[PMD1969]

This might be a laughable fluke but I have to ask you guys this question. In the last two weeks I have had two younger women ask if I was either retiring or possibly thinking about it. Now neither of these two fine women were rocket scientists or had any higher education. Not that smart they were. I barely have any white hair as it just started to turn about a year ago. I am in great shape without an inch of fat on me and have a full head of thick hair. I do not look old or aging.

The first ditzy chick was cutting my hair (smoking hot early 20's chick from El Salvador) and I guess she had run out of conversation so she blurted out about retiring. I told her I still had at least another 20 left in me and laughed it off. Then today I am in the middle of a great massage (wife bought me one as a present) and she (35 with two kids - not hot) too makes a comment about retiring. Again I said that I had another 20 years work of work and wasn't thinking about retirement.

I am 47.

Do people retire this early?

So WTF? lol - Maybe they think I am loaded and don't need anymore money? lol

[Will]

You're 47 and you just started graying?

I hate you.

[Greg Reid]

I 'retired' at 53 just because I could draw my full pension at that age plus 30 years at the same company. Never intended it to mean I'd never work again. My pension is not THAT good....I stayed off a couple of years and went back to work.
First time I'd been unemployed since I was 14.
I wouldn't sweat it. People say dumb things all the time.

[necdb3]

I call it that I semi retired at 48. I left 30 years in the auto business and flip houses and opened a contracting business with my son. I switched to my 2nd passion after the 1st one got old.

[poncho-mike]

In my opinion, the volume of of TV and radio commercials that focus on the retiring or soon to be retired have increased dramatically over the last few years. I think a lot of it has to do with the massive wave of baby boomer retirements that have just recently started reting or are getting close. When boomers retire, they have the option of taking their 401-Ks away from their current employer and moving it to IRAs set up with independent brokerages, and the brokerages are clamoring for a piece of the action.

I use Yahoo, and I notice a huge number of retirement related topics on my Yahoo page. Sometimes I click a few that sound interesting but it's obvious my interest in the topic results in Yahoo sending me info on the topic of retirement.

I hope to retire in about 4 years, which will be 62. That date is based on my son graduating college a year earlier.

Mike

[goatless]

Originally Posted by PMD1969

I am 47.

Do people retire this early?

Damn! You're old. I hope that when I get to be your age I can retire!
I am only 44.


Really, I don't think I'll ever really "retire". I've been a self employed building/remodeling contractor since I was 27- I don't even know what it means to not work.

[Sirrotica]

I have the opposite problem, when I ask for my senior discount, I get the, "Really, you don't look old enough to be a senior".
Senior in Ohio is usually considered 60, that's when they issue you a Golden Buckeye card.

I'm just under 6 feet tall, 50/50 gray hair and beard, the wide natural hair part (bald), reasonable physical shape, I could stand to loose 30 #. 62 years and 5 months old.

I think your age is reflected in the way you think and act...............................

[2002Z4CSS]

I'll be 56 next month and have zero gray! People freak out when I tell them I have been married for 36 years and have a 34 and 30 year old. My question is whith people that retire from where I work, why do most come back and collect another paycheck?

[1969GTO]

I was forced into retirement after 22yrs at the same place. I do get a pension, but at age 57 I work to give the wife a brake from me, plus that red habit [GTO] in the garage just loves new parts.

[poncho-mike]

I think when the time comes, I will ease into retirement by working a contract job for six months out of the year. There seem to be a lot of contract design engineering jobs in my area, and they pay pretty well.

Ideally, I would take on a 40 hr per week contract job that would carry me through the late fall and winter. That would leave me with much of spring and summer to do whatever I want.

The nice thing about contract work is there is no expectation of longevity.

[Radman]

I am 66, which is my full SS age. At the moment recovering from open heart surgery. I am on sick leave, then comp time, then vacation time. After getting the heart fixed, I will get my bum right knee fixed ( I guess this is fix me year.). My official retirement date is July 1. That is when the full Medicare kicks in. I plan on keeping busy. I have two hobbies, Olympic style archery, and the classic cars. I also have 47 acres of mostly timbered property. I will now have the time to do traveling at my pace. Not the get there for the tournament or car show, followed by the get home for work schedule. I will now have the time to stop and look at things that look interesting along the trip. That will keep me busy.

[Old Blue 66]

I think the only time Ive heard about people retiring is in situations like Gregs. They worked for one company forever and were able to draw a pension.

Those women must have just thought you were wealthy or something. Personally, I cant think of a day that Ill ever retire. My wife and I might reach a point where we take a few extra vacations per year but Ill always have some sort of means of a paycheck.

[The Boss]

Originally Posted by necdb3

I call it that I semi retired at 48. I left 30 years in the auto business and flip houses and opened a contracting business with my son. I switched to my 2nd passion after the 1st one got old.

This is pretty much were I'm at - no pension to draw on but not working full time like most. Other than negotiating the sale of a flip house, bid on another & one meeting on Friday morning my week is done work-wise. I spend the rest of my time buying/selling/playing with cars & working around the house. I have some car parts to pick up today, some to order and need to bring one car to get detailed, but that's about it.

Since I make money on the cars I guess that's work too, but neither of the jobs is hard really - I had knee surgery in the middle of the renovation of this latest house & it had no impact on the progress at all. Nice thing is, no mater where I "retire" to, I can do this anywhere and likely will.

[68gtoMN]

I'm always tired...no need to re-tire.

[Qball]

I'll get to retire at my funeral.

[spartazoo]

The only people that I know retiring that young are active duty military, city police, and city firemen...

[bird72]

Many companies will squeeze you out as you age. It is illegal and never admitted. Insurance for older can be 2-3X cost of younger. Vested long PTO for long term employees also. Young can be paid 25% less than seasoned. etc. My advice is be prepared for this possibly happening. Have a Plan B. I was 38 year telcom pro, all engineering experience. saw it coming last year, volunteered for a "package" (9 months pay in my case). The work was there, it wasn't work need. The "model" has changed. They have one person now in my local group, not the three we were. He answers phones, spins around all day like a top, and send contractors scurrying.

Guess what though? It has hit. They spent enough years lean and mean, not nurturing up and comers like the old days. The retiree pool of contractors they used for years has aged out and is gone. All they can get for contractors are greenie weenies. I could go do "unit work" (not hourly) and work like a dog as a contractor, but at age 59, they did me the biggest favor I never knew. Life is mo better. Took 4 months to purge stress and now, wheee.

My point? I was going to retire at 64-65. NOT 58. Be ready. They don't love you as much as they say. Plan B. The fallacy is that YOU may plan your retirement, when really others may.

Maybe that is why they ask, they see people being squeezed out younger.

[PMD1969]

Originally Posted by Will

You're 47 and you just started graying?

I hate you.

[carbking]

Retire???

Goodyear, Firestone, or Michelin?

Tell them you look older as you gain wisdom, why do you look so young?

Actually, retirement is when you stop working for the government, and start working for the doctors!

Jon.

[hurryinhoosier62]

Originally Posted by spartazoo

The only people that I know retiring that young are active duty military, city police, and city firemen...

I wasn't given a choice when my doc retired me at 47. I was told that my continued working would cause enough further damage to my already damaged spine to put me in a wheelchair with constant pain for the rest of my life.