Question 1

What counts as freedom spending?

Accepted Answer

Freedom spending is your base lifestyle, freedom-mode housing, freedom-mode dependent costs, and recurring insurance, medical, subscription, and other obligations. The calculator applies your selected location tier to the unlocalized baseline costs, then adds the housing and dependent costs you entered for that location.

Question 2

Why are there three Freedom Number scenarios?

Accepted Answer

The 3%, 4%, and 5% withdrawal profiles are illustrations, not recommendations or measured success rates. Select the numeric profile to use for your target and timeline; all three remain visible.

Question 3

How does debt affect the calculation?

Accepted Answer

If you know when you will be debt-free, the timeline includes that payoff phase and redirects finished debt payments into savings. If no payoff date is known, the remaining balance is added to each target.

Question 4

Is income outside my job counted in full?

Accepted Answer

Not in every scenario. The calculator applies a 50% reliability haircut in Conservative, 25% in Base, and no haircut in Aggressive before capitalizing that income.