The Good and Bad of Retiring Early

February 14, 2020

When it comes to retiring early, some of the benefits are obvious. You get to live your life without the constraints of work, and you are able to pursue your own interests. But there are other good reasons for retiring early, and there are some reasons why retiring early is not the greatest idea.

Your Dedication is Gone

One of the good reasons to retire early is that you are simply not dedicated to working anymore. When you are no longer emotionally interested in working, your performance deteriorates and your company suffers.  Working Took its Toll
In some professions, such as construction and law enforcement, the physical and emotional demands of the job can become too much over time. After a few years in a high-risk profession, your body and mind have simply had enough and it is time to go home and rest.

Your Finances Become More Flexible

Most people do not realize how expensive it is to work until they are no longer working. When you work any job, you incur expenses such as wear and tear on your car, transportation expenses such as gas or bus passes, work clothing costs, daycare and miscellaneous medical costs for work-related injuries. If you have planned your finances to allow yourself to retire early, then you will find that your money goes much further when you are not working.

Your Health Could Suffer

For some people, retiring early means abandoning the daily physical activity working required and giving up a big piece of their identity. Retiring early can cause physical and mental problems that could become very serious over time.

You Lose Your Social Circle

After years of working, you tend to take for granted the notion that you will see most of your friends at work five days out of the week. Even people who think that the people they work with are only acquaintances suddenly find that the loss of the social circle they developed at work is devastating.

You Didn’t Plan Well

When you retire before the age of 65, you run the risk of losing out on health insurance. Medicare automatically kicks in for every American when they turn 65, but what would you do until that age? Did you plan your retirement finances right, or will you run out of money? Many people forget to take inflation into account when they plan their retirement, and that makes retiring early financially dangerous.

There are two sides to every story, and that includes the story that goes with retiring early. The idea of walking away from work before the age of 65 can sound appealing, but there are plenty of variables to consider before you make that decision. If you do want to retire early, then talk about it with your family and ask your financial adviser if you have structured your savings properly to be able to live without a paycheck for the rest of your life.

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