I want to retire next month at 53. My wife thinks I am too young. What would you do?

We currently work together in a two man (person) business, so here is no chance of changing her routine.

Public Comments

1. I would if I could but I can't.
2. f*ck it. retire. if you can afford it, great. she's just jealous. think of it this way, its more time with the kids, plus you can pursue your hobbies now, and will be able to take some of the load of housework, etc off her. use those as some reasons, and you'll convince her.
3. If you can afford to do it then I sure would. At 53 you can still enjoy life and do somethings you've always want to, but never had the time. Enjoy it if you can!
4. If you are able to afford it why not? Does she work? If she does then is there any way that she could retire also
5. If you can afford to and want to, it's your choice... she's scared of you changing her routine, being under her feet all day and leaning on her to wait on you hand and foot I guess... retire, get a hobby... learn to look after your own needs and put the seat down, and clean up behind you, so she can semi retire too, and she'll bless the day you did retire;-)
6. If you can afford it.....Do it...
7. If its not gonna put you in financial straights, I say go for it.
8. My goal is 55 (in 20 years). But I don't have a wife. If I did (or will), I doubt I'd be able to.
9. Get a new wife ;)
10. Send the wife out to work and retire now!!
11. Do whatever makes you happy...................
12. Wonder why your wife doesnt want you home during the day......
13. If you can afford it, DO IT. I would. But if you do, remember to increase your contributions around the house to help your wife. That'll please her. I hope you can both retire and spend more time together, if that's what you want. Good luck!
14. I think it depends on what type of work you do and what your financial situation is. If you have enough money and no longer get gratification from your job, you should retire. Then you can devote your time to an activity that you find fulfilling and hopefully benefits others. I'd definitely recommend volunteering your time to an organization that you find interesting and worthwhile.
15. What will you do with your time? And will you have enough money to do it? You won't have a routine, you won't have your workmates to chat to every day, you won't get that fat monthly pay check - but if you have better things to do, good friends and enough money, then go for it. I just wish I could retire, too!
16. You have to see how much retirement funds you have. And is the monthly payment going to be sufficient enough in the long run? If you have had a Defined Benefits retirement plan, so far, I don't think many companies would let you retire unless you are 55 and have 10 years service. Defined Contribution/ 401K plans, you have to see how they are invested and what's the monthly payment. Life expectancy rates are higher and so is the cost of living. Your DC plan may not be able to cover that. Retiring early may not be a financially secure option in the long run. Also, what do you plan on doing post retirement. You have to plan that too because individuals like it only for a while sitting and doing nothing. That requires plenty of planning.
17. there aren't any pockets in shrouds!!!!!!!!! RETIRE........
18. you're way too old to be using this internetwebthingy, get off now ! just kiddin' Retire when you like, although my friends do change when they retire. They seem happier, more time, they do what they like....sod it, where do i sign
19. is it compulsory retirement? if not, if you are confortable why not. otherwise find out her reasons and think about it before you retire
20. Go for it. You work to live not live to work if you can live without work why not?
21. On the deathbed, no-one has ever said that they wish they had spent more time at the office. Enjoy!
22. Go for it, i did and i am a just bit younger then you spend more time with my family it`s great
23. too young to retire! how old do you have to be?? . is there a guarntee that you will live another five or ten years or more. I got a lot of no good feed back when I retired at sixty two. I have enjoyed every bit of it. now its been eight years . the only clock I set is on the coffee maker
24. Consider bringing in someone part time, and take the opportunity for both you and your wife to work 'reduced' hours.
25. Retire! Then your wife can hire a sexy young thing to replace you!
26. Retire and learn the cobbling business.
27. My little brother retired at 35!! He made alot of money in stocks and whatnot and made very good investments. But when he turned 40 last year, he finally decided to go back to work. The thing is, he planned what he was going to do during retirement, and traveled and learned new hobbies. I want to retire at 55, and you best believe I'm busting my buns to be able to do that. But it would be really boring if you don't have someone to spend your time with.
28. 53 is too young to retire if you plan to just sit around and do nothing. It would be bad for your health. If you have plans to still be active etc it might be ok. That is if your wife can adjust and not be angry about it. After all she will still be putting in the work hours. It is something you need to really talk out with her, and do a lot of planning.
29. Sh*t. There's no rule of when you should retire. Retire when you can afford it and when you feel like it. Life's to be lived and enjoyed! I plan to retire by 50! I figure, why not?
30. You retire when you can afford it. You will need 125% of your current income to do it. Why? Because you will actually spend MORE money now that you have the free time to do the things you couldn't when you were working. You won't be spending your days on the porch in a rocking chair, will you? I didn't think so...
31. My step dad is 52 and retired. no shame to it- permanant holiday.
32. Retirement is not an age its an income. If you are financially independent then why work? There are so many things to do and places to visit that one life isn't enough to cover them all. All these people that say "i would be bored" have a distinct lack of imagination. Go for it !!!!
33. If you believe you are ready then you should discuss with her your reasons and show her on paper your financial plans (maybe get a professional financial advisor to help prepare this) and a list of your personal goals you want to achieve through retirement. Be considerate of her needs and expectations of your future together when preparing your plans and goals. Tell her you will prepare these things for her in written form so she can go over it and then give her the chance to revise and ammend according her needs and expectations. Then together you should decide on what can be adjusted and be willing to compromise according to each other's priorities. The following are just a few of the websites available to will help you understand what you must consider before making the decision: US Dept of Labor's Top 10 ways to prepare: http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/publications/10_ways_to_prepare.html Texas Medical Association's Study on Emotional Preparation: https://www.texmed.org/Template.aspx?id=1684 Arizona State University - Mentally Preparing: http://www.azcentral.com/community/scottsdale/articles/0417sr-aging0417Z8.html About.com's article on 12 Tips to Retirement: http://retireplan.about.com/od/caniretire/a/12_tips.htm
34. Chookie, If you want to retire it could be because your fed up with the job you're doing. So why don't you retrain (its never to late) I used to be a dry stone waller and now I'm a tree apple polisher(some of that was made up) however we aren't here for very long so i think you should do something that makes you feel fulfilled
35. Don`t leave your job , you`ll be regret.what`s your plan if you get retired? if you move to different job, its OK , other wise don`t make yourself lazy and out of responsible.
36. if u can afford it and u know how ure gonna start spending ure days then go for it after all isnt this why we all work our asses off for our entire lifes in oder to retire early x
37. If you work together, your wife is already used to having you around 24/7. If you feel you are financially secure one would think she would embrace the idea. You are still young enough to travel and enjoy yourself so I say do it. If she wants to keep working that is her decision. I don't understand her objecting to your decision at all. As someone else said, if all else fails, move on.
38. Yes bloody right mate,but make sure you keep yourself busy,a lazy man dies quicker than a busy one.
39. Negotiate, set a goal and aim for when retirement suits both of you. Or if you do it now you will get to see Australia win back the Ashes. Two old men in a retirement village were talking. One says to the other, "How do you really feel? I mean you are 72 years old, how do you honestly feel?" "Honestly, I feel like a new born baby. I've got no hair, no teeth, and I just wet myself."