Anyone for early retirement?

Early retirement can actually shorten one's life, according to new research published in the British Medical Journal.

A 26-year study of more than 3,500 former employees of Shell in Texas has found that men and women who retired at 55 were nearly twice as likely to die within the following 10 years as those who retired at 60 or 65.

The research by Shan Tsai of Shell Health Services in Houston, explodes the myth that early retirement leads to a longer life expectancy.

"Although some workers retired at 55 because of failing health, these results clearly show that early retirement is not associated with increased survival," Tsai said in the study.

"On the contrary, mortality improved with increasing age at retirement for people from both high and low socio-economic groups."

Pete's Points:

If I was going to consider early retirement this would give me pause.

Or would it?

When you have been offered the 'joy' of either retiring and perhaps living for a further few years without work so that you can enjoy what time you have left when you have been diagnosed with a terminal disease would you seriously opt for work so that you can go out working in the trenches? Would you opt to enjoy what time you have left?

What would YOU do?

PS I REALLY want to hear from those among you who have either retired young or are about to do so!