How many years do you work before retire???

[Moscyn]

28 years (rounding up by months). I think life is a series of phases. First you are pampered and educated for like 20 to 25 years and then you work and sometimes slave for 30 to 40 years (Many prolong this phase because they like their careers or because of finances - DH likes his job. I like to pursue hobbies). Hopefully you get out of that working hard phase and enjoy the fruits of your labour with great health for another 20 years. Thereafter, downhill we go.

 

[Ronstar]

36 years, but the last 8 have been a gradual reduction in hours

 

[Enuff2Eat]

35 years in a few more weeks. D.O.N.E. as noted below!

Very happy for you. I can't wait for my turn to post up here.

enuff

 

[Nords]

20 years and five days from graduation/commissioning to retirement. Just went over the "nine years of ER" mark a week ago.

Spouse went "part time" (Navy Reserve) just before 18 and retired at the 25.5 mark.

How many years does it take to become financially independent? | Military Retirement & Financial Independence

 

[JOHNNIE36]

I consider myself very lucky. Started with megacorp at age 17 in a coop engineering program. Retired in 1988 with 34.5 years service at age 51.5. My four years at their engineering school counted toward my retirement and vacation time. Through the years I saw execs retire at 55 and thought that would be pretty neat. A "special early" they called it. As luck would have it, when I reached my 34th year, mega corp was trying to reduce the work force, my project was coming to a close and so I tested the waters for a special early retirement. It was granted and I got 2 years salary when I left. Just couldn't see working another two years for nothing. Also, megacorp paid me a social security supplement until I reached age 62 at which time 50% of that was taken away and the remaining 50 % added onto my retirement check. And, it included health care, dental and vision. Then in 2008, megacorp ran into financial trouble and took all my health care benefits away. Not to worry. They added $300 per month to my retirement check. They say good for life, but who knows. They could probably take that away if they want. Overall, I'm ver happy with what I have. How many people get to retire at 51 or 52?

 

[Enuff2Eat]

I consider myself very lucky. Started with megacorp at age 17 in a coop engineering program. Retired in 1988 with 34.5 years service at age 51.5. My four years at their engineering school counted toward my retirement and vacation time. Through the years I saw execs retire at 55 and thought that would be pretty neat. A "special early" they called it. As luck would have it, when I reached my 34th year, mega corp was trying to reduce the work force, my project was coming to a close and so I tested the waters for a special early retirement. It was granted and I got 2 years salary when I left. Just couldn't see working another two years for nothing. Also, megacorp paid me a social security supplement until I reached age 62 at which time 50% of that was taken away and the remaining 50 % added onto my retirement check. And, it included health care, dental and vision. Then in 2008, megacorp ran into financial trouble and took all my health care benefits away. Not to worry. They added $300 per month to my retirement check. They say good for life, but who knows. They could probably take that away if they want. Overall, I'm ver happy with what I have. How many people get to retire at 51 or 52?

Sound awesome!!!! I don't hear deal like that anymore. At 51 you can work another 10 years and still retire early. Congrats.

 

[ItDontMeanAThing]

Full time career '81 to '08 = 27 years. Plus 1 year as a lab rat between college and grad school, assorted part time jobs before that.

 

[ksr]

Full-time career for 25 years. Prior to that, I worked part-time jobs (in high school and college) for 6 years. Since I ESRed almost four years ago, I still do a little pt work (teach a couple of classes a week, putting in maybe 6 hours or so).

 

[brewer12345]

I expect to walk off the full time/career path job in my 40s (unless I unexpectedly find it interesting to stay longer). After that I will very likely consult or have a part time small business. So call it 25 years of full time career stuff post college.

 

[Animorph]

31 years. Could have been less with better saving, but could have been 10 years worse without some luck.

 

[bbbamI]

25 years for me and 35 years for DH.

 

[CyclingInvestor]

27 years of programming, retiring at 48. No pension, inheritances, etc.

 

[BigNick]

I finished college three months before my 21st birthday, because of how the admission birth vs academic years worked. So I've now been working pretty much every day for 30.5 years. (I was technically unemployed for about one day in 1988 when I managed to get myself fired from a start-up on the Thursday before I was due to start, on day #1 of the start-up's official existence, on the Monday, but my old company took me back the same day.)

It's starting to feel like enough.

 

[Alan]

33 years full time after graduation. 3 countries, 4 companies, 4 pensions, 1 wife, plus retiree health benefits.

More importantly, both of us retired healthy and happy.

 

[chinaco]

About 35 years

 

[foxfirev5]

Not counting jobs during school years I've had two employers over the last 33 years. It looks like I'll probably go to age 59 for a total of 37 years. I have a very small pension, questionable retiree heathcare and a job that currently is quite a bit of fun. I am finding that once you reach FI you can loosen up with your approach to life.

 

[Dawg52]

31 years.

 

[kramer]

I fooled around when I was young and did not start college until I was 2 months shy of 24 years old. I finished with a Master's Degree 5.5 years later and about $45,000 in debt. Along with some great training along the way, having worked in my field part of that time (software engineer). I had 5 good job offers to choose from upon graduation.

Less than a decade later I was a millionaire, without any big stock option score or anything like that, just saving huge amounts of money and living a regular LBYM life. At the time, I even looked back and tried to figure out how I could have accumulated so much, so fast. I think I estimated my CAGR at something like 15%, as I had over-weighted both emerging markets and value stocks, and paid almost no investment taxes since I was deferring gains, and I had fewer overall assets during the tech bubble since that was earlier in my career.

Anyway, I retired 4 years ago with just under 12 years in a real job at the same company. I started at a good salary, but I just did a quick calculation, and my compensation rose at an average of about 8% per year during my career.

 

[Eagle43]

I started at 17 (not counting delivering papers and bagging groceries before that) and worked 42+ years. You'd think I liked it.

 

[rescueme]

I think life is a series of phases. First you are pampered and educated for like 20 to 25 years...

That may be for the majority of folks on this forum (who seem to be well educated), but that is not the case of most of the population.

I believe that you will find (by the stats), that a minority of folks have a degree (or advanced degree) and in these days, are doing quite well if they are even able to get through HS.

My personal view is that education is important and it's my opinion (FWIW) that the folks that post their individual "success" on ER is owed a great deal to that education. I won't bore you with our personal stories, but I believe that our situation was more typical (as being HS grads of the mid 60's) than the "History Channel" will lead you to beleive of the young folks of that era (BTW, I didn't go to Woodstock - I was in Nam during that "party").

On a personal note, I consider myself (and DW) quite "blessed" to be able to be financially secure without even an undergrad degree (or a public service job).

Just my $.02...

PS: At the age of 25, I was married (for four years), had a child, and was responsible for sole support of our little "family" (as I am today, since my (adult) child is disabled). I had left home when I turned 19 but for all intents, I was "on my own" since the age of 14 (due to the situation with my parents, that I will not discuss on a public forum).

Not to "dis" those on this board that had the opportunity for higher education, but don't believe that is (or was) the normal situation in most folks lives.

 

[RockyMtn]

28 years, 4 months, 21 days.

 

[WB52]

If I achieve FIRE as planned in 2012, I will have worked 27 years straight, post-grad school.
If the stock market keeps tanking... Who knows?

 

[Purron]

35 years.

 

[OrcasIslandBound]

I'm coming up on my 30th year of continuously working in August. Aiming for FIRE in 2.5 years (2014). So... if successful, it will be 32.5 years altogether.

 

[DFA]

40+ and still got about 2 left before FIRE.