Member-only story
The Retirement Newsletter: Does retiring early take courage?
Welcome
Welcome to issue 179 (32).
A few weeks ago, I was chatting with a friend of a friend at a party, and I told them I had recently retired and that I had retired early. Their response surprised me. They said I was brave (I’ve been accused of that before) and that they didn’t have the courage to retire early. But does it take courage?
What is Early Retirement?
If you look at retirement ages by country, you can see a wide range worldwide (see Wikipedia: Retirement Age). The retirement age is country-dependent and tends to fall between 60 and 70. For example, in the UK, it is 67 for men, which is when you can start to take your State Pension. So, anyone in the UK who retires before they are 67 has retired early. But why would someone think it takes courage?
Does Retiring Early Take Courage?
Retiring early is often seen as the ultimate dream. You get to leave behind the daily grind and have the time to enjoy life and your hobbies and passions. You no longer have to contend with the daily commute and the constraints of a 9-to-5 job.
