India's 4% FIRE Rule Fails: Fix Your Retirement Plan Now!

• The US-originated 4% FIRE rule, suggesting saving 25x annual expenses, fails in India due to higher inflation (5-6% vs US 2-3%).
• Indian lifestyle costs, housing, and healthcare expenses rise 6-9% annually, eroding retirement corpus faster than expected.
• The 4% rule's assumptions of low inflation, stable returns, and 30-year retirement don't hold for India's longer life spans and self-funded healthcare.
• Solutions include semi-retirement with part-time work, building a larger corpus (35x-40x annual expenses), and a bucket-based portfolio.
• Crucially, plan separately for healthcare by setting aside a dedicated Rs 20-50 lakh "health fund" for medical shocks.

Why It Matters: India's high inflation and longer life demand a larger corpus (35x-40x) and dedicated health fund for FIRE.