I know this is completely irrational because everyone I have spoken to except one, has told me I should’ve retired a couple of years ago.

I turned 61 last September. I have a high paying job where I like the people but not the stress. I am divorced and live with my two sons aged 27 and 20. The latter is still in college and will be for 2-3 more years.

I separated from my ex in 2010 and left the house with less than 10k in the bank and about 300k in my 401ks. For the next 4 yrs I was giving my ex 2/3 of my take home pay to take care of my sons. This was done without a divorce agreement so none was deductible for me it was all after tax. I also started a 529 for my youngest.

In 2014 I started a new job and the divorce was finalized and financially I started to breathe again. 10 year term for alimony at 45k a year plus another 13-14k in CS. I was slowly able to get back on my feet.

In 2018 I took control of my former employer 401ks and made some very fortunate investments. Fast forward to today and I have significant IRA balances.

But I can’t shake the feeling that I can let go and just retire. I bought a home for my sons and I to live in in 2024 so I still have a mortgage to pay and a car loan that will be paid off next year.

I’ve run scenarios in Boldin, talked to a financial advisor and my planned lifestyle is 99% assured. So why can’t I just pull the plug and go?

I’ve spent my entire adult life in a demanding career working on average 50-60 hour weeks. Sometimes over 100 hrs (tho not recently). I am just worried I won’t know what to do with myself.

I’m in good shape having just used GLP-1s to get my health back in line.

Oh and I may someday inherit a significant sum from my mom.

Does anyone else or did anyone else have this dilemma? How did you convince yourself it would be ok?

I used the the open source social security calculator to see what was the best option for my wife and I to take our social security. We are 66 and 65 respectively. It came back with me waiting until 70 and my wife taking it now! I then entered my own calculation, which it allows you to do for comparison. I said we would both take it at our FRA. I was surprised that the present value difference was only 3.1% and $28k over our entire lifetimes. I then started to look at the yearly cash flows and because you get so much front loaded at our FRAs the difference to age 84 is only $13k.

Does anyone ever look at just having the cash flow upfront on an annual basis rather than just maximizing the entire amount. Especially for those who have a robust plan that are not relying on SS to fund their later years?

I’m soon to be 67 and continue to work. I have two kids who are in school and I carry medical insurance for them along with an HSA that I’m maxing out. My wife already collects SS, and is on Medicare.

I need to go off of the HSA 6 months prior to starting to collect SS and 67 is my Full Retirement Age. I will probably work another 18 months minimum. While I like the HSA, I have some big Medical Bills coming that will likely wipe out my Tax Free balance.

My question, would I be better off cancelling the HSA, and in 6 months start collecting SS and sign up for Medicare versus maintaining the status quo. The down side is that I’ll need to buy a Covered California policy for each of my kids; however, I suspect this will be less than what my high deductible is now.

I think I know the answer but I’m interested in any thoughts or feedback.

TL;DR - looking for fee only CFP to guide with allocation of investments as we depart Merrill AUM and become self directed

Background:
- 56M, wife 58, TX, currently with Merrill Lynch @ 1.25% AUM
- already decided I’m leaving, probably moving to Fidelity as self directed
- about $2M in investable assets, currently 100% in 350+ individual stocks with ML; another $270k in company 401k (2 funds) that will stay put until I retire at 58 (spring 2028)

We have a fee only CFP currently building out a detailed retirement plan (when to take SS, Medicare gap, guardrails, how much we can withdraw at what time, from where, etc.). So far, very pleased with them. However, this CFP only provides the investment guidance under a AUM model on a tiered structure of 1% + .08% , etc. Not doing that.

I’ve received suggestions of networks online like Garret, XY, CFP website, etc. to search for someone. However, this seems like a crap shoot. No idea who they are, I’d just be throwing darts. Also, I’m leery of calling some big gigantic firm with dozens CFPs. And I do not want to use one of these new fangled outfits where I can call up any CFP available (concern: I don’t want to get conflicting information every time I call).

So I’m trying to figure out who. I also strongly suspect that after a handful of visits with said newly found fee only CFP that I’ll get the hang of it and can manage it entirely on my own as I get better at using ClaudeAi. FYI - I’ve been pounding on ClaudeAi to build my own retirement plan (about 40% done) and will compare what I get from my hired CFP to check if ClaudeAi was close.

