Bruce in Alaska wrote:

snip
Well some of us did take "Early Retirement", but only because we could
and we also could see the "Handwritting on the wall".........


I'm like Doug (and we knew each other in the Navy), my early retirement
was from the Navy in 1990 and I started getting my SS at age 62 last year.

I worked from 1990 until 2001 but mostly at things that I wanted to do
and when I wanted to do them.

If you crunch the numbers on starting at 62 or waiting until 65 and
getting more money, it will take about 13 years for the increase at age
65 to make up the amount you would have already received if you had
started at 62. That means you are not "ahead" until you are 78. I
looked at the smaller amount sooner, thought about the actuarial tables
(i.e, the odds of still being alive at 78), and took mine at 62.

Retirement is lovely, I'm getting the best allowance I ever had! And
seven Saturdays a week is fun thing.

Jack


--
Jack Erbes in Ellsworth, Maine, USA - jackerbes at adelphia dot net
(also receiving email at jacker at midmaine.com)