The 3 Retirement Numbers You Actually Need

If you're interested in learning more about this week's partners: Copilot Money: I rarely recommend financial apps to my friends, but after suggesting that a few of my friends (all of whom work in finance) check out Copilot Money, not only did they all sign up, but they all think it's the best money app they've seen to date. So if you want to get your financial life in order, check out Copilot Money today at try.copilot.money/tyler. Gelt: My biggest business mistake to date? Waiting too long to establish a relationship with a reliable and proactive tax strategist. I left tens of thousands on the table. If your business is consistently netting over $200k, and you're lost as to next steps, you need to check out Gelt today at joingelt.com/tyler. And on to the show notes! Most retirement advice sounds confident and means almost nothing. “Save a million.”“Ten times your salary.”“Seventy percent of your income." None of that tells you what you actually need. In this episode, Tyler walks through how to calculate your real retirement number — one based on your spending, your timeline, and the kind of life you actually want. The goal isn’t motivation. It’s clarity. Instead of vague targets, Tyler breaks retirement planning into three practical numbers: Traditional FIRE — the “never work again” number, and why it’s too extreme for most people Coast FIRE — the Goldilocks option that lets you save hard early and ease off later The bare minimum — a realistic bridge for people closer to retirement who need options, not perfection Along the way, he explains why investing matters more than saving alone, why time beats contribution size, and why conservative assumptions create flexibility instead of fear. This episode isn’t about chasing a magic number. It’s about knowing what you’re building toward — so you can stop guessing and start making decisions with confidence. If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re on track, this episode gives you a framework you can actually use. And if the show’s been helpful, leaving a quick review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify genuinely helps. Hope this gives you something to think about this week.