Recently a friend on Facebook posted some reflections on the death of a relatively young friend. He reminded himself and all those who read the post on the fragility and brevity of life.
He cautioned all of us to live each day like it could be your last and the other usual musings on the subject.
That makes me think about those who, when given the choice of retiring early, even electing to take Social Security as soon as you are qualified, consider only the number-crunching to see how much they would get at an early age vs. how much more they would get if they waited until a later age. How about considering the possibility that you may not be alive for those four or five more years when you would be able to maximize your pension plan withdrawals, or that holding off taking your Social Security until age 70 might be irrelevant if you are not here to enjoy them?
Certainly there are valid reasons to look at the options, but underneath all of that is the expectation that you will be in good health and alive to make that choice. Alas, we have no guarantees of longevity. We can only base it on heredity, lifestyle, and current health. And even with that information, we cannot discount enough the freak accidents and oblivious paths of Mother Nature’s fury.
So, friends, let’s consider the here and now. And take your benefits when you can if you want to retire and live a different life. Grinding it out for another few years could take its toll on your physical health not to mention your mental health. Please consider that retirement is more than an economic event.
