The average retirement age for a growing number of Americans is not 65. It's 58. And I'm not talking about

million dollar earners or tech moguls here. These are everyday middle class workers, teachers,

small business owners, dual income couples who've built solid portfolios and want to enjoy more of

their healthy, active years now, not later. But here's the thing. Retiring in your

50s requires a very different kind of plan, one that accounts for early withdrawal penalties,

health insurance gaps, and delayed Social Security. These obstacles are the triple threats of early

retirement. In today's episode, I'll share how to combat them and why retiring in your

50s might be more realistic than most think. Welcome to another episode of the Stay Wealthy

Retirement Show. I'm your host, Taylor Schulte, and every week I tackle the most important

financial topics to help you stay wealthy in retirement. And now on to the episode. According to a recent

nerd wallet survey, many Americans with solid but not extraordinary incomes are aiming to retire

well before the traditional age. More specifically, for American households earning $100,000 or

more, the average target retirement age is not the traditional age of 65 like most people assume.

It's 58.

Now, sure, 58 might not seem dramatically early compared to the average retirement age of 62, but here's the kicker.

Most retirement calculators still assume that you'll work until 66 or 67. That's

nearly a decade of difference. And in my experience, working with hundreds of clients, retiring in your

late 50s isn't just a dream. For many middle and upper middle class Americans, it's entirely within reach

if you start planning early and understand

what it actually takes. Because early retirement is not just about how much you've saved. It's about

how you use those savings, turning them into sustainable income, managing risk, and bridging the

years before traditional retirement benefits kick in. So what does that actually look like?

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