At what age did you retire or plan to retire?

[Poopycat]

It’s hard to predict my future, but I answered 55-59 because I assume that I will want to do some part time work after full time work is over. Not so much for the income but more as an opportunity for this introvert to get some interaction with people. If I find volunteer work that fulfills that social interaction need, then retirement with no part time work will be earlier.

 

[KrisQuit]

My plan is 55 + one week (so I can enjoy my birthday, achieve access to retiree health insurance, and then deal with the last week of work a bit more relaxed).

I have never really liked working, so when I don’t have to, I won’t.

 

[jcretire77]

Both DW and I retired on Sept 2nd 2016. I was 57 and she was 59. Neither of us have worked a day since for a wage. She volunteers a little for the Ladies Golf Association where we play. Me, never, not volunteering, not working, love retirement.

 

[Morgan22]

Original plan was to retire at 55. I think I can now retire at 50.

 

[iloveyoga]

I put the age I retired from my big job. I will probably always work a little bit, my choice.

 

[gamboolman]

Pretty well sat on retiring at end of this year.

I will be 61 year 5 months old

Lifes A Dance And You Learn As You Go....

gamboolman...

 

[Ronstar]

Retired at 58 years 8 months old on 4/2/2014. Submitted my resignation letter 10/1/2012, but my company wouldn't buy my stock unless I stuck around for a while. Luckily I only worked 1.5 days a week for the last 1.5 years, mostly remotely. Good transition into retirement.

 

[Aerides]

I don't know what you mean by "on the side," the side of what? My answer would depend on whether that person earned money from the hobby. If you work at a hobby and earn money from that hobby then I would not consider you to be retired.

On the side of being retired I guess. On the side of doing what I want, when I want, and whether that hobby brings me in $1 or $10000 it makes zero difference in whether or not I'm "retired" to most people. (I just happen to do it because I enjoy it).

 

[rk911]

planned for 50, couldn't get the ducks lined up so went to Plan B and retired at 55. good-bye-happy retirement party on my 55th birthday, turned in keys and got next-to-last paycheck (2-week delay) and said final goodbyes the next day. that was a friday. saturday morning we took off on a 13-week RV trip in our motorhome. was totally relaxed by the time we returned home. most excellent memories.

 

[Offgrid Organic Farmer]

My grandparents, even in their 90s, had rental properties. That was the example that I saw of 'retirement' when I was a growing up.

I got my pension when I was 42. It is enough to support us, and to continue investing. We live on 75% of my pension, and we maintain rentals.

You may invest in whatever you want to invest in, I choose to invest in rentals.

 

[RetireAge50]

My wife and I were both age 50. Probably should have planned better as we just missed the 49 and under category!

 

[boilerman]

I retired at age 57 and 28 days. DW was 58. Not a single day of anything resembling work since then.

Live on a nice pension from megacorp and withdrawals from IRA. Will take SS when we hit 70. We could have quit work when I turned 55 but wanted some buffer.

It’s been about 2.5 years and not one second of regret or boredom.

 

[ABQ2015]

I retired the month I turned 62. I was eligible to retire with pension at 59 1/2 in 2015 but was worried that I might not have quite enough money to do all the things I wanted to, especially given the predictions at the time of another big recession. My older brother warned me that I had plenty and would regret working those few extra years and I still remember his words and wonder whether this COVID-19 mess or some other health issue will impact my enjoyment of retirement and prove him right. But I have no real money worries and could live on pension and Social Security alone because I waited, just dipping into investments for occasional large purchases. No need or desire to ever work again.

 

[Kwirk]

My wife and I retired from government jobs at ages 56 and 58 with pensions. We each qualify for social security. We have savings sufficient to meet our needs if necessary. Until age 67 I continued doing lucrative work for <=8 hours/wk, remotely at times of my own choosing. I've considered myself retired since age 58 but I've answered 67 for this survey. Any money I earned after age 58 is more likely to be spent by our kids than by us.

