Quick answer
You can retire at 60 if your savings, bridge income, and healthcare plan cover a longer retirement. The earlier you retire, the more sensitive the plan becomes to inflation and sequence-of-returns risk.
Retiring at 60: scenario ranges
| Annual spending | With no pension | With $24k bridge income |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $1.25M+ | $650k+ |
| $75,000 | $1.88M+ | $1.28M+ |
| $100,000 | $2.5M+ | $1.9M+ |
The three gaps to solve
Healthcare gap
Medicare does not begin until 65, so your plan needs five years of insurance and out-of-pocket costs.
Social Security gap
Claiming at 62 reduces benefits; waiting increases them. Your portfolio must bridge the years in between.
Market-sequence gap
Early retirement increases the damage a bad market can do if withdrawals begin too soon.
Model age 60 with real assumptions
Use advanced mode to include inflation, Social Security timing, and a longer retirement horizon.
What matters most at 60
Retiring at 60 often works best for households with one or more of the following: low fixed expenses, substantial taxable savings, a pension or bridge income, and flexibility around spending in weak market years. The portfolio has to carry more weight because the retirement window is longer and Social Security may not start for several years.
Healthcare deserves its own line item. ACA coverage or COBRA can be manageable, but many early-retirement plans fail because this cost was treated as an afterthought. If you can cover 60 to 65 without draining your portfolio, the rest of the plan becomes much more durable.
Social Security timing is the other big lever. Claiming at 62 gives you income sooner but locks in a smaller monthly benefit. Waiting may require more withdrawals early, but it can materially improve late-retirement security.