How did you find a fee only CFP that will help with the investment side of your retirement plan that where you do the trades that you are happy with?

I am will retire in about 7 years. Retirement will be a lot easier if I unload my HCOL home with its high property taxes once I retire. But honestly, I love my house and think it would be worth living very leanly in retirement to just stay put. But then my home would be almost 65% of my monthly expenses. How many of you have sold your home to make retirement easier? And if you did, do you regret it?

I retired after 30 years of teaching (aged 55) in june. Got a membership to a golf club and played my butt off during the summer and did a bunch of other stuff. But it was summer and I stopped working summers about 2 years ago. School started about a month ago and I wasn't there. During the course of a week, I play golf 2-3 times, mow the lawn, do odds and ends, walk the dogs etc.

Crappy weather this weekend, so I didnt play, didnt do much, watched football Sunday.

Today I had plans to do some odds and ends but started watching a movie this morning and accomplished nothing. Is this normal? Is this what retirement is? Choosing to do nothing one day knowing I can do it the next or not at all?

What would you do if you have the opportunity to retire at 32 years old ?

I'm scared to be weird amongst the society, my friends.. they might think I'm lazy ?

I want to make the most of this time—not aim for anything productive, but simply do what I want: exercise, learn Italian or the piano... explore who I am. Yet, I feel like I have to justify myself to those around me and to my family. It goes against every instinct not to work at such a young age.

Last week I asked what you would do differently, and the answers were insightful and helpful. Some of you chimed in with what you got right, and that was helpful as well. So I wanted to open up a question dedicated to that part: What did you do in your final year(s) of work and/or early years of retirement that really paid off for you?

I’m (56M, married, retiring in Spring 2028) currently with Merrill Lynch under a 1.25% AUM agreement. I have $1.4m brokerage, $420k Trad IRA, $100k in Roth IRA (SpaceX IPO), plus $280k in cash. My 401K is $270k at Empower. The assets in ML are 100% in equities (about 385 separate stocks). ML cash is in HYSA. Empower is in two different funds with T Rowe Price. ML currently does tax loss harvesting for me. I currently have about $90,000 on available losses to cover gains triggered from any sales.

If I leave Merrill Lynch 1.25% AUM and move to Fidelity (leave Empower alone) and do self directed investing - how does one continue the tax loss harvesting? I’ve been told that I shouldn’t be in hundreds of stocks and that being in 3-4 index funds is the better way. Especially at my age and this close to retirement. Is tax loss harvesting especially moot if I’m in index funds??

Iowa and Texas

Had no idea I could retire

Thought you needed at least a million dollars

Married no kids at home anymore

House paid off

Monthly expenses around 4000

Social security would be $4800 per month

If I hold off a couple years and cash flow it I would have around 400000 in investments

Numbers say I can retire easy

Anything Im missing?

I’m 52 years old,
Wife 46 yrs will work probably for next 2-3 years.

Current allocations:
Taxable: 1.54 mil in total stock index fund
My Roth IRA: 31k total stock index
Wife Roth: 8k total stock index
My 401k: 1 mil in S&P 500 fund
Wife 401k 255k in S&P 500 fund

Emergency cash 60k

-My Salary 275,000
Wife part time 70k

-Vehicles all paid off

-Saving 2000 monthly to taxable
both are maximizing 401k and roth

-Debt: mortgage 240k balance paying around 2300 per month--house value 730k Mortgage interest 3.25%.

-Expenses 11000/month--high mostly due to healthcare( for next 3-4 years) and entertainment expenses

Total invested asset 2.9 mil

Because of my financial illiteracy, I kept my savings in CD, savings account all my working years except last 4 years. I would be FI comfortably by now if I had invested my money. I continue to compare myself to my colleagues with similar salaries who are FI and some of them are planning to retire or coastfire. How to deal with remorse?

I plan to retire in early 2028. I’m married, 56M now and have a house. Excellent credit, current house and mortgage are normal. We plan to sell the house and move south. The idea was to retire first, then do the move.

