However, you unfortunately cannot begin receiving Social Security retirement benefits at 55. The earliest age you can begin drawing Social Security retirement benefits is 62. But there's a catch – taking Social Security benefits prior to reaching your full retirement age results in a reduction of your benefit amount.
As a general rule, if you withdraw funds before age 59 ½, you'll trigger an IRS tax penalty of 10%. The good news is that there's a way to take your distributions a few years early without incurring this penalty. This is known as the rule of 55.
One frequently used rule of thumb for retirement spending is known as the 4% rule. It's relatively simple: You add up all of your investments, and withdraw 4% of that total during your first year of retirement. In subsequent years, you adjust the dollar amount you withdraw to account for inflation.
A worker can choose to retire as early as age 62, but doing so may result in a reduction of as much as 30 percent. Starting to receive benefits after normal retirement age may result in larger benefits. With delayed retirement credits, a person can receive his or her largest benefit by retiring at age 70.
Whether pursuing a dream career or working a low-pressure gig, 15% of respondents said a desire to do something else is why they retired early. Some retire early to care for aging parents or a spouse with a chronic condition. Thirteen percent of survey respondents retired early for this reason.
Age may be just a number, but that number matters when it comes to retiring. The common definition of early retirement is any age before 65 — that's when you may qualify for Medicare benefits. Currently, men retire at an average age of 64, while for women the average retirement age is 62.
The $1,000 per month rule is designed to help you estimate the amount of savings required to generate a steady monthly income during retirement. ing to this rule, for every $240,000 you save, you can withdraw $1,000 per month if you stick to a 5% annual withdrawal rate.
Generally, you'll need to complete some paperwork, and describe why you need early access to your retirement funds. Unless you're 59 ½ or older, the IRS will tax your traditional 401(k) withdrawal at your ordinary income rate (based on your tax bracket) plus a 10 percent penalty.
How to plan for an early retirement: 7 steps you can take Map out your retirement goals. Know your numbers. Create a retirement budget (or a few of them) ... Maximize your retirement savings. Figure out health insurance. Talk to a financial advisor. Be prepared to make changes.