Plan to retire early

The best retirement plans take into account the fact that you could end up leaving work earlier than you expect, said Anne Tergesen in The Wall Street Journal. While many Americans say they want to keep working past age 65, it’s not always up to them. “Between 37 percent and 52 percent of retirees polled annually since 1991 by the Employee Benefit Research Institute say they left work before they had intended—often due to a health issue or job loss.” Workers should have an emergency fund of three to six months’ pay to help ease them into the transition to retirement. Long-term disability insurance, which typically covers about 60 percent of a disabled employee’s salary, is also worth exploring. Many employers offer some form of long-term disability. Individuals can also buy it directly from an insurer.