At what age did you retire? (retire=NO paycheck)

[arch57]

I was born in '57 and retired when I reached 57...you do the math.

 

[calmloki]

Think the last time I worked for a paycheck from someone else I was in my late 20's. Money after that was whatever I felt could be carved off. Pretty random amounts. OTOH, not really sure I'm retired yet as the rentals and such really don't feel like unearned income, no matter what the IRS says.

 

[redduck]

I was born in '57 and retired when I reached 57...you do the math.

41?

 

[Lsbcal]

41?

Math challenged?

 

[RelaxedRoro]

Retired at age 53 in 2016.

 

[tomb49]

Fell off the merry-go-round at 54. Would have done it sooner, but had to wait for pension to vest. Now in my 16th year of blissful existance.

 

[UnrealizedPotential]

Age 46 in 2016. I had been planning for many years but never thought I would be done at age 46. Things just kind of worked out that way and the decision was made fast once it became clear to me I could do it. On top of all this was that my job was becoming more unbearable by the day and it pushed me out the door. No regrets.

 

[Dtail]

I'm curious as to how many were made BETTER financially because of divorce? I was divorced in the early 2000's and was financially devastated at the time, but this was the impetus that put me on the track to retire very early. Had I not gotten divorced...oh man, I don't even want to think about that!

Not me, but then again wasn't even thinking about retirement much until I actually retired.
Much happier now, as not everything relates to financial well being.

 

[Dash man]

Retired at age 56 in 2013.
Was divorced at 36, which allowed me to start saving and LBYM once the lawyer bills were paid off. Married again at 42 to a wonderful like-minded woman.

 

[redduck]

I was born in '57 and retired when I reached 57...you do the math.

41?

Math challenged?

Yeah, word problems were always tough for me. Wasn't very good in wood shop/woodshop, either.

 

[UnrealizedPotential]

Yeah, word problems were always tough for me. Wasn't very good in wood shop/woodshop, either.

Woodshop? Man, I was the worst. Everyone made it look so easy, I couldn't do it to save my life.

 

[DrRoy]

@57 in 2017.

 

[Col. Klink]

Diss-Missed work at age 58. Thank God for giving me a frugal wife among my other blessings!

 

[NYEXPAT]

Woodshop? Man, I was the worst. Everyone made it look so easy, I couldn't do it to save my life.

Give me a 2x4 and a lathe and I can create mulch! Even worse was the other half of the year in metal shop!

 

[RetireAge50]

We both retired at 50

 

[wmc1000]

DW 55 - in 08, me 63 - in 16

 

[Ronstar]

58. I preferred going earlier, but my company and DW had other ideas.

 

[Koolau]

58. As explained elsewhere, FI at 51 but I had found my niche and desired to stay - until I didn't at 58. YMMV

 

[Koolau]

Sorry, was also going to comment on 56 to 60 seeming like the "sweet spot" for this group. My stats are pretty rusty, but I guess that's either the median or the mode or some such. In any case, I used to feel a tinge (just a tinge) of guilt, claiming "early" retirement. I see that at age 58, I wasn't exaggerating too much about "early." YMMV

 

[Chapter 3]

Turned 60 on my first day of retirement just a few months ago. Had the divorce thing in my 40's that cost me a big chunk of my pension forever, and 401K (at the time). No regrets. Life is an adventure.

 

[JP.mpls]

Impressive retirement ages. I'm surprise how many have retired prior to 55.


I suspect I'm very much a working stiff compared to many people on this forum. I consider retiring at 60 years old early. I think being able to retire at 62-65 years of age without debt, a paid off house and a decent amount of savings in a retirement account as an accomplishment. My first manager in the corporate world got me investing into a 401K at the age of 25, and it paid off over 35 years. Who would have thought that being consistent and stubborn would pay off?


I will be retiring in May of this year at the age of 60 years, and one month. I'm giving them a one month notice, and I will have at least 2 weeks of vacation to use up during that month. Yes, I'm counting the days. At 60 I qualify for a company benefit to purchase medical insurance at a reasonable rate until I reach 65.


Take care, JP

 

[ownyourfuture]

(53) 2015
Thanks to a private sector defined benefit pension plan, 401K, ESPP, a small IRA, a large taxable brokerage account at Fidelity, & the good fortune of having parents who taught me the importance of saving.

 

[HFWR]

W2R, that is an impressive feat. I have read that divorce is one of the most traumatic life experiences.

No, that’s marriage...

 

[SpinDoctorTX]

I retired at 61, but I am proud of retiring that early after a bad divorce left me with essentially nothing at age 50. I just had to hit the LBYM really hard and plan, plan, plan. And reading posts from the wise people on this forum helped a lot.

There is life after divorce! (And retirement too if that is the goal.)

I know just what you mean. I started with zero too as I had to pay to get rid of first hubby. My well vetted now hubby had my same experience so we knuckled down, lived simply (and still do), and he retired at 62 (71 now) and I at 56 (58 now). We did splurge on some awesome travel over those years, but many of our trips were <1-2 days away driving to great hiking locations which is what we mostly like to do.

It can be done, but it takes a lot of discipline, doesn't it?! It was worth every moment of the grind in the end.

 

[Lsbcal]

With 224 responding there were 95/202 = 47% that retired by age 55 (leaving out not retired folks). This compares with 24% for the US (see chart below). And for those retiring by age 60 there were 84% here and only 44% for the US as a whole!

So this really is an ER site in case you were wondering.