There's nothing in the retirement rulebook that says you can't retire at 55 years old. In fact, some members of the FIRE (financial independence, retire early) movement aim to retire as early as 40. So it's perfectly legal to retire in your mid-50s if that's your goal.
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.
You must have at least 30 total years of benefitted service established with a State of Georgia sponsored retirement plan and the last five (5) years must have been continuous with the USG. Teachers Retirement System of Georgia (TRS) members may retire at any age after 30 years of service without penalty.
Early retirement You can receive Social Security retirement benefits as early as age 62. However, we'll reduce your benefit if you start receiving benefits before your full retirement age. For example, if you turn age 62 in 2025, your benefit would be about 30% lower than it would be at your full retirement age of 67.
You can start receiving your Social Security retirement benefits as early as age 62. However, you are entitled to full benefits only when you reach your full retirement age. If you delay taking your benefits from your full retirement age up to age 70, your benefit amount will increase.
However, the IRS rule of 55 may allow you to receive a distribution in the year you reach age 55 or later (and before age 59½) without triggering the early penalty if your plan provides for such distributions. Any distribution would still be subject to an income tax withholding rate of 20 percent, however.
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.
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.