This Could Be the Biggest Problem With Retiring in Your 50s

For a lot of people, retiring during their 50s just isn't doable. It typically takes a lot of savings to pull off a retirement that early.

But if you've saved a bundle of money, you may feel ready financially to embark on that next stage of life. Unfortunately, without proper planning, there's one factor that might hold you back.

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Do you have penalty-free access to your retirement savings?

Retiring in your 50s could mean having to pay for health insurance for many years before Medicare becomes available. That's a huge expense you'll need to plan for. But even if you're convinced you have enough savings to cover health insurance plus your other needs, there's another issue to grapple with -- accessing your money without a penalty.

If you have your money in a traditional IRA or 401(k), your distributions will typically be subject to a 10% early withdrawal penalty if you aren't yet 59 1/2 years old. And while you may be able to afford an early retirement based on your large savings balance, if you're stuck losing 10% of every withdrawal you take, the math could change quickly.

That's why it's important to plan for a retirement in your 50s in advance. If you do, you may find that you're able to work around the early withdrawal penalty rule.

How to access your money penalty-free sooner

After working hard to save for retirement, the last thing you want is to be penalized for tapping your own accounts. And there are a couple of ways you may be able to get out of that.

First, if you keep a portion of your nest egg in a taxable brokerage account, early withdrawal penalties won't apply. Secondly, if you plan carefully and have a 401(k) through your current employer, you may be able to access that specific account early under the rule of 55.

The rule of 55 allows you to take penalty-free withdrawals from a 401(k) if you separate from the company sponsoring that plan during the calendar year you turn 55 or later. So while this option won't help if you're looking to retire at 52 or want to access an older employer's 401(k), it could give you earlier access to your current employer's retirement plan.

A lot of people can't retire in their 50s because they don't have enough savings or can't afford years of health insurance premiums until Medicare kicks in. But even if you're confident you can resolve those issues, it's equally important to make sure you're setting yourself up for penalty-free withdrawals so you don't lose a big chunk of the money you worked hard to accumulate.

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