Boomers Retiring Earlier Than Expected, Cite Bad Health, Job Loss

Experts have long held that baby boomers would work well into their golden years -- if only because of financial necessity.

But a new study shows that the oldest in the group, those born in 1946, are retiring in droves -- and not all of them in happy circumstances.

Nearly 60 percent of the early boomers are at least partially retired, according to the study by the MetLife Mature Market Institute. The majority of those -- 45 percent -- are completely retired, while 14 percent consider themselves retired but work part-time.