My Personal Journey

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I recently turned 59 1/2 years old — the precise age at which a person is allowed to use retirement funds (IRAs, 401(k)s, Roths) without early withdrawal penalties.  

Wahoo!

But, despite hitting that magical milestone, I have not yet found the nerve to actually retire.  

Why is that?

We’re financially prepared to retire. We have a retirement budget (100% of our current spending levels) and a portfolio ready to support that budget. I‘ve also “modeled” our retirement income (for the past two years) in our regular tax software (Intuit’s TurboTax) just to confirm my spreadsheet calculations. Everything checks out. We’ve even set aside money to pay health insurance premiums until we reach the age for Medicare eligibility (65).  

But am I mentally prepared to retire?  

It's not about the job, my title, or even about my career.  While all those things were once big motivators for me, they're not any longer.

At 59, retiring now feels like I’m quitting early. If I hang it up now, am I leaving a few more good earnings years on the table? Yes, probably, but why do I care?

I feel like I should enjoy my 60s, but also feel a sense of guilt about voluntarily walking away early i.e., the traditional “full” retirement age which, for me, is 67.  If I can work, shouldn’t I? 

You may be thinking, "this guy doesn't sound like he's ready to retire."  But, alas, I am!  I just haven't found the nerve to actually walk away yet, but I'm getting closer and closer...

Working on this site helps me work through these mental hurdles.  I hope some of the information (indeed, ruminations!) here helps you, too, if you find yourself struggling with similar challenges.