Posted on 09/22/2024 11:21:53 AM PDT by ChicagoConservative27
Many plan to work well into their 60s or even 70s, thinking they can compensate for years of undersaving. But according to recent surveys, retirement may come earlier than expected for many Americans – whether they're ready for it or not.
The average retirement age in the U.S. is about 62 years old, even though most workers expect to retire around 67. In fact, more than 56% of retirees left the workforce earlier than they planned, according to a Transamerica survey. So, what's causing this gap between expectations and reality?
(Excerpt) Read more at benzinga.com ...
Then be found indigo blue face down on desk.
Arguably better than a drawn out, debilitating and painful decline.
100 years from now, what will a few years more, or less now matter?
RETIRED AT 82 when last client retired at 84.
“What is this “retirement” thing?”
It was my ambition since about age 21.
God is very kind and I believe my real and actual retirement Revelation 3:10 style is quite close, perhaps days. In the mean time this will do.
“I was smart enough to save as much as I could over the years, as it helps make retirement (so far) to be less stressful.”
Saving as much as possible, and living way below your means during work years, is so smart. We just saw a movie from 2010 where hotshots making a ton of money lived high off the hog. Company downsized, they were RIFed, and they couldn’t survive for three months. Insane.
>Retirement is boring.
Haven’t tried it but retirement as in nothing to do all day sounds hideous.
I can imagine a bunch of volunteer-type things I’d like to do if I had the time but I can see them running dry or turning into the same level of work with no reward, fast. I’ve seen volunteers treated with a thin veneer of politeness over a core of contempt and want no part of it.
Retirement as in running one’s own “hobby”-sized business, or consulting, leaving room for the things there was no time for in pedal-to-the-metal work, sounds appealing.
My experience, too. Retired at 62, 64 1/2 now. Retirement has been a true blessing. Never bored because there is always something to do.
I did the math, 62 vs 67. I would have to live to 80 to break even. I retired at 60. I retired from the Army at 37.
My husband retired at 50. He had 30 years in plus the plant was closing. We were blessed because he was able to get his full retirement. The plant is now gone.
He took care of his dad for six months after his mom died. That would not have been possible if he had been working.
I knew that answer right away. It’s the earliest age to retire with reduced SS income (25% reduction). It takes 12 years of retirement to even that out where the government starts realizing that gain.
The next age is 55, IIRC and a LOT of that is disability (SSDI) claims. For those who can’t wait until 62.
I beat him by 4 years punching out at 48. Thought about getting a second job but after 6 months realized I didn't need the money.
I have done unspeakable golf club damage ever since.
There are many things affecting this stat. Some people lose their job around 58+ and give up. Some people have bad health by then and can’t work. People who work for themselves often “retire” early because our “retirement” is a very different thing. I “retired” at 60, but for the last 15 years I’ve spent plenty of time making my assets work. I kept managing 5 rentals for 10 years. I invest in stocks, bonds, mineral rights, I carry mortgages, Just the record keeping is a job. It’s OK because I like it, the rewards are very good once a foundation is set, which only took about 25 years.
I was going to wait til I turned 67, but since I got a blood clot in my knee I moved it to 65, 1 year from now.
Yes, also I was accustomed to lowish expenses, and have been able to live on my Social Security so far, in addition to my tiny corporate pension from many years ago. I combined my older IRA with my 401(k), got into a managed portfolio with a 9% stop-loss feature, that re-sets frequently. Since I haven’t been taking any out (yet) and have no mortgage, it does seem to keep some options open as to future living decisions, etc.
But I remember consciously thinking, years ago, that by NOT eating out for restaurant lunches, I was saving for retirement. It takes a lot of discipline over many years, though.
Husband and I retired at 59 and 61 from IBM Research on their last good Early Retirement plan. Health benefits for life. Husband went to small startups during the boom days and did well and I used the retraining money to write movie scripts that were agented in Hollywood. Mostly just worked the same crazy hours but on all of my passions instead of workie stuffs. Husband finally retired and now spends his time writing software to support all of my projects. LOVE retirement.
That’s awesome
Several years later I was given a year's private notice (from high up) that my job would be sent offshore. When I got laid off, I learned that I still had an old MCI pension that Bernie Ebbers had not been able to raid. With a fantastic severance package, I decided to retire and live off of our bank accounts for a couple of years before I applied for Social Security with a more reasonable 8% penalty for applying early. At that time, my home and autos were paid for and all of our credit cards were paid in full, thanks to my wife's excellent household financial planning ability.
That was almost ten years ago and I retired just below the national average.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.