Registered Nurse · Retire in 365 days
How a Registered Nurse Retires in 365 Days
Her feet say stop; her identity says taper. Two per-diem shifts a week turn out to be the difference between money lasting to 87 and 95.
Donna, 58 — single, 29 years on med-surg
Episode in production — the written drill below is the full story.
The income
$92k full-time; per-diem pays more per hour, no benefits
The savings
$480k in a 403(b), plus a small hospital pension at 65
The outcome
In the episode: full stop = 87, the glide = 95
The countdown
12 months out
Design the glide: full-time to 60, then per-diem two shifts a week to 64. The shifts nearly cover the health-insurance bridge by themselves.
9 months out
Price the benefits cliff honestly — per-diem means marketplace insurance. Enter it as a real expense line, not a hope.
6 months out
The claiming rule that shapes every glide: earning while claiming Social Security early means benefits get withheld. So the shifts run first, Social Security waits until they stop.
1 month out
Pension paperwork for 65 confirmed as its own income line — three income bands arriving in sequence: shifts, then Social Security, then pension.
The twist
A staffing crunch offers time-and-a-half. Four shifts tempts her — she holds at two, but banks the higher RATE. Same body budget, $9k more a year.
The verdict
The glide: two shifts to 64, Social Security at 67. The taper bought her body four years of ramp and the plan eight years of margin.
Now run it with YOUR numbers.
The same tool from the episode — drag the levers, watch the money-runs-out age move, make the plan yours.
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Educational estimates only — not financial, tax, or investment advice.