"Ideal" age to retire

[EvrClrx311]

my ideal time to retire has been yesterday... for as long as I can remember.

 

[JOHNNIE36]

I have to say that having retired at age 51 (I would turn 52 in 6 months) made me feel a little guilty to some extent. Only thinking back about how my father worked for the same company for 47 years and retired on the last day, when he turned 65. And he worked hard. He never could understand how I could retire at my age. I had no goal to retire until it got to the point where I was burned out and sick of going to work. Me, who ten years earlier couldn't wait to get to work, was then looking for ways to retire early. I finally pulled it off in 1988. I'll go to my grave having had a great retirement and never feeling sad or sorry that I did what I did. DW was all for it and we have really enjoyed retirement. We never had to pinch the pennies, did well on some investments and in real estate and had a good pension. On May 1st, we were retired 24 years. Not a lot of people get to do that.

 

[Midpack]

Yahoo!Finance regularly puts out questionable articles and videos, I wouldn't put much stock in them (and I don't bother reading them any more). YMMV

 

[Danmar]

I agree with many here that the perfect time to retire is when the excitement of the "game" is over and of course when funds allow. It does seem like these articles are made to attract readers (for Ads) and to make the average 50 something feel better about not being prepared.
I have met some smug folks that seem to be proud that they will "work til they drop", like they have superior work ethic. If they won a couple million in a lottery I wonder if their perspective would change - my guess is.... yup.

Well said. It's making a virtue out of a necessity. I love retirement and only laugh when I hear these stories. But really who cares?

 

[Donzo]

Well said. It's making a virtue out of a necessity. I love retirement and only laugh when I hear these stories. But really who cares?

I certainly don't, but would think that the person saying it must at some level...

 

[haha]

Well said. It's making a virtue out of a necessity. I love retirement and only laugh when I hear these stories. But really who cares?

It really depends on the person and his work. I was in the college class of 1963- and the great majority of them are still full at it, and not because of any monetary need. Many of these guys have had long careers at Morgan Stanley, Goldman, etc. or they are doctors and corportate lawyers. The richest and most successful of them seem most likely to be still at it.

If you have a great position, there are may reasons to keep it other than the usual song here about how they have to work, etc. I met a guy 2 weeks ago whose grandfather was a founder of very successful regional brokerage, and who goes to work every day as chairman of that organization.

Ha

 

[Danmar]

It really depends on the person and his work. I was in the college class of 1963- and the great majority of them are still full at it, and not because of any monetary need. Many of these guys have had long careers at Morgan Stanley, Goldman, etc. or they are doctors and corportate lawyers. The richest and most successful of them seem most likely to be still at it.

If you have a great position, there are may reasons to keep it other than the usual song here about how they have to work, etc. I met a guy 2 weeks ago whose grandfather was a founder of very successful regional brokerage, and who goes to work every day as chairman of that organization.

Ha

Right, I agree. But these articles aren't generally about these type of jobs. I had a very high paying exec job and generally my peers in similar positions retired before 60. In fact in the co that I worked for retirement was mandatory at 63. Of course the CEO can extend this at the board's pleasure and has.
In any event, I think most of what you read in the press about retirement is just pandering to the majority who can't afford to ER.

 

[obgyn65]

Interesting article. I plan to FIRE age 47, this year. I have seen too many deaths around me. Part of my decision to FIRE has factoring in my own unknown and unpredictable years remaining.

The New Ideal Retirement Age: 67 - Yahoo! Finance


By 2020 the ideal age will be 80.....ugh

I got out at 49 in 2006. The thought of 18 more years of work at that point in my life would have been flat out scary!
Who comes up with these articles on working so late in life, SS dept?

I am happy to be free