Although early retirement is a goal for many Americans, fewer than 1% retire before the age of 50, according to a LIMRA study published in 2015. Perhaps somewhat more realistically, a 2023 EBRI/Greenwald Research Retirement Confidence Survey found that 20% of workers say they plan to retire between the ages of 60 and 64.
One problem with making good on the dream of early retirement is that while Social Security allows individuals to retire — or begin drawing government retirement benefits — at age 62.5, financial advisors commonly define early retirement as any age before 65 — the year at which individuals qualify for Medicare benefits, leaving a potential gap in how to mitigate financial risks related to health care costs.
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