Retirement: When would you like to retire? Do you have a plan to get there?

Im 60 and own a small business not thinking about retirement I just love what I do but working on a slow down plan for next few yrs
going to do less take on less work Tam is out in 2 yrs and we will see what happens then
I have a customer base of 35 yrs and they all say please dont retire lol
 
Not working until old age has always been my plan. I retired from the USAF in 2013 at 43. After that, I was self-employed for a couple of years then did a couple more years of contract work for the military in Afghanistan. I finally stopped working altogether almost 5 years ago after I paid my house off. Now that I've caught up on all the chores and most of my projects around the house, I'm bored. I've been considering doing seasonal work during the tax season and maybe some part-time work here and there. As long as I have a lot of flexibility during the hunting season, I'm good. My general feeling now is that early retirement is over-rated. Man is just not supposed to be idle.
 
Some interesting perspective on this, and there are correct answers on different levels.

The “do what you love and it’s never work” is great, until it doesn’t work. I started out in my dream job, and still love it, but institutional burnout is very real and is hard to comprehend in your 30s. It’s a lot more real as 40 approaches the rear view.

I am a big believer in balancing the present with the future. I would never give up all the fun I’ve had along the way. However, I’m also looking forward to reaching a point where I can choose to work and not have to work.

I’ve been fortunate to have good health, a wonderful wife who also has good health, and we are both at a point in life where empty nesting sounds good, and we can do more as just us and the dogs.

Odds are, I’ll probably work part time. I already have an awesome contractor opportunity for when the day comes. I have enough withholdings from my paycheck now that retiring at 50% of my current gross won’t put me all that far below my current take home. Between my two pensions it’ll be almost a wash. SS will be a bonus, and deferred comp is a good supplement for making house payments for as long as we need to.
 
Curious, for those of you with pensions, would you have accepted more vacation time through your working years in exchange for extending the retirement date? Might be hard to say for those that are approaching retirement and can see the light at the end of the tunnel. With the general acknowledgement on this thread that the future is uncertain, I wonder how many would take more free time today (younger, better health) in exchange for a longer career.
What is this vacation of which you speak?
 
My plan is to step away from my businesses at 45 and just manage my assets. Currently I’m 33 and my wife is 31 and I own two businesses as well as some cash flowing assets. I could probably call it quits in two years and live a decent lifestyle but would still have things I want to do that I wouldn’t be able to afford so I’m going to roll up some more real estate/cash flow and let them work. I won’t be truly retired at 45 because I’ll still be managing some of my real estate stuff but it won’t take much of my time and I’ll be able to manage them from anywhere I want. The health insurance part is the biggest kicker right now. My wife works 3 days a week basically so we have insurance. Once I find a good solution there then she will likely work more with me on the business end.

I was fortunate to have a good mentor that got me started in business early and it’s helped me tremendously in setting myself up for the future.
 
1yr and 11 days of work left for me, then will PTO for 3mos before officially retired.
I'll retire at 55 with 36yrs at same company.
- Full pension
- $30k lump given for healthcare premium/out of pocket costs (current retiree cost is $200 month for same damn good coverage I have today - yes I realize this can change)
- 401k
- SS at 62 planned if still in existence.

I hope I never have to or want to work again another day in my life. I have a long list of activities to do and sights to see to keep me busy.

Wishing the best to everyone getting to their retirement date plan!
As good as it gets, right there. Wishing you the best, Dave! Put in your time... Now, time to play.
 
Curious, for those of you with pensions, would you have accepted more vacation time through your working years in exchange for extending the retirement date? Might be hard to say for those that are approaching retirement and can see the light at the end of the tunnel. With the general acknowledgement on this thread that the future is uncertain, I wonder how many would take more free time today (younger, better health) in exchange for a longer career.
No. I have 30 weeks of leave on the books right now, aiming to have 48 by retirement, all of which I intend to cash out in a big lump sum. I also cash out about a week’s worth of holidays every year. If I could put more hours in now and retire earlier I’d do it. I took a week off this month and to put two roofs on my property to save paying a contractor $3500 in labor. My wife refers to me as the energizer bunny.
 
For you guys that have good financial advisors that you like and have worked with for a long time, how did you go about finding them and what should I look for when searching?
 
For you guys that have good financial advisors that you like and have worked with for a long time, how did you go about finding them and what should I look for when searching?
I’m one. Due some fact finding and due diligence. Investment philosophy, fiduciary, fees etc. and experience.
 
Haven't seen much talk about long-term care insurance in retirement plans. Most financial advisors and attorneys I've talked with recommend it. I'm already insurance poor and hesitant to pull the trigger!
 

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