What led you to retire??

[smalltownguy1]

I read “retire by 35 “ by Paul terhorst in high school. My plan was 55 for a while.
I was in the reserves and then active duty. The plan then was 30 yrs(age 47).
Spent 3 years in Iraq 2003-2006 got some lung issues and a few tbi’s.
Several years of my health deteriorateing when I year in Afghanistan set off the end of my military career medically.
So I retired from the army age 45 and from my civilian job 6 months later. Fully retired age 45.
Health overall is improved day to day still have a Progressive debilitating fatal lung disease but overal I’m doing well.

 

[NYEXPAT]

I retired at 32 for good reason. 33 years later, I really don't recall why, but I am pretty sure ir was the right decision?

 

[kgtest]

I read “retire by 35 “ by Paul terhorst in high school. My plan was 55 for a while.
I was in the reserves and then active duty. The plan then was 30 yrs(age 47).
Spent 3 years in Iraq 2003-2006 got some lung issues and a few tbi’s.
Several years of my health deteriorateing when I year in Afghanistan set off the end of my military career medically.
So I retired from the army age 45 and from my civilian job 6 months later. Fully retired age 45.
Health overall is improved day to day still have a Progressive debilitating fatal lung disease but overal I’m doing well.

Thanks for the sacrifice. Had some buddies go to Iraq, Kuwait...one attached to that march to Baghdad. Get well bro.

 

[kgtest]

[-][/-]

I retired at 32 for good reason. 33 years later, I really don't recall why, but I am pretty sure ir was the right decision?

What did you do until 32?

 

[youbet]

The burly security guard came to my desk, told me to put my personal belongings in a box he brought and then walked me to my car. I was "retired." Some called it "fired." I called it "FIRE'D!" I was 58. Now 72. Haven't earned a penny or done a minute of work for pay since that day. Yet, all is well.........

 

[Dtail]

The burly security guard came to my desk, told me to put my personal belongings in a box he brought and then walked me to my car. I was "retired." Some called it "fired." I called it "FIRE'D!" I was 58. Now 72. Haven't earned a penny or done a minute of work for pay since that day. Yet, all is well.........

That's the way to do it.
Volunteered for a package at 57 (beat them to it) and my goal is to never work again in my life for money.

 

[Souschef]

A number of factors
My boss for the past 10 years retired. The new boss started bringing in some of his people.
My immediate supervisor was working part time and to justify her existence would snipe at us if we made any error. We called her "The drive by shooter". A coworker and I kept track of her mistakes and they far exceeded anything we did.
I waited until January when my 7 % profit sharing was credited to my 401K and I bailed. I found out later they had to hire a couple of people to replace me.

 

[texcurtis]

A series of events: cancer scare, early out offered, burn out, etc caused me to realize I could actually just retire & be ok. 5 years later, not a bit of regret & the NW keeps climbing. Grateful.

 

[Red Badger]

I read “retire by 35 “ by Paul terhorst in high school. My plan was 55 for a while.
I was in the reserves and then active duty. The plan then was 30 yrs(age 47).
Spent 3 years in Iraq 2003-2006 got some lung issues and a few tbi’s.
Several years of my health deteriorateing when I year in Afghanistan set off the end of my military career medically.
So I retired from the army age 45 and from my civilian job 6 months later. Fully retired age 45.
Health overall is improved day to day still have a Progressive debilitating fatal lung disease but overal I’m doing well.

As a fellow vet, thanks and condolences. Like most of our wars since WWII, the wars in the mid east have been a debacle.
FWIW:
Korea - a tie (and technically still a state of war)
Vietnam - loss (won most all the battles, but not the war)
Gulf war I - we were back 13 years later - at best an incomplete
Iraq and Afghanistan - been in that sh!t since 2003 - describe victory....

I hold our exec, legislative branches, and general officers equally responsible for this trail of tears. Their hubris has resulted in the deaths of ~100,000 Americans and untold "allied" casualties. It's time we demanded declarations of war or no military involvement.

Okay, I'm done!

 

[CoolRich59]

I hold our exec, legislative branches, and general officers equally responsible for this trail of tears. Their hubris has resulted in the deaths of ~100,000 Americans and untold "allied" casualties. It's time we demanded declarations of war or no military involvement.

Amen

 

[NYEXPAT]

I retired at 32 for good reason. 33 years later, I really don't recall why, but I am pretty sure ir was the right decision?

correction, I retired at 33, one month shy of 34!

