Early retirement isn't always a choice

Emily Vasiliou and her wife picked up their lives in Chicago and moved back home to Minnesota in the winter of 2025. Vasiliou’s father had been diagnosed with dementia, so she decided it was time to move back home to care for her aging parents.

After working fully remote since the pandemic, Vasiliou figured moving away from her Chicago office would be no problem. However in 2026, her company announced a return-to-office mandate. Vasiliou needed to stay in Minnesota, so she lost her job.

“There was a lot concern what we were going to do financially,” she said. “I was the main breadwinner. … So, we had calls with our financial planner to say, ‘OK, we are switching gears here.’”

As a result, Vasiliou, who is 60, was forced into a pseudo-early retirement.

“I wouldn’t say I’m retired,” she said. “I know there is more ahead for me, and I have more to contribute. And I will figure that out once I figure this city out, and where I fit in.”

To hear Vasiliou’s full story, click the audio player above.