What is The Retire Sooner Method?
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Retirement planning has often been presented as a math problem: accumulate a certain nest egg, apply a withdrawal rate, and hope the numbers hold up for 25 or 30 years.
In my latest book, The Retire Sooner Method, I take a much broader view: Financial preparation remains essential, but our research suggests that a more fulfilling retirement may also depend on how people plan for purpose, relationships, health, and the daily structure of life after work.
Our 2025 Money and Happiness in America survey of more than 1,200 adults age 50 and older across all 50 states—including people approaching retirement and retirees—found that respondents who reported greater retirement satisfaction (aka happiness) also reported patterns involving financial clarity, several relationships, purposeful activities, documented planning, and quality sleep. Those findings suggest that retirement satisfaction may involve more than reaching a particular account-balance target. After studying what may distinguish America’s happiest retirees from their least satisfied peers, I have come to believe that treating retirement solely as a financial finish line may be a costly mistake.
A successful retirement is not simply the absence of a paycheck. For the respondents we studied, it also means the presence of financial confidence, purpose, relationships, a plan, and consistent, high-quality sleep. Getting those pieces right may allow retirees to retire with less anxiety and, in many cases, sooner than they once thought possible.
How Much Money Do You Need To Retire?
How much money do you need to retire?
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“Enough” is an intensely personal word. Yet many Americans may postpone retirement because they are pursuing an undefined version of it. If they don’t know what enough means, how can they possibly hope to attain it?
The happiest respondents in our study didn’t necessarily report having unlimited money or the biggest portfolios. What they had was a clearer sense of their money & happiness green zones: the level of income, liquidity, and planning that helps make their spending sustainable and their financial anxiety manageable.
While a large account balance may be appealing, it doesn’t inherently prevent investors from feeling insecure when no coherent strategy for turning savings into retirement income is present. Conversely, when housing costs are under control, spending is understood, income flows from multiple sources, and there is a written plan for market downturns, health costs, and longevity, even investors with modest portfolios may feel more secure.
“Enough” may look different for every household. Our research suggests that retirement planning may be more effective when it considers both a person’s financial circumstances and the lifestyle they hope to sustain, rather than relying solely on a generalized account-balance target.
Retirement Purpose: Plan What Comes After Work
Visualize what an ordinary Tuesday in retirement might look like. If the only answer is “I won’t be working,” there is likely more planning to do.
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Retirement is often described as freedom from work. While that may be true, our survey findings suggest it is not the whole story.
Rather than simply supplying a paycheck, work is often associated with creating structure, fostering relationships, stimulating the mind, and providing a reason to get out of bed in the morning. When individuals walk away without replacing those workplace benefits, the early glow of retirement may fade quickly.
I encourage future retirees to identify their core pursuits well before their last day of work. Core pursuits are the super activities that help provide structure, meaning, and enjoyment for retirees. They often involve, but are not limited to, volunteering, part-time work, mentoring, caring for family, exercise, faith, learning, travel, gardening, music, or time with grandchildren.
The aim is not to fill every hour. Retirement doesn’t need to feel like another nine-to-five. However, the respondents we studied reported having enough activities to help generate purpose and prevent the loss of identity that potentially occurs when a career ends.
A useful, simple test is to visualize what an ordinary Tuesday in retirement might look like. If the only answer is “I won’t be working,” there is likely more planning to do.
Why Relationships Matter For A Happy Retirement
Many of the happy retirees in our study reported that strong relationships may make retirement richer in ways that no portfolio statement can capture.
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Investors often measure retirement resources in dollars. However, the strength of their relationships deserves a place on the balance sheet, too.
Many of the happy retirees in our study reported that strong relationships may make retirement richer in ways that no portfolio statement can capture. Friends provide companionship, accountability, and shared experiences. Family connections may bring meaning and a sense of belonging. Community groups, volunteer organizations, exercise partners, and faith communities are options to help retirees remain engaged as workplace relationships naturally recede.