 

[calmloki]

Hardly worked for others at all, but did start buying rentals. Was going to sell them all and retire but in 2008 the real estate market (but not rents) crashed, so kept renting and cashing the checks. Did buy a place in SoCal in 2010 and have spent the dreary 6 months of Oregon down in the sunshine since then. Don't need the money, but don't want to jerk the paycheck away from the man who cares for our places, so we keep running up the score. 70 now and at this rate we may never retire.

Or maybe we will - considering selling about 3/4 of the units to others and selling 1/4 to the gent whose income I feel responsible for. If I price it right (well below market) and don't charge a down payment and keep the interest low he could pay us over a 30 year contract and still pocket as much as he's been making. Maybe have the title be a TOD as 30 years feels unlikely.

 

[Stormy Kromer]

At age 22 I had an opportunity to buy the business where I was working for the past 3 years. I took it.


I made a plan in spiral notebook on my kitchen table how to pay off the business, pay myself a modest draw and invest the rest. I would work as hard as I could til I was 50 then sell the place and retire. The plan worked. I did just this at age 50 plus 7 months.


Working til 50 was an important goal to me. Financially, I ran through the end zone.

 

[brett]

I went at 58/59. Was ready to go earlier but was happy to wait for the golden handshake.

Walked away, never looked back. Downsized drastically and started to travel to our bucket list destinations. Still doing the same after nine years of retirement....well once this covid issue gets resolved and it is safe to move forward with our lives.

 

[Nemo2]

Although I was employed sporadically in-between, mentally I was retired from the time I was expelled from the second school age 14 until I finally ceased being engaged in drudgery at the end of 1988 age 46.

 

[MRG]

Planned of age 57 for my birthday. I left almost a year early on my terms. My VP was very afraid of his boss, the CIO, and it ruled his decision making abilities. I didn't want to be part of his insanity.

That was seven years ago and I have not had any earned income since. Nor am I going to. I'm 63, Medicare in less than 2 years and a healthy SS payment when I decide to take it.

 

[pacergal]

Formally retired at 60.
Was asked back off and on to train replacements, so worked on call a couple years.
Finally put a stop to it, as I knew it would continue if I didn't.

 

[Dtail]

Although I was employed sporadically in-between, mentally I was retired from the time I was expelled from the second school age 14 until I finally ceased being engaged in drudgery at the end of 1988 age 46.

At least you weren't expelled from second grade at age 14.

 

[Nords]

Yes, but I want a poll that makes it clear that you are not retired if you are working for money in any capacity for any reason for any amount of time. For this poll it does not matter if you do not need the money, or the job is fun, or it does not feel like work, or you only work 2 hours a week, or you only do it because you are bored, or it is a temporary assignment, or any other reason. Working for money equals not being retired, including working to maintain real estate rental property. And you have no plans to return to work.

Ok, out of respect for you I will allow this one exception...if you spend less than four hours per month maintaining a rental unit and you do no other paid work you can qualify as retired.

I'm pretty sure this is in the charter of the Internet Retirement Police.

I received a retirement certificate from the federal government in 2002. But I like to write, and people give me money for it, so I'm careful to make sure that I give away more money than I get from people. I've been doing this for 18 years. Am I still retired?

Oh, and I fix appliances for my neighbors in exchange for baked goods. Under the stringent conditions of this definition, I may never be retired.

 

[Nemo2]

At least you weren't expelled from second grade at age 14.

If I hadn't been a recalcitrant truant I might even have made it to second grade.

 

[Dtail]

Not to the exact strict sense that the OP is laying out, but I also agree generically that if one is working part time for monies in a job they love, it is not really being retired in the true sense.
Hey we all feel different about it.
Just like the comments about proper safe WR% typically are different for those that don't need their funds.

 

[pb4uski]

Planned on 55, gave notice near my 56th birthday in 2011. We had moved to our retirement home on the lake in May 2011 and sold our main home in Nov 2011.... having one home rather than two reduced our expenses a lot plus we had the procceds from the sale of the main house in the bank... so it was time to hang it up and enjoy life even though I still liked my job and the people I worked with.