothetical calculations for educational purposes and is not individualized financial advice. #RetirementPlanning #Investing #PersonalFinance #CompoundInterest #FinancialIndependence #CoastFIRE #RetirementSavings #WealthBuilding