Why BridgeToRetired Exists

There are thousands of FIRE calculators. They'll tell you your "number." They'll tell you when you can theoretically retire. What almost none of them tell you is how to actually fund the years between retirement and 59½ — without triggering penalties, blowing up your tax situation, or running out of money before your accounts unlock.

That gap — between when you stop working and when the IRS lets you access your own money penalty-free — is the bridge. It's 4 to 12 years for most early retirees. It's the part that breaks otherwise solid plans.

We built this site and the free planner to map that gap, year by year, account by account. Taxable brokerage first. 401(k) untouched and compounding. Roth as the backstop. The math isn't complicated — it just wasn't anywhere in one place, laid out clearly, for free.

BridgeToRetired is a content and tools site. The Bridge Planner spreadsheet is free. The guides are free. The calculator is free.

We make money through affiliate partnerships — when we recommend a tool like Empower or Boldin and you sign up, we may earn a commission. This costs you nothing extra, and we only recommend tools that are genuinely useful for early retirement planning. Every affiliate link is clearly marked.

We are not a financial advisory firm. We are not registered investment advisors. Nothing here is personalized financial advice. The planner, calculator, and articles are educational tools — a starting point, not a final answer. Always run major decisions by a qualified, fee-only financial planner.