With $1 million in a 401(k) and no mortgage on a $500,000 home, retirement at 60 may be within reach. However, retiring before eligibility for Social Security and Medicare means relying more on savings. To make this dream a reality, careful planning around healthcare, taxes, and other factors is essential. At any age, deciding whether you can retire comes down to weighing your assets against your expenses.

Assessing Your Financial Situation

The first step in deciding if you can retire at 60 is to understand your financial situation. Key factors include your assets, such as retirement accounts, other savings, and home equity. Equally important are your expenses, from housing and food to discretionary costs like travel. Comparing your income sources to your costs will reveal whether you need to adjust your savings rate or can retire comfortably.

It’s also crucial to understand how your retirement age affects your future income and expenses. For instance, you can’t claim Social Security until age 62. Waiting until your full retirement age of 67 or even 70 can significantly boost your monthly benefit.

Retirement age also has a substantial impact on healthcare costs. Retiring before 65 means paying for five years of private health insurance until Medicare eligibility.

Retiring by 60: Is It Possible?

While most Americans retire around ages 64-67, retiring early at 60 requires diligent preparation. Understanding the rules around retirement accounts is crucial. With a 401(k), you can take penalty-free withdrawals starting at age 55 if you leave your employer, but you’ll still owe income tax on withdrawals. Delaying drawing down retirement savings for as long as possible is wise to allow your investments to continue growing.

You’ll also need to self-fund healthcare until Medicare at 65, which means budgeting for five years of individual coverage or COBRA. If you have health issues, delaying retirement to maintain work-based insurance may be the safest option.

While you can claim Social Security at 62, your benefit will be permanently reduced compared to waiting. Delaying until your full retirement age can increase your monthly check by approximately 30%, and waiting until 70 can maximize it even further to 132%.

If you have a mortgage, consider paying it off before retiring at 60. Owning your home outright can eliminate a significant annual expense, preserving your assets during retirement.

A Practical Example

To illustrate how early retirement at 60 might work, let’s consider a hypothetical married couple, both 55 years old, with $1 million in 401(k) accounts and a paid-off $500,000 home. They make $150,000 a year combined and spend $80,000 annually. They have 10 years until age 65 and Medicare eligibility, but they want to retire by age 60.

Using the 4% withdrawal rule, their $1 million 401(k) could safely provide $40,000 in annual income before taxes. They could cover the resulting $40,000 shortfall by increasing their withdrawal rate to 8%, although this increases the risk of running out of money in retirement.

Two years after retirement, at age 62, they could claim Social Security benefits, which would reduce their 401(k) withdrawals. Budgeting for healthcare and taxes is also essential, but early retirement appears feasible with their assets.

Making the Decision

Every individual retirement plan is unique, but several strategies can help you decide if early retirement is viable. Calculate your target income, project your Social Security benefits, model portfolio returns, get quotes on individual health insurance, consider downsizing, and pay off debts.

Keep in mind that unexpected costs and underperformance can pose risks to your early retirement plan. Budgeting for these uncertainties is crucial. Paying off your home before retirement can significantly ease your financial burden during your retirement years.

In Conclusion

Retiring at 60 takes diligent preparation, but for some, it can become a reality. The key is understanding your income sources, estimating expenses accurately, and planning for potential risks like healthcare costs before Medicare eligibility. Paying off your home before retirement can be a smart move in achieving a secure and comfortable retirement.