I’m Retiring at 57 with $2.3 Million – Here’s How I Feel About Leaving My Job

If you’re in a position to walk away from your job and live comfortably before you hit Full Retirement Age at 67, congratulations, you’re in a great financial position. This is especially true if you are in the FIRE world, where the goal is to earn enough, as quickly as possible, to retire early. 

For one Redditor posting in r/Fire, they are 57 years old and after 35 years at their current job, they are ready to move on from a toxic work environment. With a strong pension and 401(k), they are finally looking to step away. Even if they think 57 isn’t quite “FIRE,” they should be overjoyed with the decision. 

Goodbye to the Workforce

In the case of this Redditor, turning 57 was the final straw, as things are starting to go downhill at their workplace. This prompted a meeting with a financial planner, and with a net worth of $2.3 million, they are ready to retire. 

The financial planner meeting went about as well as could be expected, with the planner advising the Redditor that he is “golden” as far as calling it quits now. This was the best news they could hear, and so the notice is in, and they have only three weeks left before the corporate rat race is gone forever. 

For the most part, they stayed in the workforce until 57 so they could reach their pension, which isn’t a substantial amount at $57,000, but it’s something. On top of making maximum 401(k) contributions since they were 22 and not looking at the 401(k) since then, this is about as good as it gets. 

How Do They Feel? 

This is the best news for this individual, as they have previously suffered from depression, anxiety, and even saw a psychiatrist at one point and started on antidepressants to make it through the workday. Even though they still struggle, the hope is that being able to say goodbye to the stress of work will be like a weight lifted off their shoulders. 

There is no better way to find yourself at peace than to realize that tomorrow, and for everyday after that, you won’t need to wake up to the chiming bells of email or chat requests coming in. There’s no offsite meetings or expense reports to file, all of this is helping the Redditor realize that while they waited than most people in the traditional FIRE sense, they are exactly where they want to be. 

As a government employee, the original poster is feeling the pressure from various actions taken by the current administration. The result is that they had hoped to leave in better circumstances, potentially even waiting a little longer until they hit 62. Still, given the ups and downs in government agencies right now, they are perfectly okay with walking out the door and never looking back. 

What’s Next

With the burden lifted from not having to worry about work anymore, this Redditor is making some good plans. After seeing two close friends pass away at a young age, the writing was on the wall, so he’s expecting to do some mountain biking, fishing, and even getting back into marathon shape. 

On top of that, he’s looking to give back by volunteering and even taking some bucket list trips in the hopes of finding himself again. There is also some peace of mind that he feels about not having to continuously write to Senators and Congresspeople in the hopes of addressing the issues in a rocky political climate, so this is one of the biggest reasons he is okay with calling it quits. 

The post I’m Retiring at 57 with $2.3 Million – Here’s How I Feel About Leaving My Job appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..