How is today's estimated balance calculated, and why doesn't it match my broker?
FIRE Cat starts from the last balance you entered (or your start date and starting amount), adds each planned investment, and grows it at the expected annual return set in Goal & plan. It doesn't follow the market day by day, so it drifts from your broker's number. Tap Update balance on the Progress tab to enter the real figure; the estimate continues from there.
Can I record my balance by account?
Yes. In Update balance, tap Split by account and add each account, such as a brokerage or retirement account. FIRE Cat adds up the total for you.
Why are my results different from other compound calculators?
Three things differ. FIRE Cat shows a low, middle and high result rather than one number. Each investment is made at the end of its period (day, week or month) and the annual return is converted to a matching per-period rate. For US large caps, the range uses the 10th, 50th and 90th percentile of real returns over the same number of years. Tap “How it's calculated · year by year” under a result to see the formula and every year.
Where does the backtest data come from? Why do crashes look smaller than on charts I know?
Backtests use monthly total returns (price plus reinvested dividends) that FIRE Cat calculates from the S&P Composite series in Robert J. Shiller, Online Data, bundled in the app and used offline. Shiller's prices are monthly averages, so intra-month lows don't appear and drops look smaller than on daily charts. All results are hypothetical, exclude fees, taxes and currency exchange, and are not investment advice.
How do I change the currency?
Settings → Currency. Only the display changes: the goal and balances you already entered keep their numbers and are not converted. Backtests are always calculated in US dollars.
How do I back up my data or move it to a new iPhone?
Settings → iCloud backup. Tap Back up now, or turn on Back up daily (the latest 20 backups are kept). On the new iPhone, sign in with the same Apple Account, turn on iCloud Drive, install FIRE Cat and tap Restore from backup. Backups are saved in your own iCloud Drive and don't appear in the Files app.
My widget isn't updating.
Widgets show a schedule FIRE Cat prepares in advance and switch to a new day at midnight. Open FIRE Cat once to refresh it. If the widget asks you to set a goal, set one on the Progress tab. If it still shows old numbers, remove the widget and add it again. Widgets don't need an internet connection.
How do I change my ad privacy choices?
In regions where a consent form is required, use Settings → Ad privacy choices. Tracking permission can be changed any time in iPhone Settings → Privacy & Security → Tracking. Pro removes ads completely.
How do I delete all my data?
Settings → Goal & plan → Stop tracking deletes your goal, plan and all balance records. Deleting the app removes everything stored on your iPhone. iCloud backups you made stay in your iCloud until you delete them from your iCloud storage settings.
Restoring Pro
Open Settings in FIRE Cat, tap the Pro card at the top and choose Restore purchase, signed in with the Apple Account you bought it with. Pro is a one-time purchase and works on every iPhone that uses that Apple Account.
Contact
Questions, bugs or ideas: email us, or use Settings → Contact & feedback in the app. We usually reply within a few days.