I'm 45 with $3.2 million saved. Can I really quit my toxic job without risking retirement?

Priya has worked for 25 to 26 years and currently holds a full-time remote job that has become toxic. She wants to step away for six or seven years but worries that AI will prevent her from returning to her field. Her household balance sheet includes $1.8 million in traditional retirement accounts, $428,000 in Roth accounts, $834,000 in a brokerage account, and more than $200,000 in cash. They own an $850,000 home with $127,000 remaining on a 2.25% mortgage and have $259,000 in 529 plans for children. Spending runs $120,000 to $150,000 annually, while the husband earns $217,000, covering spending after tax. A safe withdrawal rate approach using the 4% rule suggests a $3.2 million portfolio could support about $128,000 in year one, adjusted for inflation, with a high probability of lasting 30 years.

"“Life is short, my friend, and if you have working in a toxic environment and you feel like it's just unbearable, I do not think you should do this anymore. I really don't,” she told Priya. “To have this much money, to have $3.2 million in your 40s, as you come into your late 40s, there's nothing bad that's going to happen to you.”"

"“The household holds $1.8 million in traditional retirement accounts (401(k), 403(b), 457s), $428,000 in Roth accounts, $834,000 in a brokerage account, and over $200,000 in cash. They own an $850,000 home with $127,000 left on a 2.25% mortgage, and they have $259,000 saved in 529 plans for kids ages 11 and 14.”"

"“Annual spending is $120,000 to $150,000. The husband still earns $217,000 a year. That single income alone, after tax, covers household spending without touching the portfolio. Priya's $205,000 salary plus variable comp is gravy funneled into maxed-out retirement accounts.”"

"“The 4% rule, derived from the Bengen and Trinity studies, says a diversified portfolio can fund roughly 4% of its starting value in year one, adjusted for inflation each year afterward, with a high probability of surviving 30 years. Applied to a $3.2 million portfolio, that supports a withdrawal around $128,000 in year one. That figure sits inside Priya's stated spending range.”"

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