I’ve been going through this for the last 2 years (100% success rate with low SWR, etc) and my job is not high stress at all. I wouldn’t do it for free, but I have good friends and have been at it for almost 40 years, 27 right here. For me personally, I’ve concluded for all practical purposes it is a combination of greed and my own income expectations (whether needed or not) coupled with the remote fear of “what if I get divorced”. Not that I expect it in the least, but I have been previously divorced and have known the financial devastation that occurred. I’m making more now than I ever did, with less effort. I have an easy commute (2 miles). Health care would be company subsidized until age 65. I will have max SS whenever Inchoose to get it. No office politics to speak of. I even calculated that for each month I keep working, my net income increases about $50/mo/mo. My net income when I retire will exceed my net income now, assuming I no longer save 25% for investing. I have plenty of enjoyable things “to retire to” and many can even make me money. I’ve always planned to work until 64 and only lowered it to 62 a few years ago, and instead of saying “look, you already passed the nest egg and income goals you were shooting for at 62, so why not quit”, I come back and say “yeah, but look at how much more I will have at 62 now”.
There HAS to be a time where time left is worth more than dollars earned, and for some reason I don’t feel it. Its along the lines of the above post where the poll was how much wouldnyou have to pay to go back to work. In my case it is how much per year do you have to increase your net worth to stay working. Right now it’s just under a quarter mil a year, though last year hurt some. Everyone says you will know when it is the right time. I feel I will see that in a year. It is also a lot easier staying now that I know I really don’t have to.
