Retirement
Can you afford to retire — especially early? The honest answer turns on the bridge years between retiring and Social Security, when your portfolio carries the whole load alone. Transparent arithmetic, no fake precision.
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Guides & cost data
- Healthcare Before 65: The Bridge's Hidden Cost Health insurance before Medicare is one of the largest bridge costs — and the most overlooked. The coverage options, the subsidy cliff you can sometimes manage, and what changed for 2026. cost-data
- Social Security at 62 vs 67 vs 70: What Claiming Age Costs You Claiming Social Security at 62, 67, or 70 changes your check by 70% — permanently. The break-even math, the complications most guides skip, and how claiming age sets your bridge length. comparison
- The Bridge Years: The Real Cost of Retiring Before Social Security and Medicare For early retirement, the nest-egg total isn't what breaks the plan — the bridge years before Social Security and Medicare are. The two costs of that gap, and why claiming age decides its length. cornerstone