......... and IMHO you should choose your words more carefully ........

OK, let's get back to the OP's topic, please....

I also have a brother that worked 12 years past when he needed to and it gave him a bigger pile. That was in the month of January. In May of the same year he had a debilitating stroke. If you can afford to retire young, do so. It opens the jobs market and you will MOST LIKELY enjoy it. Too many good people fall under the spell of money and miss out on what should be the best part of their life.

Do what's best for you
 

We stopped working at 52 and 51. Was it a risk? Yes it was but we are glad we did and haven't looked back. Life is too short and gets shorter as we grow older. I also wanted some time in the sun and to enjoy life with no schedule or demands. I guess if I had a pension to think about and social security maybe I would have chose differently? But with no pension, and social security here sooner than I think, my decision was the right one for me. Good luck with your decision.

What some define as greed, others view as being secure and independent.

:agree:

and productive, contributing to the economy and the world!

Retire and enjoy. If enjoyment to you is going to the salt mine, do that, but I hope for everyone to recognize when enough is enough. More money will not bring back your health, but retirement will.

I think most people work to provide for themselves and their families. Work can also offer a feeling of accomplishment and self expression. I don't think greed is what motivates most people. You also have to be careful seeking advice from just one source such as TOTV as many people love this place so much that once they come here it can be hard to keep working, so many people here cash out early. If someone can swing a retirement with a carefully worked out financial plan in place that can provide them an acceptable income into their 90's then they can retire when they want. I retired early, in my mind, at 64. I loved my job, but I was ready to retire. After retiring I found the Villages. I am so glad I retired when I did. It has done wonders for my health and vigor. I love it here!

I used to sit at my desk and hear the song, "I DON'T WANT TO WORK, I WANT TO PLAY MY DRUMS ALL DAY" my husband was 55 and I retired at 60. We moved here 1 1/2 years ago and never looked back. This is our life. We play, we sleep, we sing, we eat, whenever we want to!!!!!

Making a teenager move and start all over in another school would put the skids on any early retirement plan, for me. But maybe you would retire and stay put until he graduates. You didn't say. But that would be the biggest obstacle. I could not uproot a child of that age.

I never heard a person who retired say, "I wish I had spent more time at the office". :D

Life is like a roll of toilet paper, "the closer you get to the end, the faster it goes".

BTW - Everyone has to decide for themselves when it's the right time to retire, get SS, pensions, investments, etc, because only you have the best idea of how long you are going to live".

What's the line from, "When Harry Met Sally".

"When you find what you really want from life, you want that to happen, right away"