How did you choose your retirement date?

[ArmchairMillionaire]

but if there's three bad days in a row, I'm outta there!

That's where I'm at now. I will turn 55 this year, so I can "separate from service" any time now, now that I've made it past January 1st.
My j*b isn't all that terrible, and I get along with my employer for the most part, but it's refreshing to know that if things go south, I can just walk away if necessary.

 

[Dtail]

That's where I'm at now. I will turn 55 this year, so I can "separate from service" any time now, now that I've made it past January 1st.
My j*b isn't all that terrible, and I get along with my employer for the most part, but it's refreshing to know that if things go south, I can just walk away if necessary.

Great place to be in.

 

[Dash man]

We met with a CFP just before Thanksgiving 2012, who said we were good to go. The first work day in January I gave 3 months notice, figuring it would be enough time to find a replacement and train them. I also took three weeks vacation that February. It worked out well.

 

[Willers]

None of the choices in the poll fit so I'll state mine as an "other." We got a new President in our division and she was someone I knew to be both arrogant and less than competent. I worked hard for two months to find common ground and found it to be impossible so I decided it was time to go. Maybe that fits as beyond my control, but I easily could have stuck it out as a "yes man.". No thanks.

 

[audreyh1]

Waited for a very generous separation package to become available and volunteered to go in July 2019. Started receiving my pension 5 months later. About a year later, the same company offered to me an extremely generous package to come back offering that I could keep receiving my pension in addition to their compensation package. So I'm back for now, but if there's three bad days in a row, I'm outta there!

Along with fantastic market returns, this has allowed my account balances to explode to almost surreal levels and allowed splurges that were once only dreams.

Crazy!

 

[RetiredHappy]

Didn't see the option. We just decided that it's time to retire, so we sold our business and we were done. I guess "spontaneous/random" was the best description.

 

[Koolau]

Waited for a very generous separation package to become available and volunteered to go in July 2019. Started receiving my pension 5 months later. About a year later, the same company offered to me an extremely generous package to come back offering that I could keep receiving my pension in addition to their compensation package. So I'm back for now, but if there's three bad days in a row, I'm outta there!

Along with fantastic market returns, this has allowed my account balances to explode to almost surreal levels and allowed splurges that were once only dreams.

Cool story. At the point I left, I can't imagine going back - even if they let me keep my pension, but so glad it w*rked out for you - plus you still have the option to walk! Way to go.

 

[CO-guy]

One thing I realized when I was looking at the replies is that I publicly called for the resignation of the president of the "dumpster fire" where I had been.

I hit "reply all" to a racist email the president had sent to the entire organization. I followed up en mass with the organization's board as well, accusing them of a failure in oversight. Aside from gratitude from colleagues, nobody in leadership responded, but the president was indeed forced to resign a few months later and a number of board members were removed.

Amazingly, I faced no repercussions for publicly shaming organizational leadership and two years later I left the "dumpster fire" on my own terms and my own FI timeline.

 

[Koolau]

One thing I realized when I was looking at the replies is that I publicly called for the resignation of the president of the "dumpster fire" where I had been.

I hit "reply all" to a racist email the president had sent to the entire organization. I followed up en mass with the organization's board as well, accusing them of a failure in oversight. Aside from gratitude from colleagues, nobody in leadership responded, but the president was indeed forced to resign a few months later and a number of board members were removed.

Amazingly, I faced no repercussions for publicly shaming organizational leadership and two years later I left the "dumpster fire" on my own terms and my own FI timeline.

Wow. Every once in a while, the good guy wins! Thanks for sharing.

 

[iloveyoga]

I had a boss that I knew I could not work for. DH was already retired and wanted me to join him. I knew we had enough $$. After 33.75 years with one company.