As early as age 62, spouses can collect either on their own career benefits, or take 50 percent of their spouses’ benefits, whichever is greater. The non-working spouse can begin to collect on the other’s record only if the working spouse has already begun receiving social security spousal benefits, a small but very important point. If the non-working spouse is taking care of a child under the age of 16 or who is disabled, then those benefits can begin before the earliest retirement age of 62 under other circumstances. (more…)

You can retire at 62 and can consider it as early retirement, but it come with a penalty. You can also retire in the years between the earliest retirement dates and full retirement and get a bit more money with each passing year. Suppose you create a financial plan based upon the three-legged financial stool of personal savings, part-time income (by having retirement part time jobs), and getting Social Security Income (Social Security benefits). As your planned-for retirement date approaches, (more…)

Losing a job—at any age—is traumatic, even when a worker receives some severance pay. In addition to loss of income and/or employee benefits, there is a feeling of insecurity as one’s way of life is disrupted. Workers faced with involuntary retirement in later life must take stock of their financial resources, marketable job skills, and emotional readiness—or not—for retirement.

The federal COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act) law provides an opportunity for continuation of health insurance for up to 18 months, at group rates plus a 2% administrative fee, until an individual policy (or new group coverage) is obtained or a worker is eligible for Medicare. (more…)

Most workers assume they will decide when to retire. Sometimes, however, an employer suggests it in the form of an early retirement (a.k.a. “buyout”) offer. An early retirement incentive plans offer may or may not be voluntary. If it seems likely that employees will lose their jobs anyway with less generous terms (e.g., a specific department is being targeted), taking a buyout is typically advised (Wollan 2002). (more…)

The day has finally arrived, you have work for years and now you have to decide if it is the time for an early departure from your company, or continue to work for a few years. The advantages and disadvantages of early retirement are quite simple to understand, to the disappointment of many people. Early retirement advantages are quite simple: you can stop working! The disadvantages or cons of early retirements are a bit more complicated. (more…)

The thought of retire early may be an illusion for some and a punishment for others. Everything is, as the saying goes, depending on how you look at it. First, is it the decision whether retirement is voluntary or forced? Often when companies offer their employee early retirement is not really such an offer since the other option is to be fired. (more…)

It is hard fact that the best-designed 401k plan in the most prosperous investment condition can’t have an enough income for retirement, if the person is not contributing a significant amount to the plan regularly. This problem can be as result as no continuous access to 401k plan, financial instability to contribute due to low salary, other financial priority in life, family and life needs, (more…)

After my parents moved to Florida in the mid-1980s, Mom and Dad would send us the job ads from the Sunday newspaper. In one letter, Mom circled an ad that she thought was perfect. “Look at this one,” she wrote. “It pays $401,000.” On closer inspection, we realized the job offered a 401k retirement savings plan, not a $401,000 salary. (more…)

If you have never considered full time RV living, it is one of the best ways to retire early… think again. A lot of people do it, they enjoy the lifestyle, and it can be a very frugal way of retirement living. We RVed for 6 years for 6 to 22 month stretches at a time. (more…)