How to Retire at 55: A Step-by-Step Plan

Retiring at an age as young as 55 is a dream for many Americans. However, turning this vision into reality involves some significant financial planning and maneuvering. For example, you’ll need to build significant savings, invest your money, account for early withdrawal taxes and take a lot more into consideration. All of this can be complicated, but working with a financial advisor can help you plan your early retirement, regardless of whether you’re looking to travel the world, spend more time with your family or relax in the sun.

Boost Your Retirement Savings

Listening to the conventional wisdom on retirement savings can only get you so far. And you’ll have to step it up a notch if you want to reach your retirement goals by 55. Of course, the rate at which you can start saving will vary depending on how much you already have saved, your age and how much you think you’ll need in retirement.

You don’t have to double your savings rate, necessarily. For many, that’s unrealistic. It’s important to build your savings by estimating how much you’ll need, and determining an appropriate savings rate to get there.

Plus, don’t forget that you’ll have access to Social Security benefits once you reach retirement age. And here, you can also factor in the age at which you plan to start taking Social Security, as how early or late you take it will determine how much you receive.

Maintaining an investment portfolio will be part of your plan to retire at 55, too. When it comes to investing, make sure your investments are suitable for your risk tolerance and where you are in life. For example, the younger you are, the more aggressive you can be with your investments. An aggressive portfolio might include a majority of stocks at various market capitalizations, as well as a handful of fixed-income securities and cash allocations.

As people near retirement, their portfolio typically evolves into one that’s heavier in fixed income and cash, while stock allocations shrink. But if you’re planning to retire at 55, and know you’ll need to rely on those investments, you might have to be aggressive for a longer period of time. However, only take on these risks if you can. You don’t want all of your retirement funds to go down the drain because of a downturn in the market.

Plan Out Your Retirement Lifestyle

A grandfather enjoying retirement with his grandchildren, having planned to retire at 55.

A big part of deciding to retire at 55 and managing your savings is rooted in how you’re going to spend those years. Without the need to clock in or commit to the “9-to-5” grind, you’ll have a lot of free time. Think about what hobbies you’ll continue or take up in retirement.

Not only that, you’ll also have to figure out how much money you’ll need to live if you retire at 55. You may have already planned to finish paying off your mortgage before you retire, but think about utilities, groceries, clothing and household goods, and whether you’re planning to travel. This will help you figure out your budget.

You’ll also have to figure out how many years you’re saving for. If you and your neighbor retire at 55, you might expect to save for three or four decades while your neighbor only plans for two. It’s important to be honest with yourself so you can save and budget responsibly.

Accounting for Retirement Taxes

It’s often been said that the two things you can never escape are death and taxes. So while retirement involves plenty of rest, you’ll also have to stay mindful of taxes. This is especially true if you plan to retire at 55, as withdrawals from retirement accounts before age 59 ½ typically come with a 10% income tax penalty, courtesy of the IRS. Accounts like a 401(k) or traditional IRA may grow tax-deferred, but your withdrawals are subject to taxation.

This is where having a Roth IRA can come in handy, as you can contribute to one on an after-tax basis. That means you won’t have to pay taxes when you make withdrawals, since you would’ve paid taxes upon the deposit of your money. It can help to have a mix of Roth and traditional retirement accounts to ensure you don’t get hit too hard with taxes in retirement.

The Rule of 55

However, there is a notable exception to the 10% early withdrawal penalty. The Rule of 55 offers a unique opportunity for those who leave or lose their job in the year they turn 55 or older. It allows penalty-free withdrawals from 401(k) or 403(b) plans linked to their most recent employer, bypassing the usual 10% early withdrawal penalty. This rule applies only to the employer-sponsored plan of the job you’re leaving, not to IRAs or plans from previous employers unless rolled into the current one.

While penalty-free, these withdrawals are still subject to ordinary income taxes, making it essential to plan carefully to avoid a hefty tax bill. Using the Rule of 55 strategically can bridge the gap between early retirement and other income sources, like Social Security or Roth IRA funds.]

Get Your Health Insurance in Order

It can be easy to take workplace healthcare coverage for granted after having it for decades. But when you retire, especially when you retire early, it involves a bit more work on your part. If you want to retire at 55, you have another 10 years before you reach the Medicare eligibility age.

Without Medicare, you could be taking a huge risk by going uninsured. You should check whether your employer can cover you for retirement. You may also be covered by your spouse’s insurance. There are a few possible routes you can take if you want to retire at 55, but it’s important to have a plan in place before you retire. That way you can correctly budget for the costs of healthcare.

Bottom Line

A woman and healthcare worker reviewing healthcare options for her plan to retire at 55.

After working for so many years, it can be tempting to retire at 55. But it’s not as easy as simply quitting your job 10 years ahead of schedule. It will take a lot of careful planning to get your income, taxes and health insurance in order. Perhaps most importantly, you need to ensure you have enough savings stashed away for that extra decade or so of income-less retirement. If meeting these goals starts to seem unrealistic at any point, there’s also no harm in deciding not to retire at 55, and pushing back your retirement by a couple of years.

Tips to Retire at 55

Finding a financial advisor who can help you plan for retirement doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to three vetted financial advisors who serve your area, and you can have a free introductory call with your advisor matches to decide which one you feel is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
One of the most important pieces of retirement advice is that it’s never too early to start saving and investing. When you retire, you obviously won’t have the same stream of income as you might be used to. In turn, make sure you start socking away money for retirement early and often so you can live out your golden years in complete financial comfort.