At what age did you retire or plan to retire?
- Thread starter JustCurious
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ER Eddie
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57 for me.
Fwiw, the results of this poll look similar to the results of the one cited in post #2, with a similar peak around 56-60. I also remember another poll from years ago, around the time I first joined, where the average ER age was around the same, about 57.
So, it looks to me like it doesn't matter a whole lot how you define ER, you get pretty much the same results, at least in this crowd -- a semi bell-shaped curve with skew to the early years and a peak around 56-59, give or take a year.
Fwiw, the results of this poll look similar to the results of the one cited in post #2, with a similar peak around 56-60. I also remember another poll from years ago, around the time I first joined, where the average ER age was around the same, about 57.
So, it looks to me like it doesn't matter a whole lot how you define ER, you get pretty much the same results, at least in this crowd -- a semi bell-shaped curve with skew to the early years and a peak around 56-59, give or take a year.
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Yay!!!
planned on 55, but discovered this forum when I was late 40's... started learning more, and making really painless changes to our budget to reduce the nominal spend. (Extra to mortgage for example... with the goal of paying off the mortgage before retiring). By diverting extra to debt and savings we discovered we could live very comfortably on less money... which meant we didn't need as large of a nest egg. The goal was to not have to downshift lifestyle in retirement... but not go hog wild on spending in retirement either.
2 years of tweaking our annual spending, and increased savings I started getting really positive results in all the calculators... and pulled the plug at age 52. After a few decades working as an engineer, then quitting to retire... it's good to know that I'm really retired.
I have 2 very small pensions. Hubster is on SS. 529's for the kids were prefunded. The granny flat was built for granny (My mother in law and father in law) but when they were past semi-independent living (dementia) we rented it out. It's a nice income stream, so why not. We could stay retired w/out it... but it would involve cutting into discretionary spending more than I'd wish to... and the charities I give to and take out restaurants I enjoy would be worse off.
Car-Guy
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
My body walked out of the office the last time when I was 60... My mind/spirit/interest left a few years before that. However, due to deferred compensation benefits, my last check came in 7 years later. Some benefits (not pension) will last for my lifetime. So I'm not sure how to vote.
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I was 57 and 2 months. DH was 60.5. He retired about 6 months before me. He was with the same company for 37 years. Great retiree health insurance, decent pension and generous 401k match. I only had decent 401k match.
We feel very fortunate.
We feel very fortunate.
Oh, no, the retire police are back trying to define what retirement means!!
I answered at 70+ as I do things that earn me reportable and taxable income. Last year had about $700 in earned income. This year so far I've earned about $100 compensation for helping friends and family do their tax returns. Three years ago it was more like $12K, which was about a tenth of what I made last year of career job. At this rate, it may take several more years to phase out to zero earned income.
But left my career job over 20 years ago.
I answered at 70+ as I do things that earn me reportable and taxable income. Last year had about $700 in earned income. This year so far I've earned about $100 compensation for helping friends and family do their tax returns. Three years ago it was more like $12K, which was about a tenth of what I made last year of career job. At this rate, it may take several more years to phase out to zero earned income.
But left my career job over 20 years ago.
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24601NoMore
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"Truly" retired (at least according to OP's definition of earning $0 from w*rk activities) at age 55 in early 2019. DW at 61, mid 2019.
This forum was a large part of our ability to do so..
BTW..re: this "pension" thing some talk of..what's a pension? Yeah, we have no pensions. Either of us. Good investment planning..passive income from CDs (OK, that's pretty much gone now)..tracking our expenses religiously and knowing what we can spend. All that and more.
This forum was a large part of our ability to do so..
BTW..re: this "pension" thing some talk of..what's a pension? Yeah, we have no pensions. Either of us. Good investment planning..passive income from CDs (OK, that's pretty much gone now)..tracking our expenses religiously and knowing what we can spend. All that and more.
I'm surprised that the poll doesn't include the option "Never". The OP apparently believes that full retirement is so attractive that any sane and rational person would hunger for it. I disagree. My Dad is still working (according to the OP's definition) at 80+ years old, and if I make it to that age with my mental abilities reasonably intact, so will I. Why, if I won't need the money? Well, I won't bother to go into the details here. Let's just say that sometimes there are substantial non-financial reasons to stay in the game until they drag you out by your boots.
BoodaGazelle
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DW and I planned to retire by 59 pretty much from the time we got married, 38 years ago. I did fully retire at 61, but really that was because we bought our “final” home and were fixing it up. For everyone’s amusement: when the startup I worked at got bought in 2008, DW got to retire, not me...
REWahoo
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give
I'm surprised that the poll doesn't include the option "Never". The OP apparently believes that full retirement is so attractive that any sane and rational person would hunger for it. I disagree. My Dad is still working (according to the OP's definition) at 80+ years old, and if I make it to that age with my mental abilities reasonably intact, so will I. Why, if I won't need the money? Well, I won't bother to go into the details here. Let's just say that sometimes there are substantial non-financial reasons to stay in the game until they drag you out by your boots.
Why are you posting here and not on the Never-Retire.org forum?
Why are you posting here and not on the Never-Retire.org forum?
Point well taken. As a semi-retired person, I have many of the same issues as the folks "luxuriating" in a full retirement.
calmloki
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Why are you posting here and not on the Never-Retire.org forum?
