What age do you want to retire?

[Goldy1]

I am 33 an dh just turned 38. My goal is to switch to part time work by early 50's and take it from there, but medical costs are the only major inhibitor to that. I suppose late 50's would be reasonable also to swtich to part time work even i fit is about 30 hours a week.
My dad retired around 50 and had to start a business, and my mom is his age and works p/t and goes to school. IT seems staying active is best.

[disneysteve]

What age do I want to retire? 44 (that's what I am now)

What age do I hope to actually retire? 62 if all goes well

[Well Spent]

I don't want to ever retire. I plan on working into my 80s, God-willing. I will work as long as I am able to mentally and physically.

[MonkeyMama]

Never.

I would like to switch to part-time in my 40s or 50s. IT's kind of a catch 22. I care about PT work more now that I have young kids. I don't know that I will care that much once it is more feasible. I think realistically my spouse and I could both work part-time, in our 40s. (The only substantial benefit I get from my job is retirement, and I would get that anyway, as long as I work 20 hours/week or so. This plan includes medical self-insurance; we're used to it).

I want to be financially prepared in case I can't work. BUT, full retirement by choice is not really one of my goals. I like working.

[Investing First Steps]

I actually hope never to retire. I consider retirement a "bill of goods" that has been sold to people. I think retirement sounds really great while you're having to work your butt off, but I think once you actually do it, it's hard to replace the challenges that come with "work." Plus it can make you feel not productive. For me I have worked hard to have the freedom in my life not to work when I don't feel it's the best use of my time, but I don't see a huge need to reach a point where I don't have to do "anything."

I also feel like it's a bit of a trap for people who decide their working life is "done" and then wind up finding that both their financial picture isn't rosy and that they don't enjoy a life with too few challenges. I'm sure everyone's millage varies, but for example I really hope my mother never fully retires. Unless you have something challenging to replace it I think it can be bad for your mind and spirit. I think certain personality types are probably great with it, as they will always seek challenges, but I think some people just adopt the policy and find themselves just kind of "hanging around."

[gamecock43]

As soon as I can. I feel I am too young (28) to have a concrete goal right now, but I semi-retired 2 yrs ago (quit my corporate job) after being in the workforce for 10 yrs and I am LOVING it!

I have to go back to work now- no longer burned out and as I get older my bills are getting larger so the passive income I was making 2 yrs ago no longer really stretches so far...but I might have a baby just to retire! Joking a little bit.

[Investing First Steps]

I think that semi-retirement is great btw. I took a 3 years to pursue entrepreneurial adventures and/or relax (it was intended to be more or the former, but turned out to be more of the latter) and it was great. That's much easier to do when you're young I think, due to social stereotypes about older people.

[minnie1928]

I retired this year at age 36. Most would say that I'm a SAHM, but I found that when people ask me where I work and I tell them that I'm not currently employed I get this condescending look. HOWEVER, if I tell them that I'm retired well then I get congratulated! It's all about how you present things...

:-)

[jIM_Ohio]

retire at 53 is the goal.

I am 35 now and will be 36 real soon. 17 years to go.

The number of people which want to work forever here amazes me.

[kork13]

I feel that I'm really too young (22yo) to try saying "this is when I'm going to retire." I figure as it gets closer (say, 20+ years from now), I can readdress that specific question. For now, however, I kind of like the idea of never totally leaving the workforce. I'm one who gets bored without having a direction of "this is what I'm doing", and working does that for me. If I can "retire" but then continue working, perhaps as a freelance or studio photographer, that would be great for me, at least for as long as I'm able to do that. Not as a means of earning income, but more just to keep me busy doing something I enjoy.

However, having just recently visited my grandparents who are playing the 'winter birds' down near Tampa (they're from Syracuse, NY), I understand the motivation for totally leaving work and retiring. My grandfather loves golfing, and does so at least 3x/week. He loves the freedom of having no responsibility, no demands on him, and they're both able to do whatever they like, whenever they like. So I think it really does depend on your personality as to what/how/if you continue working after retirement.

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by jIM_Ohio

The number of people which want to work forever here amazes me.

Me too.
I'd walk away tomorrow if I had the money.

[ScrimpAndSave]

I would like to retire at 55...I really need to start maxing out my Roth.

[Investing First Steps]

Originally Posted by disneysteve

Me too.
I'd walk away tomorrow if I had the money.

Yes, but are you sure you wouldn't get bored after you did. Like I said, some personality types seek challenges, but many do not and need some external stimulus to introduce them.

[hmd2009]

Today, but can't afford it. I'm 26 and hope to turn my financial situation around to where I can retire within the next 10 years. I hate living to work and working to live.

[trueknight]

I'm 38 years old and will retire in full from the State of Texas when I'm 50. My plans are to attend culinary school just before I retire so I can begin my "second life" as a chef!! Or, perhaps, I might try to finish ground school and get my pilot license and work off of that!!

[gamecock43]

HMD- I like your plan and ambition! If you succeed I want to know what you did!

[Caoineag]

Mid-50's. Don't know if we will or not, but that is the current "goal". Really just want to be financially independent and able to travel. We are 27 and 25 so we still have a lot of careers we want to try first. May just go part-time at that time or sooner depending on how things go.

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by Investing First Steps

Yes, but are you sure you wouldn't get bored after you did. Like I said, some personality types seek challenges, but many do not and need some external stimulus to introduce them.

Yes, I'm quite sure I wouldn't get bored. I'm not one of those types. I don't need to have an office to go to for 40 hours per week to feel like I'm accomplishing something. Actually, more often than not, I feel like I'm not accomplishing anything because I have an office I have to go to every week.

[FrugalIII]

I retired at age 50 with a defined benefit pension. My pension covers all my monthly expenses. I stayed retired for 6 months. I hated it. Bored to death. So I went back to work full time. Different location, same job. Now I'm working on my second defined benefit pension. I hope to continue working full time until I'm social security age. Then I'm sure I'll work part time somewhere. I can't just sit around and do nothing.

[feh]

I'm hoping to semi-retire in my mid-50s. I'm 42 now. When I say "semi-retire", that means "probably still work, but income won't really matter".

We were on track, until the market dive this year.