Julius Laroy from MI posted over 10 years ago:

You may find this interesting: I retired early (age 52) from IBM. I was healthy. I joined my wife on our small farm enterprise. We did well,enjoyed our endeavors and gradually reduced our efforts. I am now 82 and quite healthy for my age. With expectancy of 95. I guess one could say its best to keep working at something you really like if you can but gradually taper down. I couldn't be happier. Just bragging. Julius

Frederick Schmidt from MO posted over 10 years ago:

There has to be some selection bias here. I would be a dollar that the interviews with most "healthy" early retirees showed burnout or stress from FORCED retirement. Conversely, those who continue to work are the ones who have the cognitive ability to continue to do so, or the ones whose work is healthful or pyschologically beneficial, i.e. not stressful. Having said all that, I see a lot of retirees who do nothing - they sit around and relax, maybe a few hobbies, but nothing demanding or engaging. I think I would be bored to tears. Luckily I have the kind of work that I can disband my business and work part time for somebody else, or cut my clientele down to a retirement level.

Mike Martin from Virginia posted over 10 years ago:

While it would not change the conclusion but, would indicate the strength of the observed effect, if this article had specified the observational period for the mortality determination i.e., the period over which the measurement of the number of deaths was made. For example, the effect would be stronger if the difference in death rate occurred mostly in the first year past retirement versus mostly many years later. We must recall that, for all of us, mortality is ultimately 100% . The synopsis of the study at the attached link to the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health states that the methodology used a baseline of 1992 and a follow-up period of 1992-2010. So, it appears that the mortality measurement period was 1992-2010, or 18 years post-retirement. Perhaps, if I had paid to read the entire article, I could have determined where, in that 18-year period, the difference in mortality rates occurred. If it occurred mostly in the early years versus the latter years, that indicate a huge difference in the strength of the effect. This is analogous to the time period being a major determinant of the present value of a future payment.

Richard Abbott from FL posted over 10 years ago:

I retired 4 times. The first time I was 60. After 2 months of playing golf every day I got bored. I went back to work part time until I was 66. After 2 months boredom set in again. I went back to work part time again until I was 71. At 76 I went back to work par time until I was 78. I finally retired but volunteered at the local hospital, became a member of one of my City's Boards, became a member of my HOA Board of Directors, bowl in 2 leagues a week and walk golf 2 days a week. I just turned 87 and still going strong. I have been blessed with good genes and good health but staying active physically and mentally I think helps.

Richard Fisel from NM posted over 10 years ago:

I can't believe you would blindly repeat such a blatant leap from correlation to causation. Could it be that people in ill health retire earlier? Instead of early retirement causing higher mortality risk, couldn't it be the other way around?

Robert Semel from VA posted over 10 years ago:

I have to agree with Mr. Fisel and most of the others. There are lies, damn lies, and statistics.(Mark Twain). Basing one's one's retirement plan on statistics can be dangerous. Now 87 in great health, I retired at 62 and have no regrets. Enjoyed 25 years thus far - traveling,tennis,family, . . . The key reason to postpone retirement for a healthy person should be economic, most likely caused by poor or inadequate planning during working years.

Tom Bauer from OH posted over 10 years ago:

Retired first time at 59, buyout to save the company money, started working part time, which became full time. Been able to save another $165,000 in retirement about 40% in Roth Ira, planning on converting my work IRA before I hit 70. Hope to retire again next year when I hit 67, taking care of Mom she is 102 so I am planning to live for awhile, now I am hoping to outlive Mom.

Andrew Shuman from ME posted over 10 years ago:

@Robert Semel. Another reason for postponing retirement can be that a person actually likes what they do for a living, and that they have a job in which retirement isn't necessary by a certain age. A person may be healthy and have done proper retirement planning, but just may not see a need (or a want) to retire just because the culture says we should be out of the workforce by a certain age. I totally agree with you, retiring because of statistics alone is akin to folly, but retiring just because we are "supposed to" is just as silly. Congratulations on your retirement thus far, it sounds like you have the world by the tail and are enjoying yourself immensely. I wish you many more years of travelling, tennis and family!