Why Financial Advisors Said We Were Too Young to Retire
- docandbean
- Apr 14
- 4 min read
Hey… let’s talk about this
Because this is something we heard over and over again.
“You’re too young to retire.” “You need more money.” “You should wait.”
And on paper… it probably made sense to them.
But we didn’t want to wait until 65 to start living our life.
Who We Are
We’re Doc and Bean.
Bean retired after 20 years as a 911 operator and police dispatcher. Doc spent over 30 years working in IT.
We did what we were supposed to do. Worked, saved, stayed consistent.
But at some point, we realized… we didn’t want to keep doing that for another 10, 15, or 20 years.
What Financial Advisors Told Us
Most financial advice is built around one assumption. That you’re going to stay in the United States.
So when we talked about retiring early, the response was always the same.
“You don’t have enough.”
“You need to keep working.”
“You’re too young.”
And if we planned to stay in the U.S., they might have been right. Because in the U.S., the numbers are high. Many financial advisors' base retirement on the 4 percent rule, which means you need about 25 times your annual expenses saved.
If someone is spending 60,000 dollars a year, that’s roughly 1.5 million dollars needed to retire.
Healthcare is another major factor. A retired couple in the U.S. can expect to spend around 300,000 dollars or more on healthcare over their lifetime, not including long term care.
And the average retirement age in the U.S. is still around 62 to 65, which means most people are being told to work longer just to meet those numbers.
So, from that perspective, yes… we didn’t fit the traditional model.
But the real issue wasn’t just how much money we had.
It was where we were planning to live
The Shift That Changed Everything
The biggest change we made wasn’t just retiring.
It was changing where we live.
Once we started looking outside the U.S., everything opened up.
Lower cost of living. More affordable healthcare. A different lifestyle that didn’t require as much money to sustain.
That’s when early retirement actually became possible.
Watch our full video breaking this down 👉 Too Young to Retire
Why Location and Numbers Change Everything
This is the biggest takeaway. Early retirement is not just about how much you have. It’s about where you choose to live and how much your life actually costs.
Most people are planning retirement based on U.S. numbers. And those numbers are high. The average household spends somewhere between 60,000 to 75,000 dollars per year, which is why financial advisors often say you need 1.5 to 2 million dollars to retire comfortably. But when you change location, the math changes.
In places like Thailand and other parts of Southeast Asia, many expats live comfortably on 1,000 to 2,500 dollars per month, depending on lifestyle. That’s 12,000 to 30,000 dollars per year, which is a completely different financial target.
Housing, food, transportation, and even healthcare all drop significantly when you’re not living in the U.S. A meal that might cost 15 to 20 dollars in the U.S. can be 2 to 5 dollars. Rent can be cut in half or more. Transportation can cost just a few dollars a day.
So, when your cost-of-living drops, the amount of money you need drops with it.
That’s what most people miss. They’re trying to hit a U.S. retirement number without ever questioning if they actually plan to live there.
When you combine a solid financial foundation with a location that supports your lifestyle, everything changes.
That’s what made this possible for us.
The Mindset Shift and Is Early Retirement Right for You
Early retirement isn’t just about money. It’s about how you think about life, work, and what you actually need.
Most people are taught one path. Work until your 60s, save as much as possible, then retire later. So, when you start talking about retiring early, especially in your 40s or 50s, it sounds unrealistic.
But the reality is, it’s not just about having more money. It’s about needing less and being intentional about how you live.
That means being willing to:
Live differently than you did in the U.S.
Let go of the idea that more spending equals a better life
Be open to new environments, cultures, and ways of doing things
If your goal is to recreate your exact lifestyle from back home, early retirement will feel expensive no matter where you go. But if you’re open to adjusting, that’s where the freedom comes in.
So, is early retirement abroad right for you?
It might be if:
You don’t want to wait until 65 to enjoy your life
You’re open to living outside your home country
You care more about time and freedom than status or things
It might not be if:
You need everything to feel familiar and predictable
You’re not comfortable adapting to new systems or cultures
You want a luxury lifestyle without adjusting your budget
This isn’t about right or wrong. It’s about alignment.
For us, the biggest shift wasn’t financial. It was realizing we didn’t want to delay our life anymore.
Once we understood that, everything else started to fall into place.
Want Help Figuring It Out?
If you’re thinking about retiring early or moving abroad, don’t guess your way through it.
Check out our 👉 Thailand Relocation Guide
Book a consultation and we’ll help you map out your move step by step
Final Thought
We weren’t too young to retire.
We were just looking at retirement the wrong way.
Once we changed the location, everything else started to make sense.
Do You Think Retiring in Your 40's is too early?
YES
NO
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