What age people on ER actually retired

What age did you leave PRIMARY work

  • Before 50

    Votes: 87 15.1%
  • 50-55

    Votes: 174 30.1%
  • 56-60

    Votes: 234 40.5%
  • 61-65

    Votes: 71 12.3%
  • 65+

    Votes: 12 2.1%

  • Total voters
    578
45, unplanned. Was basically, morally backed into a corner. The great Lord and DW said it was time! Figure id already worked 3 lifetimes, hourwise by that time.
Making a living at something you have moral qualms about is a tough position. About 20 years ago, I was starting to have moral concerns about a job I had, but left for unrelated reasons. History says that my issues with the job were reasonable.

Recently, I gave my daughter advice not to take a job where she had such concerns, even though I would not have had such problems with the job myself.
 
DH worked 21 years at a county social service agency. Everything was great until they got some new folks in the administration and suddenly a lot of the long term/older workers were being weeded out. Just before he turned 55 they told him his contract was not being renewed. They did not know that he also had almost 6 years at another county agency. So, in total he had enough years of service to retire in 2010 with a COLAed pension.

It's now been over 14 years and he is very happy being retired. He does what he wants, when he wants. He's available for last minute stuff with our sons or our grandkids. He took over the grocery shopping!!

As for me, I was a full time mom until age 51. Then I took a very part time job so that I could earn 7 more Social Security credits and get to 40 credits, so that I could get a benefit. That was done in 2 years but I like my pleasant little job and I like funding my Roth IRA so I keep doing it. It will be 19 years in April. I get enough time off (school calendar) that I don't have the itch to retire. So far, so good.
 
I can't vote in the poll YET.

But have plans to retire at 60 .
 
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.
I've noticed the same thing. Firefighters (and EMTs) seem to know what a gym is for. I am sure my impressions are mere anecdata, though.
 
At age 44 I was sitting at work trying to figure out what I was going to do. The company was on a slow death spiral. I had seen so many friends and good workers laid off.
My brother is a union worker for a company in a similar spiral, including reports of the owner's legal issues in the news media. He texted my sisters and I today to say that he had requested pension estimates for three dates between now and the end of the year.

We're all relieved that he seems to have decided not to play the "you can't push me out" card.
 
Firefighters (and EMTs) seem to know what a gym is for. I am sure my impressions are mere anecdata, though.
They usually have the ability to use downtime to exercise between calls, even if their in-house fitness equipment is patchwork.
 
Perusing this thread, there look to be two categories of early retirees:

1. Planned/voluntary. These folks often like their careers/jobs, but feel that it's time to move on. Maybe there are compelling competing priorities. Or a sense that the next generation deserves their turn. Or just burnout.

2. Sudden/involuntary. A baleful management change, or some other calamity at work. A resignation where a new job isn't forthcoming.

This is an early retirement forum, and not an unemployment forum... so one supposes, that both categories of folks are financially prepared, and have no lamentations about delinquent mortgage payments or diets of canned tuna. But one supposes that category (2) leaves formal employment earlier than category (1). Both may find ready satisfaction and joy in retirement, but perhaps, category (2) has a longer period of adjustment.

My own story: had been on a FIRE mindset since, well, since my teenage years! Sudden job loss at 44. Partial recovery and then resumption of career. Then second sudden job loss at 51. Now with a "barista" job, hoping for conversion to full-time, with a proper Early Retirement somewhere between 57 and 62, with 60 the "ideal" target age.
 
I think a lot of us left at about 59 1/2, due to IRS rules. Ironically, after about 6 years, I haven't touched my 401K/IRAs yet, other than some Roth conversions.
I did my conversions 15 years ago with my house writeoffs. I too have yet to tap the roth well. Too many frugal habits and a bit of luck.
 
Aged 57 when I retired. My husband was the same age when he retired. We are now 64 and 66 with no intention to return to work. Husband will be eligible for the Australian Aged Pension in 6 months, I have another 3 years.
We live modestly, are debt free and travel throughout Australia for months at a time, every year. Living the dream.
 
I guess I'm an aberrant here, having taken the early retirement package offered by my corporate employer when I was 44. That was 30 years ago (Sept. 1994), when I retired strictly to avoid another location transfer (that at that time wasn't good for my wife's career and where my kids were in HS) due to a manufacturing plant closure. I retired the day of my 44th birthday, when my age and years of service - I had 21 years then, having started with that company right after getting my masters engineering degree in 1973 - enabled me to take the early retirement package of 65. I worked a couple part time jobs for 5 years until I was 49 however, when my kid's educations were 100% complete and paid for. So this past September I completed my 25th year of total retirement. Life (and retirement) IS great!
Great story, good for you! We’re real close. I celebrated 25 years retired last August.
 
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.
DW's friends husband is a retired Leo. He's always been 3x the size he should be if healthy. Kills me every time he post working outside for a living his entire career, which is often. I worked outside majority of my career in extremely harsh, physically demanding conditions. Actually spent much of today outside semi under our carport with a snowstorm going on all day working on attaching our 10'6" V plow to our telehandler so we can get in n out easier when we get hammered with snow! Funny when I hear statements such as his when I know better!
 
Out at 60,worked for old 1865 small private company. Was sold to investor group, they expanded the company,which was then sold two more times. Deal was good,still get my pension, retired in 2008. Actually worked there part time until 2015,once they figured out too much of the knowledge base was gone.
 
Quit megacorp at 50. Didn't know if I was "retired" or not at that point. Did a few years of very minimal part-time work. Stopped that in mid-50s. DW continued working until a couple of years ago (because she wanted to). I think to most people, I was an unemployed bum. It was really hard those first few years to actually tell people I was retired.
What was the hardest part of moving from magacorp to PT?
 
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