Realistically, what age do you expect to retire, if you're in your 40s now?

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State pension age will be 68 if not older.

I already know I'm slowing down. I'm very experienced and good at my job so I can get away with it for now but I know I'm not as productive as I was when I was younger.

My parents retired young (in today's terms) at 59. They've had a healthy, active retirement but now, in their early 70s they and their friends all have health issues that would make a full-time job difficult if not impossible, even though they are generally "well" for their age.

I don't know how it's possible for most people to work to 68, certainly not anyone in any sort of physical job.

So, doesn't extending retirement age just mean we'll have lots of people "on the sick" who would previously have been claiming their pension?

I know people can/should be making provision to allow them to retire earlier but I think for most that's a privilege for the relatively well off and many manual labourers/care home workers etc don't fall into that category, Could we really have 68yo care assistants etc?

68 will be the state pension age, but it doesn't have to be your retirement age if you have a private pension.
If you can (and if you're not already doing so) put as much money into your pension as possible from now on. Set up a direct debit, so it's taken out of your bank before you can spend it.
The more you can save, the earlier you will be able to afford to retire.

I'm covered. I don't expect to work much past 55 , unless I choose to 80smum. I'd suggest my friend, who does hard physical work in a care home for minimum wage has never been in a position to do that though.

Either until my health stops me or basically i am made redundant and noone re-employs me as they have younger, fitter people to replace me with. Its something that worries me. I prepare all i can but, although i expected the state pension age to rise and for it to reduce in value i presumed it would exist. Its part of the social contract. But people seem to be talking so much about how it wont exist that i think they will make it happen, - rather than talking about how it should exist but might need to change. Its like a self fullfilling thing.

There’s no way I’m working until 68.

I’m hoping to retire around 58. Mortgage will be paid off by 45. Will then be saving as much as possible to cover the years between 58-68.

I have a good LGPS which I’ll take along with state pension at 68.

I'm planning on working for as long as I can, but part time/remotely from a sunny beach. I'm actively working towards this now (I'm 48).

I'm 30s rather than 40s but I don't plan on working until 68. Maybe 60?

I do take your point that not everyone is in the position to do this though.

I’m 44. I think I need to do another decade working FT, and then I plan to work 3 or 3.5 days a week for the decade after that. I expect to be able to afford to retire in my mid-60s. I’m currently paying 15% of my salary into a pension (and a further 10% into a S&S ISA).

I'm mid 50s and I can't think of anything that I'd less like to do than retire!

I mean, what for? What will you do that will take all that time up?

Isn't it a thing that people age faster when they're retired too?

Part time would be nice though I think.

I'm aiming for 55. Don't know if I'll claim my private pension then or find another means of income.

The mortgage will be paid off so we could downsize and have a hefty chunk to live off.

Don't know. A lot will depend on the kids. And dh of course.

My job is fairly stressful so I really do want to walk away at 55. Will need to learn to live frugally again.

I am 48 and aiming to retire at 63. We have 3 more years of mortgage. Youngest is 8, eldest 11. I’m aiming for more 15 years to see them through higher education, although I’d be surprised in the 11 year old choses to study for a moment longer than he has to.

My mortgage will be paid off by the time I am 49. I would love to retire at 55, and I am hoping it will be possible but who knows. I pay quite a bit extra into my company pension.

I don't want to be like my dad, who is 63 still working,and is exhausted with various health complaints.

My friend is 65 still working 35 a week retail job. Why wouldn't you if you can. She has state pension starting next year so may cut back to 25hours. I work 35 hours a week 55. I have no property but a good sized pension that l will cash in at 55and spend recklessly. Then still carry on working

I work 4 days a week would like to continue with this until about 55, I work with SEN children and it is hard work. I could drop to 3 days again if I had to. I could see DH working for a long time though as he has an office job.

I'm 45 and assume 65.

I've hit the age where I checked out pensions. Have worked ft bar 2 years since university.

Have 5 years final salary at start of career. Then money purchase at subsequent employers which were all quite generous (I work in f8nancial services) and I paid extra. So 21% salary in last job for eg.

Looking at the statements I will be getting fuck all pension. I earn quite well as well.

So if someone who has always been quite well paid and had good schemes and paid in is going to get not much, where does that leave everyone else. Average pension pot at retirement in uk is 20k or something. I'll find a link. That gets you literally fuck all.

In future there will be real problem as all the pensioners move from final salary people to money purchase. There will be stacks of destitution. Also Pensions are taxed so massive loss of income for govt. I hope someone is thinking about this somewhere!

DH is public sector final salary so he is in much better positron.

Mortgage paid off this month. No debt, dh retired from the Forces at 53 and got his pension, and will now retire after a 6 year contract abroad. His last day is in December, and he will be retired at 58.

I am planning on going back to work if anyone will have me at 53, so I can make up my last 6 years of NICs and stretch my brain a bit.

@teenagetantrums that's my point. How many people can realistically expect to be able to do a full week of physical work at 65+?

I'm a teacher and not sure I'll make it to 67 but will probably have to! A school friend just retired at 45. If I could go back in time I would choose a different career and retire early.

I don't feel as on it at 45 as I did when younger

but I have a lot of experience that seems to be considered valuable

I'm a bit midlife crisis at mo which is interesting.

To be honest I don't want to retire - I'd like to go part time instead. I've career changed in my mid 40s including a grueling 3 year qualification whilst working and having school aged children, I could have just worked a few hours and behaved as though I was already retired (aside from the school aged children) as DH earns a reasonable salary. I don't want to though.

I think retiring aged my own mother - especially mindset wise. The potter sets in. I don't want to potter. I'd only want to retire if I could do something amazing with my retirement, but I don't want to potter about looking for ways to fill my time.

So meh - never. I'm ok with that as long as I can work part-time once I'm over 60, then ideally drop dead suddenly before I'm fit for nothing but pottering.

I'm 48 and hope to retire at 57. Only 9 years to go!

I'm 58. I plan on working for at least another 5 years. Not because I have to, because I want to.

I’m 42 and work 3 days in Dentistry. One day I really enjoy (teaching) and 2 that I find stressful but rewarding (practice). Practice is much more financially rewarding unfortunately.
Aim to have the mortgage paid by 50. I’ll hopefully go down to 2 days (maybe drop practice?) then and keep going for another 10 years or so.
Hopefully finances will allow, I have a couple of different pension pots - NHS, private plus am lucky to have an income from a rental property that is in trust for me and DS.
I think 68 may be ok for some- I know a very fit 78 year old working full time. For me I doubt my back, eyes and hands would keep going that long.
My parents are 70 and 74 and neither would be fit enough to work full time. My DDad74 does work part time still, a day or so a week in his own business. My DMum retired at 55 and wouldn’t manage working now.

In my 60s I guess. My mum is 67 and still working part time.

My husband is 47 and plans to retire at 55. He does a very physically demanding job and those who he works with in their 60’s, tbh looked fucked! DH doesn’t want that so has put in plans for sometime to retire early. I am 46 and work part time as a dog walker so will continue for as long as I can.

Pre divorce I would have said 58 at the latest, post divorce it will definitely be 68 if I want to maintain my current lifestyle.

Pre marriage I would have said 50 at the latest.

So much can change I think it’s hard to say really.