I pulled the plug on the career - retired at 51!

progmtl

progmtl

Recycles dryer sheets
Joined
Mar 8, 2014
Messages
63
As I had planned (in this thread: https://www.early-retirement.org/threads/11-years-later-imminent-retirement-and-omy-thoughts.127213/ ), I gave notice in Jan 2026 and retired in Feb 2026, joining many of you on this fine forum!

It hasn't quite set in yet, but given that it is Sunday and tomorrow is Monday, I think it will be hitting me soon that I no longer have to work - ever!

I just wanted to post to say that I went through with it and here in the early few days of retirement I have zero regrets and already feel less stressed. The primary thing adding stress right now is planning my retirement party! :LOL:
 
Congratulations! This is such exciting news! Wishing you all the best.
 
Good for you. Welcome to the retirement club! It will seem like extended vacation for a while, then you will start to settle into a more standard routine.
 
Welcome
Enjoy that Monday morning coffee as your neighbors rush off to work :)
 
You found a great place to be part of this group. Your new life being free will be a new journey for you and I wish you the best.
 
Congrats, nice when a plan comes together.

In the link you posted, you noted you were not sure what you were going to do for Health Insurance, what path did you choose?

Seems like the ACA may have been within reach, much has changed from that post however, just curious. After reading so many post about ER, health insurance seems to come up the most.

Again, congrats.
 
Thanks @SJhawkins!

My wife is planning to work for a while (several years or more), so that will provide reasonable-cost health insurance. In the linked thread, I did cover worst case scenario which is that she can't stand working while I am retired.

In that case, option 1 is she can work 24hr/week and still get health insurance benefits. Or option 2 she retires. In that case we need to fund ACA plans. She will need to put in a reasonable portion of those funds to cover herself if she chooses that option, but we should still be fine. Just less "luxury" spending. The net worth in the linked thread is mine - she has about $1m in addition to that (we are a later-in-life 2nd marriage household and manage our money separately). That puts us (combined) at about $5.3m right now. There is a lot of slack there and I'm not a fancy person. :)
 
progmtl said:
Thanks @SJhawkins!

My wife is planning to work for a while (several years or more), so that will provide reasonable-cost health insurance. In the linked thread, I did cover worst case scenario which is that she can't stand working while I am retired.

In that case, option 1 is she can work 24hr/week and still get health insurance benefits. Or option 2 she retires. In that case we need to fund ACA plans. She will need to put in a reasonable portion of those funds to cover herself if she chooses that option, but we should still be fine. Just less "luxury" spending. The net worth in the linked thread is mine - she has about $1m in addition to that (we are a later-in-life 2nd marriage household and manage our money separately). That puts us (combined) at about $5.3m right now. There is a lot of slack there and I'm not a fancy person. :)
Click to expand...

Thanks for the comments,

We have something in common, we are not "fancy" people either, one benefit of growing up lower-mid class.
 
Congratulations. I think your next phase of life will be less stressful than the past.
In the end nothing really matters. But mental health and sanity is very important to navigate the few years on this earth with peace!
 
I got up on my first real retirement day, my first day not going into work, as I retired day after Christmas break, December 27, 2012, and watched the sun rise on my new life.
Fog in the low lying areas and a few morning clouds in a clear sky looking towards the Sierra mountains. sunrise1.JPG
 
Congratulations! Planning a party seems like the right type of stress to me :ROFLMAO: .
 
progmtl said:
In that case we need to fund ACA plans.
Click to expand...
Since your wife will continue to work, at least until she decides not to, take the opportunity to fully understand your income and the levers you may be able to pull to keep it under 400% of the Federal Poverty Level, which is $84,600 for a couple in 2026. Your ability to do that could result in a $30k+ savings, so it’s a meaningful exercise. Our portfolio is just slightly higher than yours and spins off dividends that exceed 4x the FPL, so we’re doing all we can to chip away at that - a perverse incentive, I know. I’ve gone so far as to move money out of savings accounts to eliminate interest income - some real fine tuning because we are right on the edge of the cliff, even with max HSA contributions.

Granted, a lot will change in the healthcare insurance landscape in the next 14 years, but dealing with what we know today, you have a chance to at least understand the ACA cost implications and how to best prepare.

Congrats again!
 
That’s wonderful! Your numbers look really good. We should be joining no later than end of next year at age 54.
 
Congrats - You'll look back years from now and think "This is one of the best decisions I made in my life".
 
TripleLindy said:
Our portfolio is just slightly higher than yours and spins off dividends that exceed 4x the FPL, so we’re doing all we can to chip away at that - a perverse incentive, I know. I’ve gone so far as to move money out of savings accounts to eliminate interest income - some real fine tuning because we are right on the edge of the cliff, even with max HSA contributions.

Congrats again!
Click to expand...
Very interesting! I think we are spinning off dividends and interest of roughly $50k right now, but I will keep this advice in mind! Two things in mind that I will need to study more if/when the time comes:
1. ACA costs and income management related to that as you pointed out,
2. SS claiming strategies.

Thanks!
 
progmtl said:
As I had planned (in this thread: 11 Years Later - Imminent Retirement and OMY Thoughts ), I gave notice in Jan 2026 and retired in Feb 2026, joining many of you on this fine forum!

It hasn't quite set in yet, but given that it is Sunday and tomorrow is Monday, I think it will be hitting me soon that I no longer have to work - ever!

I just wanted to post to say that I went through with it and here in the early few days of retirement I have zero regrets and already feel less stressed. The primary thing adding stress right now is planning my retirement party! :LOL:
Click to expand...
Congratulations!
 
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