So can you retire at 55 and collect Social Security? The answer, unfortunately, is no. The earliest age to begin drawing Social Security retirement benefits is 62.
You must be at least 62 for the entire month to receive benefits.
The SSA doesn't penalize working retirees forever. You'll receive all of the benefits the government withheld after you reach your full retirement age. At that time, the SSA recalculates your benefit amount.
According to these parameters, you may need 10 to 12 times your current annual salary saved by the time you retire. Experts say to have at least seven times your salary saved at age 55. That means if you make $55,000 a year, you should have at least $385,000 saved for retirement.
Can I Take Social Security at 57? The short answer is no, you're not eligible to receive Social Security retirement benefits at age 57. The earliest you can begin taking Social Security for retirement is age 62. So if you plan to retire at 57 you'll be waiting at least five years before you can claim those benefits.
At What Age Is Early Retirement? Leaving the workforce before the traditional age of 65 is typically considered early retirement. You can start collecting Social Security retirement benefits as early as age 62, but you won't receive your full benefits.
The rule of 55 is an IRS guideline that allows you to avoid paying the 10% early withdrawal penalty on 401(k) and 403(b) retirement accounts if you leave your job during or after the calendar year you turn 55.
If your goal is to retire at age 55, Fidelity recommends that you save at least seven times your annual income. That means if your annual income is $70,000 a year, you need to save $490,000.
Many people continue working at least part-time after retirement due to financial need. The elimination of most defined-benefit pensions is one reason for that. Workers with Social Security as their only retirement income often feel they have no choice but to get a part-time job.
Less time to save for retirement
If you accept an offer to retire early, say at around age 55, you could be giving up 10 years or more of saving for retirement. Less time to save means you will have fewer savings available during retirement.
While it's true that the last 3 years you work may affect your Social Security benefit amount when you claim, those years alone are not what determine your benefit dollar amount. Rather, your benefit is determined using a formula, which includes the highest earning 35 years of your lifetime working career.
In the case of early retirement, a benefit is reduced 5/9 of one percent for each month before normal retirement age, up to 36 months. If the number of months exceeds 36, then the benefit is further reduced 5/12 of one percent per month.
The reduction of benefits in early withdrawal is based upon the amount of time you currently are from full retirement age. If you withdraw at the earliest point of age 62, you will receive 25% less than your full benefits. If you were born after 1960, that amount is 30%.
Taking Social Security early reduces your benefits, but you'll also receive monthly checks for a longer period of time. On the other hand, taking Social Security later results in fewer checks during your lifetime, but delaying means each check will be larger.
Qualifying for Social Security in the first place requires 40 work credits or approximately 10 years of work. 2 To be eligible to receive the maximum benefit, you need to earn Social Security's maximum taxable income for 35 years.
Anyone born in 1929 or later needs 10 years of work (40 credits) to be eligible for retirement benefits.
But if you can supplement your retirement income with other savings or sources of income, then $6,000 a month could be a good starting point for a comfortable retirement.
Seek Employers Who Offer Pension
If you're wondering how to retire at 50 with no money, find a position with a company that offers a pension. With a little extra thought and planning, working for 10 or 15 years at a company with a pension could make a positive impact on your retirement savings.
If you are 55 or older, you may be able to withdraw funds from your 401(k) or 403(b) without a tax penalty. Another option—if you retire before age 59 1/2—is the Substantially Equal Periodic Payment (SEPP) exemption, also known as an IRS Section 72(t) distribution.
Under the terms of this rule, you can withdraw funds from your current job's 401(k) or 403(b) plan with no 10% tax penalty if you leave that job in or after the year you turn 55. (Qualified public safety workers can start even earlier, at 50.) It doesn't matter whether you were laid off, fired, or just quit.
The rule of 55 makes it easier to withdraw funds from your retirement account after you retire early. The process of withdrawing from a 401(k) or 403(b) at age 55 or after is typically simple to set up and allows early retirees who need the funds to keep more of their retirement savings.
Retiring at 50 isn't easy, mainly because you'll have fewer years to accumulate assets. How you can make up for that loss of time varies. If you're fortunate enough to draw a large salary, you could afford to invest more modestly and still have enough wealth to retire by 50.
41-45 years old is the optimum retirement age range because you've put in your dues and still have enough energy to do something new.
If you stop work before you start receiving benefits and you have less than 35 years of earnings, your benefit amount is affected. We use a zero for each year without earnings when we calculate the amount of retirement benefits you are due. Years with no earnings reduces your retirement benefit amount.