Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Host of the Retire Sooner podcast and CFP™ practitioner. Happiness may be subjective, but with multiple studies suggesting ...

For many Americans, the dream of retiring early is often hindered by the IRS’s 10% early withdrawal penalty on distributions from retirement accounts like IRAs or 401(k)s before age 59.5. However, the ...

If you try to withdraw early from just about any retirement plan, you'll be slapped with a penalty—an incentive to leave your money alone and let it build toward retirement like you always intended.

If you try to withdraw early from just about any retirement plan, you'll be slapped with a penalty—an incentive to leave your money alone and let it build toward retirement like you always intended.

If you try to withdraw early from just about any retirement plan, you'll be slapped with a penalty—an incentive to leave your money alone and let it build toward retirement like you always intended.

Tax-advantaged retirement accounts aren't exactly known for their liquidity, and that's largely thanks to a number of pretty strict rules, with only a few exceptions, governing when you can pull out ...

Editor’s note: "The Rule of 55" is part eight of an ongoing series focused on how to retire early and the FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) movement. Part One is How to Retire Early in Six ...