Can I Retire Early? You May Want to Rethink the Question

Can I retire early is a question many folks ask, butthose that retired at 65 lived to be 66.
they usually base their decision on money and not onNow ask yourself can I retire early if you have the
the time they have left to live.chance. Offering early retirement is a popular way for
Seems a few years ago certain large companiessome companies to reduce costs.
found that their retirement funds were overfunded.What are some reasons for this surprising data?
Said another way, the retirees were dying before1) The longer you work the more stress you will
they had received their full pensions based uponexperience, and this cuts down the life span.
actuarial tables.2) Early retirees may not retire completely, but their
One aerospace company found that the retirees whonew "jobs" are less stressful and more enjoyable.
retired at age 65 only lived an average of 18 monthsThe pension from the old company helps pay the bills
before passing away. Eighteen months is mindand the new work may be temporary or a takeoff
blowing.on their hobbies.
So a study was commissioned and data collectedTherefore, time rather than money should be a prime
from this large company. They had offered earlyconsideration when deciding to retire. What good
retirement in the past and therefore had data ondoes it do you to wait until 65, have a sizable pension
how long retirees lived based upon the age at whichcheck and receive it for 18 months on average? Why
they had retired.not retire now, spend less and live longer.
Those that retired at age 50 lived to be 86 and