Can I retire at 65 on $500k income? (single)

Chris is 35, earning $500k in Boston, and the math says he doesn't have to work until 65. He's already past the threshold where the question isn't whether he can retire, it's how soon.

You could retire at 50, 15 years early (2041)

With $660,000 in retirement savings and $220,000 in liquid assets at 35, the engine puts Chris's earliest feasible retirement year at 2041, age 50, with projected income of $33,145 per month against $17,418 in monthly spending. That's nearly $190k per year in income covering costs with room to spare, and the projection holds for 41 years.

At age 50, your portfolio generates $33,145/mo from a 4% withdrawal rate. Retirement spending target: $17,418/mo. Plan covers 41 years. That covers 15 years of buying health cover directly before Medicare at 65, premium and subsidy included.

Any retirement age before 65 is priced with health cover bought directly: the modelled premium, the ACA premium tax credit this household qualifies for, and Medicare from 65. That is the largest cost of retiring early, and it is inside these numbers rather than a footnote to add later. Early retirement also depends on purpose and social connections, not just money. "Tight" means SWR covers spending at retirement, but the full simulation (with taxes and inflation compounding) shows possible strain later.

Your own numbers might land somewhere between 50 and 65 or blow past both, so model them and find out exactly where you stand.

For educational purposes only, not financial advice.