FAQ: When do people normally retire?
Answer: We always approach this question with a bit of skepticism. Not because we don’t think the individual asking is serious, but because we believe the question they mean to ask is “When is it best for me to retire?”
The truth is that retirement should be a personal decision based upon your unique desires, beliefs, and financial resources. Learning about when the average person retires is effectively useless in determining when will be the right time for you.
Although most of the people we work with retire between the ages of 62 and 70, each situation is different. The answer to when you will retire should be based on your responses to the following questions:
- When can I afford to leave work and either semi-retire or completely retire?
- Am I physically able to continue in my work?
- Do I still enjoy the challenge of work?
- What will I retire to? How will I spend my days?
- Would I prefer to work longer and enjoy a more comfortable lifestyle in retirement or retire younger and live a simpler lifestyle?
Once you have the answers to these questions, then you can begin to build a timeline for your retirement. Remember, it’s not about when the Jones’ next door will retire (and whether you will be able to keep up with them), it’s about when you can or will retire based on factors ranging from physical, emotional, and financial.
As always, if you need help answering these questions, give Zynergy Retirement Planning a call so we can help you achieve, maintain, and enjoy your financial freedom.