That does not mean to suggest friendships should be treated like another box to check on a planning worksheet. It means they deserve the same diligent planning, maintenance, and intentionality that people bring to taxes, insurance, and investing.
Retirement Planning May Help Reduce Financial Uncertainty
One reason retirement may seem intimidating is that it contains so many unknowns.
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One reason retirement may seem intimidating is that it contains so many unknowns. How long will I live? What happens if the market falls? Will inflation change my spending? What if I need long-term care? Can I spend money without feeling guilty?
No plan eliminates uncertainty. A thoughtful plan, however, may help convert uncertainty into scenarios that can be discussed, evaluated, and adjusted.
There is a difference between hoping retirement works and understanding how it is designed to work.
Most comprehensive retirement plans address income sources, expenses, taxes, investment risk, estate considerations, and healthcare. What some fail to include is a personal plan. Where do you want to live? How will you spend your time? Who will be in your regular orbit? What do you want the next chapter to mean?
The happy retirees we studied reported that the financial and personal sides of retirement are deeply connected. Someone who wants to travel extensively, help adult children, start a business, or spend part of the year near grandchildren needs a plan that reflects those priorities.
Why Sleep Belongs In Your Retirement Plan
Poor or insufficient sleep is associated with poorer decision-making, changes in mood, and adverse health effects—issues that may become especially consequential at a stage of life when people want more energy and freedom.
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Sleep may sound like an unusual retirement-planning variable, but financial stress can disrupt sleep. Poor or insufficient sleep is also associated with poorer decision-making, changes in mood, and adverse health effects—issues that may become especially consequential at a stage of life when people want more energy and freedom.
The point isn’t that sleep is a substitute for saving or investing efficiently. It is one sign that financial uncertainty may affect more than a balance sheet. A broader retirement plan seeks to help people better understand their circumstances, weigh trade-offs, and make more informed decisions about the future.
That starts with clarity: knowing what you own, what you spend, where your income will come from, and how your plan responds if markets do not cooperate. Financial confidence is not about predicting every outcome. It is about being prepared enough to make informed decisions amid uncertainty, which may help ease some of the financial stress that can keep people awake at night.
How To Plan For Retirement Sooner—And More Intentionally
Our research suggests that retirement planning may be most useful when it considers both financial preparation and the individual priorities that can help shape how a person wants to spend the next stage of life.
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The phrase “retire sooner” may sound like a promise of early retirement for everyone. It is not. Some people may choose to continue working. Others might need more time to build financial resilience.
But because of overemphasizing the accumulation phase and underemphasizing the full design of retirement life, many Americans may be closer to a viable retirement than they realize.
Rather than blindly pursuing the largest possible nest egg before stopping work, it may be more useful to ask, “What level of financial resources and income could reasonably support the retirement lifestyle I envision, given my personal circumstances, goals, risks, and trade-offs?” From there, individuals may be able to consider practical steps, ideally with qualified tax, legal, and financial professionals as appropriate.
So, yes, the money still matters. But our research suggests that retirement planning may be most useful when it considers both financial preparation and the individual priorities that can help shape how a person wants to spend the next stage of life.
For readers who want a more detailed guide to putting these ideas into practice, my new book, The Retire Sooner Method, offers the research, planning framework, and practical steps to help you think more intentionally about the financial and personal sides of retirement.
By overemphasizing the accumulation phase and underemphasizing the full design of retirement life, many Americans may be missing the more valuable “happiness in retirement” big picture.
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This material is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as personalized investment, tax, legal, or financial advice. The survey findings discussed herein reflect reported responses and observed associations and do not establish causation or guarantee any particular financial, retirement, health, or lifestyle outcome. Individual circumstances and results will vary. The Retire Sooner Method is authored by Wes Moss. References to the book and links to purchase it are provided for informational purposes. Capital Investment Advisors (“CIA”) is an SEC-registered investment adviser. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Consult with appropriate financial, tax, legal, and other professionals regarding your individual circumstances.