No, I'm quite aware of how common they are. I repeatedly argue in favor of disability income insurance, in particular. CareShield Life will be a step forward, although it's not quite as much of a step forward as I'd like.
However, it's also true, simultaneously, that these and other ailments are less common at the same ages, today, than they were even 10 years ago. Singaporeans are statistically leading and living longer and healthier lives. That's just a basic fact, well documented. Singaporeans now have the world's second highest healthy lifespans, as it happens. So, while they still may be possible motivations for early retirement, they are statistically less common motivations than in the past.
No, it's really very simple: Singaporeans who want to retire early are doing it (if they're doing it) mostly because they can afford it more often than in the past. They're not doing it because they're sicker, or living shorter lives, or because work is tougher, or because 30-somethings are taking all their jobs. ALL of those problems are statistically less common now than they were in the past. It really isn't any more complicated than that. As wealth increases, some wealthy people choose to consume their wealth in the form of more leisure.
....But you still have to be rather wealthy to retire at 40. Within the top ~2% of wealthiest 40 year olds, probably. The financial math rapidly improves if you retire later rather than sooner, because you're closing any gap from both sides. If you're working and saving (which you should be in peak earning years), wealth is increasing, and retirement financial needs are decreasing. And, if the financial math is better, that can mean a more fabulous retirement with fewer financial worries when you eventually retire. On top of that, if you enjoy what you're doing professionally, that's even more fabulous.
