Why I Chose to Retire at 55 and What It Taught Me About Life and Money
Retirement, for many, is a destination-a financial milestone marked by corpus targets, withdrawal strategies, and asset allocation.
Jul 2025 - 5 mins read
For me, it became something deeper: a conscious life design, an emotional anchor, and a reflection of the partnership I share with my wife. As I step down from my role at PGIM India AMC this August 31, 2025, I find myself reflecting not just on the numbers that made this decision possible-but on the clarity, collaboration, and commitment that shaped it.
When the Goal Became Real
The idea of retiring at 55 wasn’t a lifelong ambition. It took shape around 12 years ago, when my wife and I sat down with our financial advisor to map out our family’s financial plan. What began as a conversation around goals quickly evolved into a framework for living with purpose. We listed our life goals-not just the obvious ones like education, home, and retirement, but even things like a pension plan for our long-time housekeeper. Every asset, every rupee of income, was allocated consciously. We sold some properties, cleared our loans, and made small but significant lifestyle choices that allowed us to save more without feeling like we were sacrificing.
The age of 55 was simply a placeholder initially-something that gave structure to our plan. But the more we aligned our decisions with that vision, the more achievable it felt. In the end, it wasn’t the goal that changed our lives-it was the process of planning. And that’s my biggest takeaway: the financial planning process is the real hero, not just the spreadsheet or the projections.
Retirement Is a Design, Not a Deadline
People often ask me if there was a “defining moment” that made me choose early retirement. The truth is, there wasn’t. I’ve loved my job, my colleagues, and the asset management industry. I still do. But I’ve also had passions outside of work-creative pursuits, community engagement, time in nature. I didn’t want to wait until I was too tired or too late to pursue them meaningfully.
People often ask me if there was a “defining moment” that made me choose early retirement. The truth is, there wasn’t. I’ve loved my job, my colleagues, and the asset management industry. I still do. But I’ve also had passions outside of work-creative pursuits, community engagement, time in nature. I didn’t want to wait until I was too tired or too late to pursue them meaningfully.
Emotionally, I anchored myself to a very specific moment: dancing with my granddaughter at her wedding. That mental image kept me focused on building not just a corpus, but a life worth living beyond the corner office. Retirement shouldn’t be seen as the end of productivity-it’s a chance to rediscover yourself in new ways.
Why a CEO Still Needs an Advisor
As someone who’s spent decades in the investment world, people often wonder why I worked with a financial advisor. Isn’t that what I do professionally? But here’s the thing-just as surgeons don’t operate on loved ones, it’s hard to be objective about your own money. We’re too emotionally invested.
As someone who’s spent decades in the investment world, people often wonder why I worked with a financial advisor. Isn’t that what I do professionally? But here’s the thing-just as surgeons don’t operate on loved ones, it’s hard to be objective about your own money. We’re too emotionally invested.
A qualified advisor brings not just technical know-how, but experience from helping hundreds of households navigate the same fears, aspirations, and trade-offs. Our advisor helped us uncover blind spots-even things I hadn't considered, like buying second-hand cars to reduce capital outflow, or using travel time as a factor in rent-vs-buy decisions. They helped us structure our will, optimise insurance, and even plan tax-efficient gifting.
Most importantly, they helped us define what “enough” looks like-an evolving, deeply personal concept that we often overlook.
The Buckets, the Choices, the Discipline
We broadly followed a bucket strategy: short, medium, and long-term allocations designed to handle both life’s certainties and surprises. Equity continues to be part of our long-term plan, with appropriate caution around sequence risk. We reduced concentration in any single asset class and redirected incremental income towards specific goals.
We broadly followed a bucket strategy: short, medium, and long-term allocations designed to handle both life’s certainties and surprises. Equity continues to be part of our long-term plan, with appropriate caution around sequence risk. We reduced concentration in any single asset class and redirected incremental income towards specific goals.
Our lifestyle choices also supported the plan. We lived on rent longer to benefit from tax efficiencies. We opted for pre-owned cars and avoided the temptation of lifestyle inflation. These were not sacrifices-they were smart choices that helped us get more out of less.
We also diversified into land, not for returns, but to enable a more engaged, hands-on lifestyle in retirement. This piece of farmland is where I plan to spend time reconnecting with nature and contributing to our local community.
Advice to Aspirants of Early Retirement
Here’s my advice to those dreaming of financial freedom at an early age:
Here’s my advice to those dreaming of financial freedom at an early age:
- Work with an advisor. Don’t delay this step. A good advisor will not just guide your investments-they’ll help you live better.
- Develop secondary skills. Don’t rely on a single income source. Your hobbies or side passions can become small but fulfilling revenue streams.
- Define what will keep you happy-not happier. The comparison trap is endless. Know your ‘enough’ and avoid shifting goalposts.
- Prioritise retirement. It’s the only financial goal for which there is no loan. You can borrow for education, a car, or a house-not for your post-work life.
What Lies Ahead
While I’m stepping down as CEO, I’m not hanging up my gloves. I plan to continue contributing in areas I care about-especially retail investor education and retirement planning. I also intend to explore executive coaching (my wife is a Master Certified Coach), deepen my creative pursuits, and spend more time with family.
I’m re-energised by the possibilities ahead. Retirement is not about stopping-it’s about choosing what to start.
A Final Word to Investors
The next generation of leaders is better at prioritizing health and mental well-being than we were. That’s a powerful head start. My hope is that they’ll treat retirement not just as a financial goal, but as a personal project-a journey that’s as emotional and social as it is numerical.
If you’re a young professional, don’t wait to tick every box before you plan. Start early, stay curious, and find joy in the process. And if you’re in your 40s or 50s and still feel unsure, remember: clarity doesn’t come from knowing everything-it comes from starting somewhere.
Because at the end of the day, financial freedom is not about retiring from something-it’s about retiring into something meaningful.
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