Our financial advisor told us something most advisors won’t say: “You should retire now.”
He’d watched too many clients wait past when they could have retired — and then die shortly after they finally did. They never got to enjoy what they’d spent decades working toward.
That conversation changed everything for us.
We retired at 63 and haven’t looked back.
Maybe you’re weighing the same question right now.
There are real reasons to keep working — And if that’s your chosen version of “retirement” that’s fine.
But there are also dangers in delaying that most retirement advice ignores entirely.
Two Risks No One Mentions in Retirement Planning
1. The Number That Should Change Every Retirement Calculation
While our lifespan has dramatically increased, our health span continues to lag far behind.
The World Health Organization reports that while the average U.S. life expectancy is 76.4 years, the average healthy life expectancy—the years you’re likely to live free of significant health problems—is just 63.9 years.
That means the average American crosses into age-related health decline before they ever reach traditional retirement age.
If you’re planning to work until 65 or 70 before you start “really living,” you may be planning to retire into a body that can no longer keep up with those plans.
The retirement you’re picturing — the hiking trips, the long rounds of golf, the overseas travel — requires a body that cooperates. After 64, the odds of having that body start dropping fast.
2. Why ‘I’ll Retire When I’m Ready’ Fails Almost Half the Time
In 2022, the average expected retirement age was 66, but the average actual retirement age was 62. That four-year gap is not an accident.
The EBRI 2023 Retirement Confidence Survey put it bluntly:
“Almost half — 46% — of retirees said they left the workforce earlier than planned…that share has been similar for the past two decades, largely hovering between 40% and 50%.”
In 2023, 35% of those who retired early did so because of a health problem or disability.
Another 31% were pushed out by layoffs or company restructuring.
That means two-thirds of early retirees didn’t choose to leave — they were pushed.
Counting on working until you’re ready is a plan that fails for most people who try.
Two Things the Research Says Matter Most
1. Go-Go, Go-Slow, No-Go — and Why the Clock Matters
Since our lifespan is much longer than our health span, time is the most valuable commodity in retirement.
Not life span time but health span time.
In order to live the “active retirement of travel, sports, and activities” that many envision for retirement, you have to retire early enough to still enjoy good health.
I remember years ago hearing the old saying that the 60s are the “go-go” years, the 70s are the “go-slow” years, and the 80s are the “no-go” years. The research seems to back that up.
When I first retired at 63, I could easily backpack up to 10 miles a day, sometimes 15 miles when necessary. But now, ten years later, anything over 6-7 miles is uncomfortable and leaves me exhausted. I still get out on the trail — I’ve just learned to pick shorter ones.
Don’t wait so long to retire that you lose the ability to live the active retirement you’ve dreamed about due to declining health.
2. Retire on Your Terms — Before Someone Else Decides for You
Research indicates that the single most important variable in retirement health outcomes isn’t when you retire; it’s whether the decision was yours.
According to an article in Social Science & Medicine, Voluntary retirement—made on your own terms—is consistently linked to better mental health, reduced stress, and faster recovery from pre-retirement strain.
Involuntary retirement produces the opposite.
The longer you wait, the higher the probability that the decision gets made for you — by your health, your employer, or circumstances outside your control.
What Are You Waiting For?
Every retiree I’ve talked to who waited too long says the same thing: “I wish I’d done it sooner.” Not one of them has said, “I wish I’d worked two more years.”
The math on this isn’t complicated.
Your health span is shorter than your life span.
Nearly half of workers don’t get to choose when they leave. And the research is clear — retiring on your own terms is one of the strongest predictors of a good retirement.
So if the numbers work and the only thing keeping you at your desk is fear or inertia, it might be time to ask yourself an honest question: what exactly are you waiting for?
Your Turn: Are you in the “just a few more years” camp? What would it take to move your timeline up?
AI Note: I wrote this blog post myself, using my own words and thoughts for the initial draft. I used AI only to suggest headlines, section headings, images, and text improvements.