Retire at 58 w/ $4M or retire at 60 w/ $5M?

[Cujet]

All that said, I am aware jobs like this take a toll. A co-worker who had a similar role retired last year says he loves every day of retirement but never understood how much stress he was under at work until he retired.

I said the same thing. I retired suddenly. The stress relief was instant. Sadly every day for a while they'd call with questions and that feeling came right back. I had absolutely no idea how incredibly awful it was until I retired. Then I blocked calls and emails. Finally, some real peace.

I knew it was stressful. I took it all in stride, performed as best I could under pressure. But the signs were there. Health took a very rough turn towards the end. They used me up and spit me out.

 

[Koolau]

I said the same thing. I retired suddenly. The stress relief was instant. Sadly every day for a while they'd call with questions and that feeling came right back. I had absolutely no idea how incredibly awful it was until I retired. Then I blocked calls and emails. Finally, some real peace.

I knew it was stressful. I took it all in stride, performed as best I could under pressure. But the signs were there. Health took a very rough turn towards the end. They used me up and spit me out.

I would have been tempted to say "Every question I take is $100. Every answer is negotiable."

 

[Closet_Gamer]

All that said, I am aware jobs like this take a toll. A co-worker who had a similar role retired last year says he loves every day of retirement but never understood how much stress he was under at work until he retired.

Many factors led me to pull the pin and get out. One of them was that I was curious who I would be if I wasn't under loads of work stress.

I really like being out of the stress.
I sleep better.
I exercise better.
I (think) I'm easier to live with.

And I don't miss the work environment at all.

 

[mydogwantsmetoretire]

Great responses on this post! I am 53 and FI. Have not pulled the trigger on the RE but you all have given me a lot to think about.

I never really considered RE until I hit 50 so must be something about this age.

I have had this same debate in my mind regarding if I put in another couple years, what is it going to mean. I have run the retirement calculators and talked with a financial advisor, and it all says that we are in really good shape. It is a really tough mental and emotional hurdle to get over.

 

[CalBird]

When you are 80 years old and look back, the couple years in 50s worth way more than those years in 80s.

Kind of like that you don’t want to trade your sex life of 20 years old with those of your 60 year old .