Jul 16, 2025
Faced with a history of family members dying young, Sarah’s husband wants to spend US$500,000 to retire early. She called The Ramsey Show to find out if fear is a good enough reason.
Sarah and her husband, 53, are in a strong financial position. Their house is paid off, they’ve saved millions for retirement and on paper, they’re set.
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But his family history looms large. With his mother dying at 59 and both of his brothers dying at 55, he’s starting to wonder if he should clock out of work early, just in case. That’s why he’s seriously considering spending the money to buy five years of his pension and retire early.
The Ramsey Show hosts pushed back on the idea of making a major financial decision based on fear.
“None of us is promised tomorrow,” said Ken Coleman.
Buying a pension to retire early?
At the heart of the matter is Sarah’s husband’s fear of dying young. While she called to ask if they should buy the pension, the Ramsey hosts cautioned against making an emotional decision.
“I would not sacrifice the future here on the altar of the immediate,” said Coleman. “We have to live in the moment, yes, but also not sacrifice our future based on some emotion that’s not rooted in facts.”
Jade Warshaw echoed his sentiment.
“I don’t like that idea,” she said. “Something about that doesn’t feel right.”
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As the hosts dug deeper, it became clear the couple doesn’t need the extra money from the pension to retire early. They own their home outright and have millions saved for retirement. If they spent US$500,000, they’d receive about US$6,000 per month in retirement income. But given their other assets, they likely don’t need it to live comfortably.
“You don’t need the money, so I certainly wouldn’t buy it,” Warshaw said. “Now it’s up to you guys to decide: what is this US$6,000 a month worth to us?”
If it’s not worth working for seven more years, he could retire now, without buying the pension.
Beyond the numbers, Warshaw encouraged the couple to consider using some of their money to assess and improve his health. Lifestyle changes and preventive care could help improve both his quality of life and longevity.
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When does it make sense to retire early?
Retiring early can be appealing for many reasons. Maybe, like Sarah’s husband, you’re worried about your health. Maybe you feel burned out or want more time to travel.
Whatever the reason, it’s important to consider the financial side. If you’ve spent your working years saving, paid off your house and built a solid nest egg, early retirement might be an option.
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But if you’re still in debt or have minimal savings, this might be the time to buckle down on your financial goals instead.
In Sarah’s case, her family’s strong net worth and paid-off house make early retirement a real possibility. If they had called in with debt or little savings, the advice would’ve been different.
According to a recent Northwestern Mutual survey, Americans believe they’ll need US$1.26 million to retire comfortably. Canadians fare similarly, with a BMO survey reporting that they believe they’ll need around CA$1.54 million to retire comfortably. Sarah and her husband are already in that ballpark, setting them apart from the average household.
And if full retirement doesn’t make sense just yet, a gradual approach might. Scaling back to part-time hours — say from 40 to 20 a week — can offer many of the same lifestyle benefits without jeopardizing your financial future.
Sources
1. The Ramsey Show Highlights: Pay $500,000 To Retire? (He's Afraid He's Going To Die Early)(June 13, 2025)
2. NorthWestern Mutual: Planning and Progress Study 2025
3. BMO: BMO Retirement Survey: Over Three Quarters of Canadians Worry They Will Not Have Enough Retirement Savings Amid Inflation (Feb 12, 2025)
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Sarah Sharkey is a personal finance writer who enjoys diving into the details to help readers make savvy financial decisions. She covers mortgages, insurance, money management, and more. She lives in Florida with her husband and dogs. When she's not writing, she's outside exploring the coast.
Managing Money • Dec 15
