How to Retire by the Age of 60
5 Things To Put You On Track To Retire By 60
What if retiring at 60 wasn't just something other people could do?
For many people, retirement feels like a moving target. You hope you'll get there someday, but you're not sure if you're saving enough or making the right decisions. Setting a goal to retire by 60 changes that. It puts you in control instead of leaving your future up to chance.
Having the ability to retire by 60 doesn't mean you have to leave your job. It means you have options. If you love your work, you can stay. If your health changes or a family situation requires you to step away, you can do that without wondering how you'll survive. It removes a tremendous amount of financial stress because you're prepared for whatever life brings. As you work toward this goal, you may even discover you're able to retire earlier than you expected.
Inside this post, I'm sharing the five things I would do, in order, to help you retire by 60. The faster you begin taking these steps, the more time you give your money to work for you.
Let's jump in.
Step 1: Get Clear on Your Starting Point
You can't create a plan if you don't know where you're starting.
The very first thing I'd do is calculate my current retirement picture using my Retirement Calculator. This gives you two important numbers:
Your retirement target number (how much you'll likely need saved).
How much you're currently on track to have by age 60.
To estimate your retirement target, it's best to know your annual expenses, including irregular expenses like home repairs, insurance premiums, vacations, or vehicle replacements. If you don't have that yet, don't let it stop you. Your current monthly expenses are enough to get started.
The goal isn't perfection. The goal is clarity.
Once you have a picture of where you are today, you can start making decisions that actually move you forward.
Inside my strategy session, we walk through these calculations together so you're not left guessing whether your numbers are accurate. You'll leave knowing exactly where you stand and what your next steps should be.
Step 2: Understand Your Gap
Once you know where you're starting, the next step is understanding the gap.
The gap is simply the difference between:
What you'll likely have saved by age 60.
What you'll actually need.
Many people stop after seeing this number because it feels overwhelming.
My biggest piece of advice: don't!
This number isn't meant to discourage you. It's meant to give you direction.
Once you understand what factors are creating the gap, you can begin changing them. Maybe increasing savings has the biggest impact. Maybe reducing debt frees up future cash flow. Maybe lowering ongoing expenses changes your retirement number more than you expected.
Knowing which lever matters most helps you spend your time focusing on the changes that actually move the needle.
This understanding becomes incredibly valuable because it guides every decision you'll make in the next steps.
Step 3: Build a System That Sticks
Most people don't struggle because they lack information. They struggle because the system they're trying to follow is too complicated.
If you've ever tried a budget that worked for two weeks and then fell apart, you're not alone.
It’s important to choose a simple system that you'll actually stick with. Commit to using it every day, especially in the beginning. If it's too difficult to maintain, simplify it until it becomes second nature.
Consistency will always outperform complexity.
Inside my coaching programs, I teach a Simplify3 budget and tracking system. We use technology to handle the day-to-day tracking while spreadsheets help us plan ahead. That means less manual work and more confidence in your numbers and future.
Your money system becomes the foundation for every financial decision you'll make going forward. Without it, it's difficult to consistently save, reduce debt, or measure progress.
Step 4: Make One Money Move Each Month
You don't need to completely overhaul your finances overnight. Instead, commit to making one intentional money move every month.
Ask yourself:
How can I increase my savings?
What debt can I reduce?
Which expense can I lower?
Small, consistent improvements are what close your retirement gap.
Some changes happen in a week. Others may take 30 to 90 days to fully implement. That's perfectly okay. Progress is still progress.
Inside my coaching program, clients don't have to figure out these next steps on their own. I provide a menu of ideas in each area, savings, debt reduction, and expenses, and together we decide which strategy makes the most sense for their current situation.
There's no benefit in forcing yourself into a strategy that doesn't fit your life. The best plan is the one you'll actually follow.
Step 5: Review and Adjust Every Quarter
Every 90 days, pause and review your progress.
Life changes. Income changes. Expenses change. Markets change.
Every quarter, recalculate your retirement number and compare it with where you are now. Look at how much your savings have grown and how much closer you are to the retirement target number.
Inside my program, clients use their Retirement Ready Dashboard to quickly see:
Their updated retirement target.
Their retirement savings progress.
A visual savings progress chart.
Debt payoff progress.
Overall, it’s a visual as to how well the small changes they've made are producing the results they want.
These quarterly reviews do two important things.
First, they help you identify whether you need to make adjustments.
Second, they provide motivation. Seeing your progress reminds you that your daily choices are making a real difference.
You Might Be Thinking, "What If I Don't Make Enough Money?"
This is probably the most common concern I hear. In fact, most of my clients feel this way before we start working together.
Yet almost every single one of them discovers they have more saving power than they realized. In all my years of coaching, only one client truly didn't have meaningful saving power at the time we first looked at their numbers.
The difference isn't usually income. It's having the right system and the right plan.
When we look at what you're paying in bills, what you're spending, and where your money is currently going, there's always room to begin saving. It may not feel like much at first, but those dollars add up over time.
I don't believe saving is simply about "pay yourself first" and hoping everything else works itself out. I believe in creating an overall strategy for your money. When every dollar is supporting your needs and wants, it's much easier to consistently build savings while still paying your bills and enjoying your life.
But before any of that happens, there's one step that comes before Step 1. You have to believe retiring at 60 is possible. Or at least decide it's something you want.
When you begin saying, "I will retire by 60," your decisions begin to change. You start noticing opportunities you may have overlooked before, and those small decisions build momentum over time.
Your Retirement Starts With One Decision
Retiring by 60 isn't about luck. It's about creating a clear plan and following it consistently.
Start by understanding where you are today. Learn the gap between where you are and where you want to be. Build a simple system you can stick with. Make one meaningful money move each month. Then review your progress every quarter and adjust as needed.
None of these steps require perfection. They simply require consistency.
Before long, you'll have something even more valuable than a retirement date, you'll have choices. You'll know that if life changes, you're financially prepared. You'll have the freedom to keep working because you want to, not because you have to.
And who knows? You may even find yourself retiring earlier than 60.
Ready to See What's Possible?
If you're ready to find out what retiring by 60 could look like for you, or you'd like help applying these five steps to your own financial situation, I'd love to help.
Book an On Track to Retire by 60 audit call, and we’ll talk through what decisions you need to make, where to focus your actions next, and how to make consistent progress toward retirement.