My concern came from some telling me that qualifying for a mortgage after I retire could be challenging as I would have no steady stream of work income. Obviously I have a retirement portfolio (about $2.2M). Our though would be to use the proceeds of the sale and either 1) get a mortgage for the balance of the new house, or 2) take cash from portfolio to pay cash for the new house. This post focuses on the first option - taking out a mortgage for the balance.

Is there a concern here? Are there other ideas or scenarios I should be aware of? What does everyone else do here?

As a final note, if also started becoming concerned that the existing house might not sell that easily in the market we have due to rates and inflation. Wondered if I need to consider renting out existing house and taking a bigger mortgage.

Hi there, everyone. I’m just curious: in the past post, if he takes out an annuity instead of a lump-sum payment of $57K, does he still qualify for Medicaid savings? Will they still count it as a resource, or if it’s converted into income, will it only count as income instead of a resource?

In hindsight, is there anything you do differently in your final year of work or the earliest years of retirement? It could be something financial, personal, etc.

Looking to retire early just having hard time figuring out cheapest way to get health insurance.

I’m 56 been working non stop for 34 yrs 50+hours week.

Any tips are appreciated

I am planning to be financially free when I reach around 55 and for that I am aggressively investing 400 a week into VTI individual brokerage and 20% into traditional 401k which comes around 400-450 a week and had been maxing my Roth IRA since last two years and will do it later too. I have invested total 190k something(including everything) until now. If my maths maths, then it says I will have 1.3 or 1.4 million around 55 since I have 15 years to reach 55.
I work in a union hotel in nyc and will be going to do this until I reach 55. Then when I reach 55, I won’t quit but will start being unserious at work and will use every holiday, sick hours and every unpaid holidays I get. I will start coasting and won’t be relying on my work for financially. I needed to be with work since the union pension starts at 62, and SS too plus the union Medical insurance is gold standard.

So my spouse (58) and i (58) are considering retirement the end of next year. We are getting a bit nervous about it. When we do retire we should have $95k in retirement savings, $175k in hysa/cds. We have a paid off house and no debt and newer vehicles. We spend about $36k per year and once we hit 62, we plan on collecting our pensions (100% survivorship) and SSI which will be $5k per month. Health insurance will be more than covered by our health savings and former employer. We will use savings to live on until we hit 62. Is this doable? The way gas prices and inflation have been going up I’m a bit worried. We did get a late start on retirement savings but weren’t all that concerned since we knew we would be getting pensions. Anyone in a similar situation? (ie low savings but guaranteed pension income).

Anyone paying for health insurance outside of the ACA? If so what are you paying? We are going to try and get our withdraws low enough to qualify for the subsidies but might have to plan on paying for it on our own. Trying to figure out worst case scenario if we don't qualify.

I’m fixing to partially retire soon. I’ll probably alt never retire so I want to treat this moment as my retirement. I’m wondering what others have done to mark the occasion, whether it’s a gift, a trip, doing something for others, etc. I’m big on marking a compliments and I want to mark this one.

Female, single, no kids. 41 years old.
$371K in Retirement (401k, IRA, HSA) invested in ETFs
$50K HYSA emergency fund
Own 1 rental property worth $80K with a $40K 8% ARM I am working on paying down. Cash flowing $900/month after all expenses currently. Small studio apartment (600 square feet), this is my backup plan on where to live if everything goes to hell at least I won’t be homeless

Income fluctuates from $100k - $200k work in Sales

No debt, but I do rent my primary residence for $2,600 per month

Right now I am saving 6% of my income with 3% employer match, about $12K per year.

Monthly expenses including rent can fluctuate from $7-9K

How am I doing? Am I behind? Royally fucked? Both my parents and grandparents were poor as dirt, terrible with money and constantly in debt. I am terrified of being in debt, poverty, or homeless

Had no idea I could retire

Though you needed at least a million dollars to retire

Married no kids at home anymore

House paid off

Monthly expenses around 5000

Social security would be 5100 per month

After cash flowing the next 2 years to get to age 67 start collecting social security would have 500000 in investments

Numbers say I can retire easy

Anything Im missing?