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By Stephanie Baxter Deputy personal finance editor

We all have those days where we dream of being able to quit our jobs and embark on an early retirement lying on a tropical beach. Most of us don't expect to be able to retire until our 60s – or later.

Our new series looks at people who quit the rat race early and how they did it – and proves you don’t need to be a millionaire to retire in your 40s.

In the first instalment, Tony Howard from Berkshire tells us how he retired at just 43 after getting made redundant from his job in 2001 spurred him into sorting out his finances and investing diligently.

If Mr Howard's success story has inspired you, we've got plans to help you retire early depending on your age. Read here to find out how to retire at 55 and live off your dividends – whether you're in your 20s, 30s or 40s. You can also check here to see if your retirement savings are on track to give a 30,000 income from age 65.

Did you retire early and want to share your tips for others? Or perhaps you’re on track to retire early and have a plan. I'm keen to hear from you. Contact me at stephanie.baxter@telegraph.co.uk.

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You have the last word...

Bebe Bowles says of ‘Failed Sainsbury’s delivery left my 89-year-old mother without food for more than 24 hours’: "Ensure that your next order contains some store cupboard items; anyone unable to get out easily must have some food on hand, just in case. We're coming into winter; a few flakes of snow will stop some deliveries. There are quite acceptable frozen meals, or, if she is still able to cook from scratch, plenty of frozen ingredients. You can also freeze loaves of bread or pints of milk, so she need never be left without anything. Tins of soup or baked beans are quick and easy. When my mother was old and shaky, both my brother and I lived many miles away, but the neighbours were kind enough to make sure they said hello to her every day, and rang us if they didn't see her at all. Cultivate your mum's neighbours."

Bernard Andrews says of 'Want to retire at 68 with an income of 30,000? Check if your retirement savings are on track': "It's a difficult balancing act. At present the lifetime allowance is my biggest concern. Save too little and you are doomed, save too much or invest well and you'll be taxed. I'm totally debt free including two properties and have a pension pot that's about 75pc of the existing LTA (I'm 47). I'm pretty sure I'm all set but who really knows."

John Jones says of 'Why tax rules mean the economy is suffering as 'entrepreneurs' abandon self employment': "Tax is now so complex and so onerous for many that it's regularly having dysfunctional economic effects.
I had a shocking discussion with an old friend last week, not normally someone who mentions money, who is giving up work in his late 50s because as a middle-manager in a private organisation on well less than a GP he's paying an effective rate of 80pc on every additional pound earned: 40pc to income tax, 20pc in reduced personal allowance and another 20pc in penalties on his pension. All in all, having already declined any more promotion because it's not financially worthwhile and having told his boss not to give him any raise because he'd rather the organisation kept the money than giving most of it to the government, he finds himself with no incentive to carry on pursuing career advancement and now intends to leave employment earlier than he'd planned. How exactly is the tax system deterring able and successful people from working any harder or going any further in their profession a beneficial outcome for the country?"

Contact us: to pose a question to our team of expert reporters, email moneyexpert@telegraph.co.uk. If you'd like a free financial plan, email money@telegraph.co.uk with the subject 'Give me a Money Makeover'.

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