 

[NYEXPAT]

[-][/-]

What did you do until 32?

Commodity and stock trading/company building/partying. It was the Eighties!

 

[Gallaher]

Was asked (told) to take a package two years ago at 57. Wanted eight more months but Big Pharma Sales is such a waste of brain-power and time. Everything has been excellent.
Should/could have left sooner.

 

[Koolau]

Relayed here many times: Started at Megacorp and hated first assignment. Had to stick it out, but fantasized about the "perfect" assignment. Had many assignments. I eventually created the position I had fantasized and occupied it for several years. I loved it. When suddenly I was informed I would be going back to my original (or similar) assignment I gave my notice and left at the end of the week (finished out on vacation with "calling privileges.")

 

[robnplunder]

Two things led me to ER:

1) My younger brother's death
2) The evil boss

Otherwise, I am pretty sure I'd keep working for 5+ years instead of retiring at 53.

 

[Singletrack]

I was running a family owned business (not my family) and took it through a sale to a private equity group in late 2011. I stayed on as CEO for two years until I ended up at odds with the PEG over future business strategy (I know, shocking...lol).

I then planned to do some financial and CxO consulting on a part time basis to fatten the bank account a bit more. I ended up investing in a small business and helping it grow for the next four years. This was a difficult gig, and after a partial liquidity event in 2018, I decided to throw in the towel at 61. By then, I was so toasted that I have no desire to do anything that remotely resembles my former business life. I am now perfecting the art of farting around, and am becoming increasingly content and happy with it.

 

[ER Eddie]

• My most important values are freedom, independence, authenticity (living my own life), and personal/spiritual growth. I recognized that retirement would enable each of these values, whereas continuing to work would interfere with each of them. It was an issue of integrity -- was I going to sacrifice all of that, which is what I knew mattered most, just for some more money and "security"?
  
• I reached the point where I had more than enough money to retire.
  
• My job stopped being satisfying. I told myself I'd stick around as long as I was still enjoying it, and I stopped enjoying it. It was feeling like a repetitive chore.
  
• Mortality. I'm not going to live forever. Each year I delayed retirement meant one less year of freedom. Moreover, since I've been able to live a healthier, less stressful life in retirement, I believe retirement has probably added time to my clock.

 

[Spock]

I turned 55 and MegaCorp decided for me by saying I needed to find a new job, but not here. Lots of job apps later I gave up. I'm too gimpy to handle a minimum wage job on my feet all day.
Annual taxable income - spending = a 13.2K burn rate on our savings (x2.4 if ACA is killed before we get to Medicare in 6.5 years). As interest returns drop I guess I'll drop cable TV and try to sell a well used vehicle.
It's not quite that bleak as this does not include tax deferred accounts, but thats currently budgeted for inflation, unexpected expenses, future med bills, two LTC policies, downsizing a house, etc.

 

[BeachOrCity]

Had enough money and grew tired of working for a megacorp that was (and is) in long term decline.

Tried a one year LOA loved it and retired not too long after going back for a bit.

Going back opened my eyes wide about which state I really preferred.

 

[umograd83]

Stress from working was affecting my health.

 

[Montecfo]

I retired due to math. The inescapable math that each day spent working is one less day spent doing what I wish to do.

 

[Midpack]

Reached FI at age 51, but still enjoying the job many days, decent EVP boss. At age 57, I was just bored, and retired. And my then EVP boss was an privileged asshat so that made it easier.

I should have continued to work a few more years at least. We have more than enough, except there's no too much...

 

[Beststash]

A) Tired of being forced to put politics over colleagues interests.
B) Tired of traveling so much and talking BS.
C) I had been promoted to a level that was basically unnecessary and meaningless (middle manager) and was more about show and tell than anything else.
D) I had just completed my Masters using tuition refund which was a "life goal".

 

[mystang52]

I was about 40 years old, on vacation with family, and while sitting in a hot tub drinking my Strawberry Daiquiri I said to my wife "I could do this all the time if money wasn't necessary." So, the concept of retirement never scared me. It took 2 decades more, but finally not only did I still want to, but financially I could. So, I did!

 

[mistermike40]

My wife's illness progressed to the point that - as her caregiver - there weren't enough hours in the day for me to continue working (even part-time, from home). 2 1/2 long years later, I'm glad I made that decision (or more accurately, it was made for me). Now there are fewer good days than bad days, but the good days are a million times better than anything that ever happened to me at Megacorp.