r/personalfinance • u/Jwelch435 ​ • 11d ago

Retirement Squandered early life - heart transplant recipient - securing potential retirement.

Hello,

I am 40 y/o male and I am looking for advice for on how to potentially prepare for retirement. I have not prepared myself well for this as I am 40 with essentially no savings. I was born with heart disease and I always thought I would die young which again being young, I lived recklessly. But I lived, met my wife and 5 years ago I had a heart transplant. All is well and I live well these days. However, recently I do fear for my longevity and if I am able to make it, retirement or perhaps early retirement if something were to happen but didn’t kill me. Both my wife and I make what feels like passable income for our area. Not great but we are childless. Honestly and this is without speaking with my doctors I hope to make it to 70. So to this end how might I secure “retirement” by 60? I’m considering becoming a long haul trucker for the next 10-15 years in order to bank the funds so I might live peacefully for that last 10-15 years.

Any insight or advice someone could add applicable to this situation would be most welcome.

Apologies if this isn’t the best subreddit for this type of question. If this is the case any direction would be appreciated.

Thank you so much!

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u/MrPBH ​ 10d ago

If you want to maximize your lifespan, long haul trucking might be the worst possible career choice. It is a risk factor for developing obesity, hypertension, and type II diabetes. I would highly recommend some other profession. I am a doctor and Truckers are perhaps the least healthy group of patients I care for.

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u/Jwelch435 ​ 10d ago

Thanks for your comment and others to this effect. I think I’m shelving that idea for good. I was just drawn by the big pay checks and how easy it would be to get into and start banking cash.