What a sucker I am. Sure. I went searching for that forum, even though it was you, REWahoo, who mentioned it.
JustCurious
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I do not believe that.
Retire2013
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Retired at 52 years old. So glad I did.
1242Vintage
Full time employment: Posting here.
Planned to retire at age 55. Took a summer off after turning 55 and despite the heat and humidity wandered through the Caribbean and Central America with my wife that Summer and Fall.
I got dragged back into work by a raise and promotion for one more year. The additional money spiked my pension by $20k a year so I couldn’t walk away from that windfall
Retired at age 56 and drawing my pension No plans and no need to work any more.
I got dragged back into work by a raise and promotion for one more year. The additional money spiked my pension by $20k a year so I couldn’t walk away from that windfall
Retired at age 56 and drawing my pension No plans and no need to work any more.
I'm currently 55, debt free, building a 25 year pension, and have a decent amount in my 401K. I had planned on retiring at 62, but not sure about bridging the health care costs for a few years. I don't plan on going cold turkey on making money, but don't plan on working a 1099 job...probably will be helping out a friend driving one of his trucks, or refurbishing mowers/tractors like I have been doing for years
scrabbler1
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I retired 11.5 years ago at age 45. As strident I am a member of the I-R-P, I don't consider the few hours a year I spend in income-generating activities somehow not retired.
In my volunteer work with some area schools, they throw a few dollars at me for running their school Scrabble tourneys. I run 2 or 3 per school year, and I spend about 8 hours on each of them, mostly the day of the tourney along with 2 hours prep- and post-tourney time. There is no contractual agreement to be paid any amount but they give me $25-$50 for each one. So, that's at most $100 per year.
Then I do the income tax returns and oversee the portfolio of my best friend, the snake-bit one I have written about before. Together, I spend on average one hour per month and he pays me $10 per month. So, that's $120 per year. We didn't establish any pay until 2012 after he received a large inheritance, creating his large portfolio and making his income tax returns (which I had already been doing for several years) more complicated.
In my volunteer work with some area schools, they throw a few dollars at me for running their school Scrabble tourneys. I run 2 or 3 per school year, and I spend about 8 hours on each of them, mostly the day of the tourney along with 2 hours prep- and post-tourney time. There is no contractual agreement to be paid any amount but they give me $25-$50 for each one. So, that's at most $100 per year.
Then I do the income tax returns and oversee the portfolio of my best friend, the snake-bit one I have written about before. Together, I spend on average one hour per month and he pays me $10 per month. So, that's $120 per year. We didn't establish any pay until 2012 after he received a large inheritance, creating his large portfolio and making his income tax returns (which I had already been doing for several years) more complicated.
YVRRocketSurgery
Full time employment: Posting here.
I plan on retiring at 50 but according to the parameters I guess I'm not retiring.
As a bit of side gig for fun, I'm part of a survey group and plan to continue after I quit my day job. I get a few 5-15 min surveys sent to me weekly which I decide to complete or not. After I complete a certain number of surveys I get a $50 credit good for various items. I've been using it to recharge my Starbucks card.
As a bit of side gig for fun, I'm part of a survey group and plan to continue after I quit my day job. I get a few 5-15 min surveys sent to me weekly which I decide to complete or not. After I complete a certain number of surveys I get a $50 credit good for various items. I've been using it to recharge my Starbucks card.
55 and 2 days.
Picked 55 to be eligible for retiree medical and Rule of 55. The extra 2 days got me another month of company health insurance. Turns out that I declined retiree medical because it was ridiculously expensive and we won't need my 401k funds before 59.5. Should have retired earlier then I could have voted 50-54.
Picked 55 to be eligible for retiree medical and Rule of 55. The extra 2 days got me another month of company health insurance. Turns out that I declined retiree medical because it was ridiculously expensive and we won't need my 401k funds before 59.5. Should have retired earlier then I could have voted 50-54.
rk911
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rule of 55?
PandaBear
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Dh retired last year at 60.5 years. Has no interest in ever working again. He’d been planning many years to retire at that age.
Me? Still working a 90% contract. The difference between retiring this year and in 2 years is over 25K....more than I want to leave on the table. I want a FATFire. So it’s likely I’ll retire at 60.
Me? Still working a 90% contract. The difference between retiring this year and in 2 years is over 25K....more than I want to leave on the table. I want a FATFire. So it’s likely I’ll retire at 60.
prototype
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Planned 57.75 (so I would have my 140 SS quarters)
Actual 55.75 (so I would have my sanity)
Now [-]19[/-] 9 years later, no regrets on decision
Actual 55.75 (so I would have my sanity)
Now [-]19[/-] 9 years later, no regrets on decision
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I work in computer software research (AI) and enjoyed my work for a long time. However by age 57, I started feeling a little burnt out. I am now planning to retire for good later this year at age 58.
My wife and I both earn pretty large salaries and are relatively frugal. What's more, she plans to keep working - she really enjoys her work unlike me. I'm really glad for her but I am feeling like I'm really done.
In the unlikely event I ever want to get back to work, it ought to be easy since there is an acute shortage of computer science instructors.
My wife and I both earn pretty large salaries and are relatively frugal. What's more, she plans to keep working - she really enjoys her work unlike me. I'm really glad for her but I am feeling like I'm really done.
In the unlikely event I ever want to get back to work, it ought to be easy since there is an acute shortage of computer science instructors.
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