Age at retirement

[Independent]

For people who are retired, how old were you when you retired?

Clarifying:
"Retired" is your definition. If you are getting paid for part time work that you do for fun, rather than because you need the money, I think you are "retired", but you'll have to draw the line. (Tom Sawyer said "Work is what a body is obliged to do.")

If you are married, it's your age when you quit, not your spouse's. (Okay, some people will average the two ages, that's fine, too.)

One of the younger folk can do "Age when I plan to retire" if they like.

[Moemg]

I always wanted to retire in my 50's but I procrastinated and finally retired at 59 .

[Telly]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Independent One of the younger folk can do "Age when I plan to retire" if they like.

I am assuming that you mean they can go and create THEIR OWN TOPIC AND POLL, and NOT vote in this one!

Because if they vote in this one, using some age they think they will retire, it will screw up the results. (The difference between goals/dreams and cruel reality, you know )

[Independent]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Telly I am assuming that you mean they can go and create THEIR OWN TOPIC AND POLL, and NOT vote in this one! Because if they vote in this one, using some age they think they will retire, it will screw up the results. (The difference between goals/dreams and cruel reality, you know )

Correct. I should have been clearer with the wording.

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

60 was the target originally, but a 1-year delay intervened due to a combination of the Great Recession and career circumstances. Glad I waited but it was a long year.

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich_in_Tampa 60 was the target originally, but a 1-year delay intervened due to a combination of the Great Recession and career circumstances. Glad I waited but it was a long year.

Rich, you failed to mention your attempt at the world's record in the "just-one-more-year" club....

[scrabbler1]

I was 45 back in 2008 when I retired. For several years I thought I'd be able to retire early, perhaps in my early 50s. But several things fell into place quickly in 2006-2008 and I was able to pull the trigger in late 2008.

[braumeister]

I did it more or less by stealth, at age 55.

The company where I worked was bought by a much larger company, and my job was eliminated. I was already in a financial position to be retired, so I thought about it while collecting unemployment, and eventually just decided not to bother looking for another job.

That was actually my second career, since I had previously retired from the military.

[Nords]

Chronologically? Age 41.

Occupationally? I stopped "working" in my late 30s, although some of my supervisors would claim that the evidence points toward a substantially earlier age.

Mentally & emotionally I'm still in my mid 20s. In a few years I'm going to get one of those t-shirts that says "Inside every old person is a 25-year-old wondering what the hell happened."

[RonBoyd]

Yeah, I put it off until I was 57... it was a struggle though.

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo Rich, you failed to mention your attempt at the world's record in the "just-one-more-year" club....

I fell short by a few months. But it was worth it.

[easysurfer]

I had planned to retire at 50, but circumstances at w*rk made it so I decided to FIRE a couple years earlier. If I had a chance, I wouldn't change a thing about how it all played out.

[Ronstar]

My goal has always been 55, but I like the ESR gig and may stay ESR'd a little past 55. (Sorry - voted in this "Age at retirement" poll instead of "planned age at retirement")

[Dawg52]

For the one's under 40, I would like to hear how you accomplished that feat if you don't mind sharing. Pretty strong accomplishment. I retired at an old 52.

[Independent]

With 121 replies so far, it looks like the median age at retirement was 55. About 25% of us managed to retire before age 50. That's "very early" in my world. Nobody retired after age 63. We are definitely an unusual group.

I guessed wrong when I set up the age groupings. I believed that we had more "higher age" retirees in spite of the forum name. Because of this, the chart feature in the poll isn't very instructive.

Here's a better chart, where each of the age bands is three years. The mid-50s ages really jump out.

[ziggy29]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Independent Here's a better chart, where each of the age bands is three years. The mid-50s ages really jump out.

Makes sense, since 55 is a pretty common age for the earliest possible "out" with a pension.

[Independent]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ziggy29 Makes sense, since 55 is a pretty common age for the earliest possible "out" with a pension.

Interesting thought. It's certainly plausible, but pensions come with lots of variations. I know that I intended to leave at age 58.5, the earliest I could get a pension without an "actuarial" reduction. (I ended up working an extra 6 months, so my actual out was 59.)

But the decision had more to do with frustrations with management, the size of my 401k, and the fact that our last teenager was out of the house.

[rescueme]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ziggy29 Makes sense, since 55 is a pretty common age for the earliest possible "out" with a pension.

What's a pension? ...

(BTW, retired at age 59 and made my own "pension" via an SPIA ).

[IndependentlyPoor]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ziggy29 Makes sense, since 55 is a pretty common age for the earliest possible "out" with a pension.

Woulda been true for me. Fifty five was the earliest age to receive a reduced pension and I would have simultaneously hit 32 years service and maxed out my pension. Whoo-hoo! Jackpot!

Oops.

Err, "events" happened and I left at 50. Much less cushy circumstances, but the last 5.5 years have been great.

[ejman]

52 here. But does semi retirement by working P/T from home (telecommuting) starting at age 49 count for something?