I don't disregard the possibility of retiring in cities other than San Francisco -- I just dispute the notion that a $25k/year "retirement" is anything but sill

I don't disregard the possibility of retiring in cities other than San Francisco -- I just dispute the notion that a $25k/year "retirement" is anything but silly dreaming by 20-somethings who don't understand what choices life is going to bring their way. Want to have a family? Want to send your kid to college? Want to be ready for the day when you're old and paying for medical problems? You're not living "like a king" on $25k anymore. "[Firecalc] gave very positive results for withdrawing $25k/year on a $1M portfolio for a total of 60 years." Well, again, you're not likely to accumulate a $1M portfolio in a decade on a $100k salary without a nice helping of luck. And not for nothing: that 60-year period encompasses the largest bull market(s) in US stock history. Past performance definitely does not extrapolate in this case.