Self employed and still enjoying my work.

42 years working for SSA was enough. I retired at age 66 in 2016. Even though it was a lot of pressure I still liked my job. When I left the staffing shortages were bad and things were getting worse - with increasing workloads and fewer people to do the job. It was time. No regrets.

Started medicar a few months ago but still have a couple toes in the workforce doing consulting work. I'll probably start drawing SS in '26 but not sure yet.

2008 after 28+ years in LE. The big nudge was the county approving 3@50...3% of salary for each year of service payable after reaching the age of 50.

Took a couple of years to pad my retirement through leave management and taking overtime as CTO, but left at age 53 with 84%. My take home...since I was no longer paying into SSI, retirement, 457, union dues...as about what I was taking home before I retired

January 2021.
I had turned 66(full retirement age) 5 months earlier and had started collecting SS. Hung around till January to get Vacation pay/bonuses
for 2020.They approached me in 2022 with an offer to create a part-time position(10-15 hrs per week) which was too good to refuse(gun/golf money).LOL
Still working that gig.

Nov. 30 2021 @ 65. Retired after 41 years in industrial parts distribution business.

I retired in August of this year at 42.

2013 age 66. Last 30 years in custom le and emergency services uniforms and eqpt. Loved my customers but hated .gov purchasing. Since I retired all my time is spent working on my farm.

For a long while, I’ve been counting on needing to work for 10-12 more years. A month or so ago, I started staring at the numbers really hard.

I need to meet with my advisor soon, but I’m cautiously optimistic I could retire in 8-10 instead, if I can continue putting 22+ percent into my funds and if the market holds well.

I will retire somewhere between 55-60, I still have a few more years to go.

In five years. 62

Sold my lock manufacturing business in 2006 when I was 55, thought I'd work for the new owners one year and then be done.
But... March will be 20 years still with them, but now in a "less than full time" consulting role. I'm pretty close to being ding-dong done; it's not as much fun as it used to be and I'll be 75 in February.

At age 75. 50 years Commercial Real Estate Management and construction;6 years U.S. ARMY; postgraduate research with GI Bill.

I retired from a tiny little corner of the Federal government in 2022-- age 52-- but came back as a reemployed annuitant part-time to run a special project a few months later. Hung it up for good last year. I investigated primarily white-collar crimes that would bore most people to absolute tears, but I actually enjoyed the work and it provided me-- queue Liam Neeson-- with a "very particular set of skills" that translate well to the post-retirement consulting world.

So still playing around in that arena, about 100 hours a year, and still keep a foot in the LE training world. Not REALLY retired, but able to throw the switch whenever this stops being fun.

I highly recommend retirement. Just... have a plan. It doesn't have to be foolproof, just a starting point for What Happens The Day After. Don't be the guy sitting there starting out the window and asking "What now?"

This message has been edited. Last edited by: DennisM,

2 years and 2 months ago. Smidge over 56 y.o.

Four years ago, age 61. I wanted to work longer but couldn't stand the company. (Was on the fifth buyout, got worse each time). And grew to hate the job. My ass will never sit in the seat of a truck again. 35 years, zero accidents, and they were going to put in a camera looking at my face! Any pinhead in the company could watch me, eat a pretzel, you're wrote up. screw that.
I saved wisely, and I can stay up as late as I want!!

2 years ago at 59. Have not regretted it for one second. Not having to think about having to work tomorrow. Mid-day naps are awesome.

59 now. The carries to wake me at 5:30 this morning. Switched rooms and woke up at 7:30. Little desire to go to work. Ended up getting there at 9:15 (yes, I have some liberties).

Think I’m one bad meeting away from saying it’s time to hang it up. I like the people I work with so I’ll stick it out as long as I can.

When I was 70 y/o my wife had a major brain bleed, resulting in Brocás Aphasia and need for essentially constant attention. I sold my share of my business and retired to care for her. It has been 15 years now.

I keep up with reading about medicine and clinical laboratory research for my own pleasure. Recent arthritis in both hands and wrists has hurt my ability to shoot handguns, my long-time hobby… I miss it!

About 9 years ago.