What age people on ER actually retired

[Gallaher]

57
Should have could have retired five years sooner.

 

[USGrant1962]

In 2017 I turned 55 on a Monday and that Friday was my last day at megacorp. PTO payout ran three-and-a-half months longer, so that is really when I was off payroll.

 

[euro]

56

 

[Car-Guy]

Quit showing up at work physically at 60, but checked out mentally about 57.

 

[Lakedog]

51

 

[rodi]

I was 52. DH was 62.

My goal was 55... And was on track through aggressive saving for that goal. My parents passed and left an inheritance that made it possible to retire sooner. Then my boss made an unreasonable request and I gave notice. So my parents gave me the opportunity to say bye-bye dinner than I would have.

 

[Crewer]

I may be an oddball here but I like the forums for financial stuff as well as travel, cord-cutting, etc. I got retired at 70 by DH when he stopped renting space for the business and I still kind of miss it even though it is over 5 years now. But that's what happens when you have a successful consulting/electronics lab business that allows you to do interesting things and travel the world with your spouse. Of course, he was the one who had to keep current in the technology and he was working until he went into the hospital 10 days before he died. And he didn't want it any other way. Boy, we had no idea how great it would be when he quit megacorp and started his own thing 35 years ago. I left Megacorp 15 years ago - or rather they left me and I got a year's pay including a bonus for the year I didn't work. That was a great job while it lasted but not as great as working with DH.

 

[N02L84ER]

DH retired at 45. I stopped full time employment at 45, but did very part time work until age 52.
Voted Before 50.

 

[marko]

52. But I didn't pull the plug as you say. The plug got pulled on me!

Technically though, I was exiled to Paris two years earlier to a pretty much "no show" job ( most here know that story) so maybe it was 49, going on 50.

 

[calmloki]

Maybe 61? Had been buying, fixing and maintaining/running rentals since the mid-eighties; in 2010 we bought a winter house a thousand miles away from the rentals, but I/we continued to be very hands on six months out of the year and off-site managing at a removed level year round. In 2024 I'm pretty much physically hands off, but am involved in decision making and repair/renovation methods. Nineteen units left - may retire before I leave..

 

[Souschef]

I was a caregiver for my late wife for12 years, which require I w*rk to keep our medical insurance. It delayed my retirement until the age of 67.

 

[street]

58 walked out the back door from a 35-year career with the same company.

 

[Walt34]

I retired at age 52, but it was from a public safety job that I started at age 22, a week before my 23rd birthday. With some rare exceptions you really do not want 60+ year old firefighters and police officers out there. Those are young people's jobs requiring a higher than normal level of physical fitness.

 

[Ronstar]

I started augering down below 40 hours a week when I was about 54, then 2 years at 1-2 days a week before pulling the plug at 58.

 

[FREE866]

50

 

[fosterscik]

60. I had an easy job, but I was dialing it in and the world was calling for me to see as much of it as I could...

 

[Koolau]

DW at 56. I retired at 58.

 

[aaronc879]

I retired at age 52, but it was from a public safety job that I started at age 22, a week before my 23rd birthday. With some rare exceptions you really do not want 60+ year old firefighters and police officers out there. Those are young people's jobs requiring a higher than normal level of physical fitness.

Seems every time they shows pics on Facebook from the local police departments nearly every officer that looks over 30 is noticeably overweight. I guess the fitness standards are only to get hired, not to stay hired. At least not at every station. The firefighters all seem to be in good shape.

 

[Surewhitey]

Don't tell DW... She thinks I'm still w*rking in the garage.

 

[Walt34]

Seems every time they shows pics on Facebook from the local police departments nearly every officer that looks over 30 is noticeably overweight. I guess the fitness standards are only to get hired, not to stay hired. At least not at every station. The firefighters all seem to be in good shape.

It very much depends on the agency. Where I worked there was an annual physical, and if you failed that you had a limited time to get whatever ailed you fixed or you'd better be updating your resume. In rare (VERY rare) instances they could find an inside job such as in Records, but there were only so many of those slots available. Otherwise you went out on a non-service-connected disability which was basically "here's your pension contributions, have a nice day". I kept up with my exercises and didn't eat a lot of junk food.

 

[scrabbler1]

At my regular job, I first worked there for 16 years before downgrading myself into various part-time deals for 7 more years. Then, in late October of 2008, during the time the markets were crashing, I retired at age 45. That was 16 years ago, so I have now, at 61, been retired for as many years as I worked full-time.

Retiring during those scary times actually gave my early retirement a big boost, one I continue to benefit from every month when I earn monthly dividends from my main bond fund to pay the bills. See my signature line.

 

[Koolau]

It very much depends on the agency. Where I worked there was an annual physical, and if you failed that you had a limited time to get whatever ailed you fixed or you'd better be updating your resume. In rare (VERY rare) instances they could find an inside job such as in Records, but there were only so many of those slots available. Otherwise you went out on a non-service-connected disability which was basically "here's your pension contributions, have a nice day". I kept up with my exercises and didn't eat a lot of junk food.

This approach really makes sense. Who wants a force with less than fit officers? Of course, unions may have more influence than department administration.

BIL was a LEO and wan't very fit (IMO) and retired early (age 49 IIRC) with decent pension. Of course, he couldn't make it on his pension so had to find another "c@reer."

 

[Chuckanut]

62. At that age I could get my pension (slightly reduced for early retirement) and was able to buy into a group medical insurance plans. No plan subsidy for me, but the rate was significantly less than getting insurance on my own.

 

[OnTheBeach]

Retired at 46 (CFO of financial firm) then went back to consulting at start up financial services firm at 47. Fully retired at 52. Currently 54 and done for good.

 

[happy2bretired]

55