How old is too old to ER?

[GTM]

Situations will vary from person to person but if you had to pick a #

at what age would you think ER is necessary for the average person?

 

[Marshac]

I think the 'average' person is happy working until age 67 for some reason...

 

[retire@40]

Situations will vary from person to person but if you had to pick a #

at what age would you think ER is necessary for the average person?

My first thought was 40 

But, my final answer is "AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!!!"

 

[HFWR]

Not early enough.................

 

[dory36]

I think of "ER" as retirement before you are eligible for the "normal" benefits people usually associate with retirement. That might be any combination of company-paid or subsidized health care, pension, social security, medicare, whatever.

So if you retire from the military after 20 years, then you might be as young as 37 1/2, and still get a pension, health care, etc.

What's too old to call it "early"? Well, if your retirement benefits are readily available to you, then it isn't "early" for those parts of our discussions that revolve around how to get by without such benefits, but it may still be "early" by another definition -- if you are still able to work, but choose not to, because (a) you don't need to, and (b) you don't wan to, then you qualify!

 

[TromboneAl]

If you're asking at what age is retirement not early retirement, I would say 58.

Or you could define it as the oldest age at which, if you say "I'm retired," you still get the response "What? You're too young to retire!"

 

[laurence]

55

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

I would say its in the eye of the beholder. If someone retires earlier than you, its an early retirement

I would further suggest that a few decades from now, 70 might be considered 'early'...

 

[unclemick]

In 1992 - I was employed and 48. January 1993 - I was unemployed and 49. Still unemployed today - I transformed into ER? ??

In 1992 - early retirement was 63 with a 'full' company defined pension.

 

[pjdaddy]

It truly is in the eye of the beholder.

I'll be jumping ship in 5 yrs at age 55. And before hanging out on these boards, I'd have considered that a damn fine early retirement! But now, doesn't seem early at all. Conversely, my coworkers believe that I must be independently wealthy to even consider it. Early to them is 62-ish.

So for me, 50 or under is early, 55 is OK, 60+ unbearable.

 

[kz]

before 58 or 59 seems "early" to me

 

[BigMoneyJim]

Even before I considered that I could retire "early" I never thought that I would work past age 60 if I didn't have to. I hoped to get the early benefits at age 55. As it is I'm probably looking at 50-55 retirement with conservative returns between now and then and I stay single and childless...those are wildcards, so I'm not silly enough to have a strict long-term plan. (I'm 35 now.)

It's a bit of a surprise to me when someone comes along on the board and considers that they retired early at 60 or 62, but then normal SS benefits kick in for me at age 67, so maybe people are going by that measure.

I wasn't sure if the original question meant early retirement even though it said ER...it almost sounded as if it meant retirement. For me, working past when I have the means to retire is too old. Some people will stay at their desks until they're physically incapable of coming to work. ER is not for them.

At work there is a steady stream of light-duty injured employees. Many of them commented that they begged the doctor to come back to work ASAP because they were going crazy at home. Work ethic is one thing, but if you can't be happy at home....well, that's just not me.

 

[wildcat]

50 or bust

 

[Zipper]

No later than 55.

I was 54.

I think below 50 is too early.

 

[laurence]

No later than 55.

I was 54.

I think below 50 is too early.

Too early I know of no such thing!

But age is nothin' but a number, if someone has worked hard, learned the value of money, and realizes they are more important things in life, than they can be ready at any age....oh yeah, so long as they have a fat portfolio, too.

 

[REWahoo]

Never too old to... oh, to ER. Nevermind.

REW

 

[REWahoo]

The way I see it, you got your ER (anything below 55) , your eR (55 to 62) , and then your plain old R (62 or above) . It's all good, some are just better than others.

REW, who managed to eR at 58

 

[MJ]

ER is a state of mind supported by FI.

Until a year ago, ER would have been around 60 to 62. After joining this forum and with increased boredom and negativity at work, it changed to 57.

I'm 57 and ER ...eh, I mean permanently unemployed.

 

[Eagle43]

I retired at 60, with military and mega-corp pensions. I guess you could consider it early, since I thought I would never retire. If I had it to do over again, I would plan for 50-55. This forum has opened my eyes to people who just don't believe that you need work for a reason to get up in the morning. I read Die Broke, which called retirement a living death, and recommended never retiring. Wrong. After all those working years (43) I would have a hard time now listening to a foolish boss tell me to do this or that. And I would crack up if required to adhere to the latest corporate "in-thing",like say mission statements or "people are our greatest resource" or quality circles ......etc. Gawd, we endured a lot of ca ca just to get those pensions. p.s. I had a nice nap this afternoon; it was raining in Texas and I think the sound of rain is conducive to a good sound sleep!

 

[Mr._johngalt]

I retired at 60, with military and mega-corp pensions.  I guess you could consider it early, since I thought I would never retire.  If I had it to do over again, I would plan for 50-55.  This forum has opened my eyes to people who just don't believe that you need work for a reason to get up in the morning.  I read Die Broke, which called retirement a living death, and recommended never retiring.  Wrong.  After all those working  years (43) I would have a hard time now listening to a foolish boss tell me to do this or that.  And I would crack up if required to adhere to the latest corporate "in-thing",like say mission statements or "people are our greatest resource" or quality circles ......etc.  Gawd, we endured a lot of ca ca just to get those pensions. p.s.  I had a nice nap this afternoon; it was raining in Texas and I think the sound of rain is conducive to a good sound sleep!

Yep, I got up about 7:30, had a little breakfast and decided I was still
sleepy. Went back to bed and got up at 9:30. A nice nap in Texas to the sound
of rain sounds pretty good to me.

JG