Early retirement at 45 in India requires careful financial planning. Experts suggest building a retirement corpus of 25–30 times your annual expenses, adjusted for inflation and healthcare costs. With rising longevity and lifestyle demands, a balanced portfolio of equity and fixed income investments is essential to sustain financial freedom for decades.
Walking away from work at 45 may sound liberating, but the math behind early retirement is far more complex than traditional retirement at 60. Since your savings must last 35–40 years, the required corpus is significantly higher. Financial planners emphasize that the starting point is not your income but your annual household expenses.
For example, if your current spending is ₹1.5 lakh per month (₹18 lakh annually), you would need a retirement corpus of ₹4.5–5.5 crore, assuming inflation at 6–7% and conservative post-retirement returns. Healthcare costs, which rise faster than general inflation, must also be factored in, along with an emergency medical fund.
A sustainable retirement strategy involves a diversified portfolio equities for growth, fixed income for stability, and possibly real estate or alternative assets for inflation protection. Longevity risk is another critical factor, as Indians are living longer, often well into their 80s or 90s.
Key Highlights
-
Corpus Requirement: 25–30 times annual expenses, inflation-adjusted.
-
Expense Example: ₹18 lakh annual spending → ₹4.5–5.5 crore needed.
-
Healthcare Costs: Must plan separately for rising medical inflation.
-
Investment Mix: Equity + fixed income for sustainable returns.
-
Longevity Risk: Plan for 35–40 years of retirement.
-
Emergency Fund: Essential for unforeseen medical or lifestyle shocks.
Sources: Moneycontrol, CanIRetire.in, Reuters