Unplanned Retirement

The title of this blog is Planning to Retire. But retirement is something that can happen while you are making other plans. Over three quarters of people who were 51 to 61 years old in 1992 lost their jobs, became widowed or divorced, developed new health problems, or were confronted with frail parents or in-laws within a decade, according to an Urban Institute analysis. Any of these circumstances can take a bite out of retirement plans, if not force workers to scrap them altogether.

Each day for the next week I'm sharing the story of someone who retired earlier than planned. If you'd like your unplanned retirement story featured in an upcoming post, please write me at retire@usnews.com and include your phone number. Or you can discuss your story in the comments section.