What age did you retire ..did you retire early ..

I also retired at age 59, a couple months short of turning 60. A month afterwards I started a new treatment program, the side affects of which would have probably caused me to miss much work. I enjoyed a couple years doing the retired thing, but I felt like I left a piece of my life behind, so I hired on with another agency, doing the same line of work. Finally, at age 65 I decided to wrap my head around the complexities of Social Security...turns out, wasn't that complex to understand, just fear of the unknown. <shrugs>
 
I retired at 59 because of health issues also. I had short term and long term disability but working with county about disability wasn’t easy. So I took a nick in my pension and retired. After 3-4 months and a few medical procedures I was back up and running. Started taking care of grandkids full time and the best job ever! I missed out on so much working full time when my kids were young.
 

No, I worked until after my husband died. He died suddenly and in my arms.
I was in shock and could not smile or converse with people.
Didn't know when I would burst into tears. (and I did)
This didn't work as I had to interact with the public.
Didn't retire. Just left a note that I wasn't returning and left!
I didn't know if I had enough money to survive or anything. Didn't care.
Not a monetary decision. I always do what I am most afraid to do. and take risks.
 
OMG...I seem to be the outlier here! I retired at 72 1/2. I really loved my job. Then we had a huge change in upper management, and after about 2 yrs of that I had enough. I retired just about a year before covid. I managed to get a few nice trips in and returned from my last one less than a week before lockdown in March of 2020. I worked in healthcare, so the timing worked out well for me.
 
Technically I retired at age 50, twenty three days before my 51st birthday. Since I had to use the last of my vacation time, my last working day was a week before my official retirement date. Blessedly the State based my pension on being 51. There was a 4% reduction for each year below age 55. I retired for health reasons too, also because my mother who was up there in age and needed more attention and care.

Oh and @hollydolly's reply reminded me. I really liked my work but was so tired of management.
 
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I retired at age 54. I worked for a state agency and the state offered a monetary incentive for people who were eligible to retire to do so. I was ready. I was in an administrative job that I didn't want and didn't enjoy. Tired of the daily grind, answering to people in the state office who had no history or knowledge of the programs they were tasked to oversee, doing more with less, personnel problems, etc. I got a nice pension and the state continued to pay for my health insurance. I stayed at home for a couple of years and decided to do some part time work with home health. I did that until about three years ago and decided I had had enough. I started drawing my SS at age 67 and that combined with my pension enables me to live quite comfortably. I enjoy staying at home and puttering around with the dog.
 
I retired at 62 1/2. I had planned on working til 66 but I met a guy who was retired, financially secure and wanted to travel around the US. He didn't want to wait four years to start traveling.

I had a pension, so I retired and started drawing SS (my late husband's which was higher than mine as he had been older than me) and never looked back. I've never regretted it.
 
Alligatorob said:
I began retiring a few years ago, but it is not complete yet. I am an independent consulting engineer with several clients, trying to wind down. Have been doing less and less each year.

I am now 69, my goal is to be completely retired when I turn 70, this fall.
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I'm in the exact same situation as you. I'm a marketing writer, also 69, turning 70 this fall. Trying to wind down but just when I think I'm out, they pull me back in. Still working 1/2 to 3/4 time. I enjoy the work, most days, but I also enjoy other things, and I want to spend more time with my one year old grandson (whom I hope is the first of several).
 
JimBob1952 said:
Trying to wind down but just when I think I'm out, they pull me back in.
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Funny how that works. A couple of years ago I told all my clients that I would be retiring and needed to wind things down.

Best marketing move of my career, I was deluged with requests to "just do this first". Had to learn what doesn't come naturally to a consultant, saying no.
 
Was going to retire early at age 55 but the company made me an offer I couldn't refuse so retired 26 years ago at age 54. Strange how things work out. Our income is more now than when we both worked. Expenses way less than pre retirement. Health is great so retiring had more benefit than expected.
 
JimBob1952 said:
I'm in the exact same situation as you. I'm a marketing writer, also 69, turning 70 this fall. Trying to wind down but just when I think I'm out, they pull me back in. Still working 1/2 to 3/4 time. I enjoy the work, most days, but I also enjoy other things, and I want to spend more time with my one year old grandson (whom I hope is the first of several).
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I find myself in a similar situation. I tried to retire in 2015 but continued to work in a contracting capacity. I keep telling myself that this will be the last year I'm doing it but I find myself being pulled back in. I am grateful for the extra income the work has provided, truly I am. But now, at 66, I'm ready to fully retire, to find out what's next. If it's figuring out each moment as it comes, then I'm all for it.
 
I retired at 57. I was part owner of a business and we sold it the beginning of 2018. The new owners wanted me to stay forever but my heart just wasn't in it so left 6 months after the sale.

I was the guy everyone said would never retire, type A who measured days by what I accomplished. But once I stopped working it was like flipping a light switch, I don't ever want to work again. Turns out I'm a lazy ****:)
 
Elina said:
I Retired at 59 ..my retirement age by the time i get to it will have increased from 66 to 67 ..I Had no intention of working to that age , my health came first .
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Took early retirement at 56, saved all during my working life to do so. I only worked to pay my bills, buy things we needed or wanted and save for a debt-free retirement. It worked out well, I'm so happy I'm enjoying my last years on this earth without punching a clock and spending my days away from my home, husband and pets. My hubby retired the same year as I did.
 
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