Age 62
Retirement + Social Security eligibility
Retirement benefits can begin as early as 62. Starting before full retirement age generally reduces the monthly amount.
Can I retire at 62?
62 Is Not Just a Retirement Age. It Is the Start of a Financial Bridge.
Before deciding, connect retirement spending, Social Security, healthcare before Medicare, portfolio withdrawals, taxes and the possibility that markets do not cooperate on schedule.
Retirement education with visible sources.Primary public sources checked August 15, 2026.How we review content →
The first five questions
Do not start with your account balance alone.
- Spending: What will your essential and discretionary expenses be?
- Income: Which sources cover those expenses before and after Social Security?
- Healthcare: What covers you from retirement until Medicare?
- Risk: What happens if a major decline occurs early?
- Taxes: Which accounts fund spending and how does that affect taxable income?
A useful stress test
What if retirement happens two years earlier than planned?
Employment decisions are not always voluntary. A resilient plan should address healthcare, liquidity and benefit timing if the retirement date moves forward.
Stress-Test the PlanThe age-62 roadmap
One retirement date can touch six different systems.
Ages 62–65
Healthcare bridge
Evaluate eligible employer, spouse, COBRA, retiree and Marketplace coverage. Household income can matter for Marketplace savings.
Age 65
Medicare
The Initial Enrollment Period generally spans seven months around age 65. HSA contribution timing can also matter.
Age 67
Full retirement age
For people born in 1960 or later, Social Security full retirement age is 67.
Age 70
Delayed retirement credits stop
Delaying beyond full retirement age can increase benefits, but the increase stops at 70.
Age 75
RMD years
Under current law, many people born in 1960 or later have an applicable RMD age of 75.
Official references: SSA early retirement · Medicare enrollment · IRS significant ages.
What needs to be modeled
Income floor
Identify essential spending and which reliable income sources are intended to cover it.
Portfolio withdrawals
Define which accounts fund the early years and what happens if markets decline.
Social Security timing
Compare claiming ages in the context of cash flow, longevity, spouse/survivor needs and other assets.
Healthcare to 65
Estimate premiums and out-of-pocket exposure before giving notice at work.
Tax-sensitive years
Evaluate taxable income before Social Security, Medicare IRMAA and later RMDs.
Contingency reserve
Plan for major purchases, home repairs, medical costs and other surprises without destabilizing the portfolio.
Could retirement at 62 work?
Use the checklist to organize what you know—and expose what still needs an answer.
Get the Free ChecklistContent review
Prepared by Strong Tower Advisors for general retirement education. Rule-based content is linked to primary public sources where practical and is reviewed periodically because tax, retirement-plan, Social Security, healthcare and Medicare rules can change.
About Strong Tower Advisors · Editorial and sourcing standards · Last reviewed August 2026