Retirement at 50?

[Otins]

Would you retire aged 50 if you could?

I am currently working it through with an IFA and I think I can afford to do it.

I have no children. I am in a relationship but financially independent and not married.

I had always planned to retire at 60 when my mortgage was paid off, but a recent inheritance means i am mortgage free now.

Would you retire this early if you could?

i have joked in the past that retirement is wasted on the old, and I could have 10 years now having fun, and I felt funds were getting a bit tight , i could go back to work aged 60.

My monthly 'retirement' income would
be around the same as my average monthly jncome over the last 10 years (self employed so it fluctuates) This wouldn't allow for luxury world cruises but a couple of holidays a year, plenty of eating out and culture, and some leeway for the occasional splurge seems plenty.

I could keep earning and have 'more' but it seems wasteful if I don't need more, and time is our most precious commodity.

I'm mid 50's, don't work and bored out my mind as my dh has no plans to retire. I have elderly parents though so am grateful I can be around for them.

Why not get some sort of work then? It's no good to live your life bored out of your mind.

I'm hanging on at work part time as long as I can because I want to keep the top notch private healthcare and benefits. Things are not getting better in the NHS. A bit more cash also allows the option of seeking treatment abroad if needed eg where you get one of those cancers or something where survival rates in the UK are the worst in Europe.

I resigned and I have 2.5 weeks notice left. I will finish 2 weeks before my 50th birthday.

I can't wait.

The final decision was made as the thought of having to go back to work after lovely 50th birthday celebrations was so depressing, it would have really tainted my time off.

Never say never about returning to some sort of work, especially if funds run low but it'd be sitting on a till in Tesco (if that role
even exists for much longer) or something like that .

Congratulations Op.

I'm 53 and not yet ready to retire but that is totally down to my current job, which I find stimulating and enjoyable. I also like my colleagues and the company culture. In my previous job (left 5 years ago), I would have jumped at the chance of retirement at 50.

I am planning to stop work in the next 3-5 years, with exact timing dependent on various factors but mainly down to whether I'm still enjoying my work enough. I'm sure the ability to decrease hours will be a big factor in that assessment. My aim, and I've saved accordingly, has always been to not need to work (or find a job) after the age of 55.

Congratulations OP, good for you. 4 weeks to go for me and I will leave 2 weeks before my 51st birthday. I think I'll see how I feel and take a few months to decide what (if anything) comes next. I quite fancy a couple of days at M&S. I was finding my current role very frustrating, far too much corporate BS, with my tolerance levels declining due to perimenopause. Interesting though that brain fog and exhaustion have improved now I know I'm going.

Two weeks left, for me. And I've found similar - since handing in my notice the corporate BS just washes over me.

With no kids- definately. You can always release the equity in the house later in life if not bothered about leaving it behind.

I've decided to take VSS. I'm 57 but 58 in November and I'm not enjoying the job at the moment. I'm also a registered nurse so I'm going to just take a month off, go to Thailand with my daughter then after Xmas get some sort of nursing job. Had a friend die last week in an accident and I've realised life is too short!

We also had a friend did suddenly last week out of the blue. Late 50s. It does make you assess your priorities.

Congrats OP!
I did my last day's teaching on Thursday and that's me out at 52. Summer is already booked up with trips, and now I have the freedom to do the Camino de Santiago in October, taking as long as I want and not be tied by school term dates. It will be a long time before I get bored!

We had a shock, DH workplace is offering voluntary redundancy, he and one other who are senior are past 55 so could draw their pensions Obviously he has zero idea what peoples financial situations truly are. Plus if not enough people go on a voluntary basis he assumes it will become compulsory. It’s still very early stages. He can afford to go so ok for us but I really feel for his younger colleagues. Awful times for the entire workforce though.

I’ve just recently retired at 53 after my position was removed. I had been at the company many years and decided this was an opportunity to good to miss. I am now taking 6 months off and will then think about what to do next. However in the meantime I am exercising, volunteering, doing pottery classes and travelling. It’s bliss!
I may at the end of the 6 months decide not to go back to work at all but I think I would like to do something even if part time.

if you can afford it, know you can fill your time then I would do it.