58% of Americans' careers are cut short: How to be ready for unexpected retirement

[Zorro]

Many Americans are obsessed with discussing and planning their retirement. They sketch out future career paths, make elaborate financial and tax calculations, and decide on the optimal time to start taking Social Security—often undertaking these measures decades in advance. But you know what they say about the best laid plans—life, and retirement, often goes awry.

The reality is that some 58% of Americans have their working years cut short and retire before they want to, whether due to personal health, employer discretion, or family-related reasons, according to a recent survey from the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies. The actual median retirement age is 62, according to the survey, a few years before the so-called "traditional" age of 65. Just 21% of those who retire early report being financially stable.

Health is often the biggest factor: 46% of those who retired earlier than planned did so for personal health-related reasons. But a boss's whims are a close second, with 43% reporting an employment-related issue was the cause, whether a layoff, buyout, or something else. Though you may want to keep clocking in for a few more years, your company's plan often trumps your own.

While 20% of early retirees named caregiving as a reason, this is often a bigger factor for women, says Terri Fiedler, president of retirement services at Corebridge Financial, which recently released a report on women's retirement regrets.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/58-americans-careers-cut-short-194938202.html