Many Americans retire far earlier than expected — and not by choice

American workers by and large believe they'll retire at 65, the nation's traditional retirement age. But real life often gets in the way of those plans, with new research finding that the majority actually step back from work far earlier. And for many, it's not by choice.

The median retirement age for Americans is actually 62, meaning that the typical worker is stepping back from their career three years earlier than expected, according to new research from the Employee Benefit Research Institute, a nonprofit focused on employee benefit programs.

The findings underscore the gap between retirement goals and reality. One increasingly popular idea, often promoted by lawmakers and business leaders, is that Americans should work longer so they can better afford their golden years. Because millions of workers are woefully lacking in retirement savings, working longer is seen as a way to solve their funding gap. In reality, however, many U.S. seniors are forced into retirement before they're ready.

But even when people want to work longer, they're not always able to, the new research found.

"It's hard to make that case that everyone should work longer and that will solve the problems we have in retirement," Craig Copeland, director of wealth benefits research at EBRI, told CBS MoneyWatch. "That clearly won't solve all the problems because many people just can't do it."

Seven in 10 retirees stopped working before they turned 65, the report found. Overall, about half said they stopped working before they had expected, with the majority blaming reasons out of their control. For instance, about one-third cited a health issue or disability for their earlier-than-expected retirement.

Only about 2 in 5 said they stopped working earlier than expected because they could afford to do so, the research found.

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