What age people on ER actually retired

[DrRoy]

57 3/4

 

[VanWinkle]

61 mostly due to DW failing health. Glad I retired and we had 3 good years.

 

[Flieger]

Glad to read all of the responses. Very interesting!

Looks like I was 6 months late to the top end of the "median" age range. While 45% (nearly half so far) pulled the plug before 55. It does seem ER is the appropriate name for this forum!

Heartening (for me) to see that I was not so late, but until the last j@b I was fairly happy. This last one killed it for me.

Flieger

 

[DektolMan]

We worked our small business part time from 57-61 the fully retired at 61, wife 60

 

[Target2026]

56

 

[aaronc879]

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.

Here they have a financial incentive if you pass the annual fitness test but no penalty if you don't.

 

[Out of Steam]

Glad to read all of the responses. Very interesting!

Looks like I was 6 months late to the top end of the "median" age range. While 45% (nearly half so far) pulled the plug before 55. It does seem ER is the appropriate name for this forum!

Agree, the median retirement age in the survey would appear to be 56.

 

[Zona]

Interesting survey, looks like as a group we are truly putting the "E" in E-R. I voted "Before 50".
42 for me, then a few years later DH retired at 49 one month shy of his 50th birthday.

 

[Koolau]

Not me. Sounds like a great story.

Yeah, if I ever knew the story, marko, I've forgotten it. Maybe you could give us a site location to review. Sounds very interesting.

 

[Koolau]

I quit working nearly 15 years ago. I was 36.

I don't know what the record is here, but that's gotta be pretty close. Congratulations. IIRC John Greaney who was involved early in this site's infancy retired a bit earlier - though he was still "making money" from his own site and does to this day I believe (good for him!) It was through his site I found our Forum.

The Retire Early Home Page.

The online magazine for people who used to work for a living. Download FREE Retirement Planning Software. How to retire early; 1) Manage expenses, 2) accumulate capital, 3) invest wisely with low fees and commissions.

retireearlyhomepage.com

 

[scrabbler1]

I don't know what the record is here, but that's gotta be pretty close. Congratulations. IIRC John Greaney who was involved early in this site's infancy retired a bit earlier - though he was still "making money" from his own site and does to this day I believe (good for him!) It was through his site I found our Forum.

The Retire Early Home Page.

The online magazine for people who used to work for a living. Download FREE Retirement Planning Software. How to retire early; 1) Manage expenses, 2) accumulate capital, 3) invest wisely with low fees and commissions.

retireearlyhomepage.com

I, too, visited that website before I found this one. In fact, I didn't find this one until 2009, a year after I retired. Feedback from the RetireEarly website and a visit to my Fidelity Account Executive (who input my data into Fido's retirement program) in early 2008 were the outside influences which told me I had a good plan and was ready to go whenever I decided to leave my job, which I did at the end of October that year.

 

[ArmchairMillionaire]

I plan on leaving full-time employment in the next 6 months at age 54 so I checked the 50-55 option.

 

[Lorenzo]

I have very gradually wound down my hours, which have for many years varied year to year anyway, probably starting at around age 55 and now I’m age 62, working around 15-20 hours a week, still in the same career. I have been thinking of starting a post to ask if I’m retired and, if so, when did I retire? I’ve been relying increasingly on savings to supplement my income for the entire winding down period, and I’m still not totally done. Why should I, if I can work as little as I choose?

 

[camfused]

Of course, age doesn’t matter too much…it is wether you can afford to stop working that matters.

 

[Alex The Great]

I'm a bit surprised to see so many people voted for 50-55. I retired at 56 but it was really not by choice but situation with my older parents which forced me to do that, and I've been laid off from work at the same time.

 

[mebden]

I started this March 15, 2024, at 58 and not going back to work. I so much like not having a clock or specific time to be any place at any given time.

 

[wallygator69]

42 wifey was 43. Very glad obamacare happened 4 years into FIRE and we were positioned to take advantage of it. Without it we would have had to reign in some spending..

 

[kcowan]

I retired with pension at 49.. Then I worked for 10 more years as a freelance consultant. Retired from that at 60.5 but volunteered to take over DWs accounting and taxes part time for two more years. Quit all my Board positions by 65.

 

[frayne]

Retired at 54 after a 32-year career in the oil industry, debt-free, with a child through college and a low seven-figure net worth. A year later, we welcomed our first grandchild, prompting us to relocate 500 miles to be closer to family. I have been blessed far beyond what I deserve.

 

[Redbugdave]

56 with with 33 years under the belt. These are some of the happiest days of my life.

 

[Dranoel]

Retired at 56 and my spouse at 52. 76 now and living the dream ever since!

 

[FLSUnFIRE]

I always considered under 50 early (really, the low 40s). My anchor points were the Terhorsts and John Greaney and my original goal was to reach FI by 40 which was amended to 50 when I got married and consciously increased spending/lifestyle for our joint life but divorced at 42 and sprinted to the finish line at 47 as I unwound those expenses (mostly the cash-sucking huge house).

50's is getting into the full retirement zone with potential for 30 year career and many in military and law enforcement can get an immediate annuity and health after 20 years. If they are frugal and/or saved during their career they should have easily attained at least a lean FI and be work optional. I'm 50 now and no one blinks when I tell them I'm retired. If I mention I did it at 47 it might raise an eyebrow but doesn't get much reaction and it seems like people accept 50 as "old" and fairly normal.

 

[braumeister]

Although "early" is defined by you, not by others, it should also be remembered that some people are just not suited for it.
I had a friend whose goal was to retire by the age of 40. He started his own business and sold it for $4M at that age (close to 41, but it still counts). This was back in the 70s when $4M was truly a lot of money.
But he just couldn't deal with not having the constant challenges, and started another business less than a year later. Worked at it for the rest of his life.

 

[Cayman]

49 & 49.75. Goal we set as undergrads, lucky to be here.

 

[Flieger]

56 with with 33 years under the belt. These are some of the happiest days of my life.

Wow! Congrats Redbugdave!