Are you ready for retirement? How does a person know when they are ready to retire? For most people money will be the biggest determining factor. Are you going to be able to live on what you have in your retirement accounts? Are your debts paid off? Are you insured properly in case of whatever may arise? If you answer yes to these questions, you are probably financially prepared.

Now are you mentally prepared for retirement. Do you have a plan for what you want to do now that you will not be working full time. Many people opt to work part time for two reasons, one being to subsidize their income and the other being to give them something to do with part of their time.

My father retired at 57 and has worked part time off and on for ever since then(almost 20 years). Working gives him something to keep him busy for some of his time and it also gives him some spending money for when he travels. Traveling is something he does quite often and has been doing regularly since he retired.

Retirement means different things to different people. If you start early and plan wisely, retirement can be whatever you want it to be. Although you may not be able to retire as early as in past years, planning will give you time to enjoy your golden years.