You'll likely need assets worth 10 to 16 times your salary by the time you leave your job. A 45-year-old making $120,000 who hopes to retire at age 60, say, should already have nearly $700,000 set aside. (See the Retire Early calculator.) You can get by with less if you'll have other sources of income.
When asked when they plan to retire, most people say between 65 and 67. But according to a Gallup survey the average age that people actually retire is 61.
You Have Ample Savings
You planned and set a goal for retirement savings. Now your investments meet or exceed the amount you were hoping to save. This is another good sign you could take early retirement. If you didn't plan for early retirement, you will need to recalculate how long your savings will last.
Unfortunately, the answer is no. The earliest age you can begin receiving Social Security retirement benefits is 62. There is a catch. You will reduce your benefit amount if you take Social Security benefits before reaching your new standard retirement age.
How can I retire with no money? Secure a Pension. A pension is a company-sponsored retirement plan that provides a guaranteed monthly income. Pension plans are often given to teachers, police and fire workers, federal and state employees, and military personnel.
Probably the biggest indicator that it's really ok to retire early is that your debts are paid off, or they're very close to it. Debt-free living, financial freedom, or whichever way you choose to refer it, means you've fulfilled all or most of your obligations, and you'll be under much less strain in the years ahead.
While the specifics vary, the heart of an early retirement package is invariably a severance payment comprising weeks, months, or even years of wages. That sum may be sweetened by such additions as paid insurance and outplacement services to aid your transition to a new job.
When they looked at the sample of 2,956 people who had begun participating in the study in 1992 and retired by 2010, the researchers found that the majority had retired around age 65. But a statistical analysis showed that when people retired at age 66 instead, their mortality rates dropped by 11%.
“Continuing to work for as long as possible will absolutely give you more choices and financial freedom in retirement,” Duran explains. “Working for a longer period of time not only gives you more savings and builds your safety net, but it also provides health benefits which you don't have to pay for personally.”
Don't worry, retiring at 62 and claiming your benefits until you're 67 does have its benefits. Retirees who begin collecting Social Security at 62 instead of the full retirement age can expect their monthly benefits to be 30% lower. Delaying claiming until the age of 67 will result in a larger monthly check.
Average Retirement Expenses by Category. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, an American household headed by someone aged 65 and older spent an average of $48,791 per year, or $4,065.95 per month, between 2016 and 2020.
The earliest you can start receiving Social Security benefits is age 62. But the earlier you elect to receive your benefits, the smaller your monthly checks will be (losing as much as 30%). To receive full benefits, you will have to avoid collecting Social Security until you reach your full (or normal) retirement age.
The 4% rule is a rule of thumb that suggests retirees can safely withdraw the amount equal to 4 percent of their savings during the year they retire and then adjust for inflation each subsequent year for 30 years. The 4% rule is a simple rule of thumb as opposed to a hard and fast rule for retirement income.
According to the SSA's 2021 Annual Statistical Supplement, the monthly benefit amount for retired workers claiming benefits at age 62 earning the average wage was $1,480 per month for the worker alone. The benefit amount for workers with spouses claiming benefits was $2,170 at age 62.
Key Points. There are several factors that impact your benefit amount. You can earn up to $2,364 per month by claiming at age 62. How much you'll actually receive will depend on your income and the length of your career.
If you retire at 62, you'll need to make sure you can afford health insurance until age 65 when your Medicare benefits begin. 5 (If you have a disability, you can qualify early.) With the Affordable Care Act, you are guaranteed to get coverage even if you have a pre-existing condition.
In general, it doesn't make too much difference. For retirement computation purposes, all months have 30 days. No credit is given for the 31st day of the month. So, for example, it doesn't really matter if you make your retirement effective on Saturday, Jan.
Working an extra year shortens the period of retirement you need to pay for. "Just one year can be really important because it allows you to save more, and it means that those savings don't have to last quite as long," Johnson says.