4/14/2015 – Some retirees say: “Retire as soon as you can” (CBS Moneywatch)

Retire early if you can afford it — you’re the healthiest and most active you’re going to be and can still enjoy life. That’s the message from a survey of recent retireesconducted by New York Life Insurance Co., which found 46 percent of retired men and women reported if they could do it over, they would have retired an average of four years earlier.

But this comes with an important condition: They would have retired earlier only if they could have achieved the same level of financial security that they realized when they actually retired.

That’s an important caveat. Postponing retirement often results in significant increases to your retirement income from Social Security, pensions and drawdown from savings such as IRAs and 401(k) plans. Chances are good that these retirees wouldn’t have had the same level of financial security they currently enjoy if they had retired four years earlier.

Read the full article at CBS Moneywatch.