Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
It is scary to be reminded that we are finite beings with an unknown expiration date.
I get it. He chose his path. You will choose yours.
If you can retire but you choose to keep working because you enjoy it then be very clear that this is your choice, and aware that someday you may decide otherwise. Our remaining time is ours to spend as we choose; it just depends on what your priorities are. The trick is to choose wisely and be open to reevaluating periodically.
My cousin, with whom I was very close, agonized over their retirement situation. They went to many sessions with their advisor, asked for various opinions, figured out their income under different scenarios, etc., over a period of several years.
Less than one year after they retired she was diagnosed with an advanced cancer and died within 4 months. Her husband remarried within a year and they are living the high life off the hard earned money that she had agonized over. She was the high earner in the family.
When you are no longer happy to go to work in the morning and have adequate funds and resources, embrace retirement. As someone said, after 60 it is amazing how many people start to die off including those who seemed in top condition (even after clean physicals).
If you are part of a couple, one may have issues which affects the other. Happens all the time.
Happened again. A co worker I knew for oh...25-30 years that retired in 2010. After a few years doing this and that, he got bored and was hired back as a contractor to manage a project (construction side, maybe 6 weeks) a few years back. Spoke to him at the time at length maybe 2 years ago, about retirement, why he came back etc. He loved being retired. Great pension. In charge of his life. No money issues. Just liked being around his work friends, and the extra money. Spoke to him about 3 weeks ago, had decided to take on another project I would be associated with...great money, easy work....
Died yesterday.
No details as yet, but not yet 70 for sure. Intellectually I know it's statistically insignificant, but my gut reaction is "Retire ASAP". I can. What am I waiting for? (Rhetorical....., I KNOW what I'm waiting for).
I assume everyone not yet retired but close, gets that feeling??
I retired when I felt like it, I don't listen to financial advisers unless I ask them a pertinent question.
You can easily fall for their pitch and become greedy, trying to have your cake AND eat it, plus they will gladly feed your fears whilst pretending to allay your concerns.
SS knows most people will not break even if they linger on waiting for full retirement.
Thats a poor mans bargain.
Well, none of us knows when the Reaper will come for us. All you can do is keep yourself in the best physical shape that you can, I am a big believer in exercise as the sovereign remedy for almost anything.
But your friend came back to work because he wanted to, he chose to manage that construction project instead of play golf, or fish, or whatever other recreational activity he would do if not working. He was getting what he wanted out of life till the end. There are worse outcomes.
I have posted up about my sitch here, how I like my job, it's not really hard for me but it is challenging enough that it keeps me engaged, I like the money, I like socializing with my co-workers, who for a change are a real peer group. Your sitch is similar.
Me, personally, I would be nuts to retire voluntarily before I hit 60 later this year, the pension goes up sharply per year until then. Even experienced and maybe even "revered" engineers like us can stay on full time or part time at our old jobs, but, we are a damn hard sell to a new employer. Could of course retire, take the health benefits, and go contracting.
But, for example, my lawn is pretty overgrown, has been raining the last couple of weekends. If I was retired I'd cut it today. But in the grand scheme of things, obviously this is not so important to me, because I could have taken a day of vacation, and I didn't. I preferred to come in and be an engineer, do the real work I was cut out for, rather than use myself as a yard man.
Quote:
Originally Posted by LesserSeneca
I'm not seeing the problem here. He was doing exactly what he wanted. He loved being retired, but also loved being around friends, doing the projects, etc.
How does this mean you should retire now. And, what will happen when you retire? what will you do?
I'll get in line behind the two posters above and say I don't see the problem here either. Some friend or relative dying at X age just doesn't mean anything, although it can be a shock of course. All we have to do to see the absurdity of the reasoning is to start regressing the age of death in the examples. So let's start with a hypothetical post where a coworker dropped dead at age 60. So what is the lesson? Don't work until 60? I'm not buying it.
Now let's take that same example and insert different ages - first 55, then 50, then 45, then 40, then 35, and so on. And yes, people do sometimes drop dead at age 35, although I admit that at each younger age it becomes less likely.
It's just a weird way to look at life, it seems to me. While I enjoy my retirement and I have never regretted retiring at age 61, it's not like retirement is some sort of holy grail or ultimate goal or prize in life. It's not as if people who die early have been horribly cheated if they didn't taste retirement first.
Maybe a disclaimer is in order for people who like to twist things: There is nothing wrong with looking forward to retirement. I looked forward to mine. But it's similar to looking forward to all kinds of stages in life, such as finishing college, getting married, paying off the house, etc., etc. I just don't think any of those stages, including retirement, constitutes some instant nirvana or some be-all-and-end-all of life.
I'll get in line behind the two posters above and say I don't see the problem here either. Some friend or relative dying at X age just doesn't mean anything, although it can be a shock of course. All we have to do to see the absurdity of the reasoning is to start regressing the age of death in the examples. So let's start with a hypothetical post where a coworker dropped dead at age 60. So what is the lesson? Don't work until 60? I'm not buying it.
Now let's take that same example and insert different ages - first 55, then 50, then 45, then 40, then 35, and so on. And yes, people do sometimes drop dead at age 35, although I admit that at each younger age it becomes less likely.
It's just a weird way to look at life, it seems to me. While I enjoy my retirement and I have never regretted retiring at age 61, it's not like retirement is some sort of holy grail or ultimate goal or prize in life. It's not as if people who die early have been horribly cheated if they didn't taste retirement first.
Maybe a disclaimer is in order for people who like to twist things: There is nothing wrong with looking forward to retirement. I looked forward to mine. But it's similar to looking forward to all kinds of stages in life, such as finishing college, getting married, paying off the house, etc., etc. I just don't think any of those stages, including retirement, constitutes some instant nirvana or some be-all-and-end-all of life.
Post of the day!
It seems many people's perception is work sucks and everybody can't wait to get out. Maybe if you work for the man. Maybe to some who worked 30 years at a sucky job, it is the prize in life. Many look down on others who continue to work. Talk about a low awareness level.
Its not that way, especially if you own a successful business. I tried retirement at 43, with husband who was 53. For 4 months. We were never so miserable in our lives. Thank God we didn't sell our businesses and took back control.
We aren't sitting at a desk 24/7. We both work about 4 hours a day, Fridays off. And we take vacations overseas when we want. Few time per year.
Best thing to happen to me is if I drop over dead at my desk. I've done more things in 60 years than many people combined for a lifetime. I feel retired except for 4 hours a day I have to keep up with the times and my mind in gear. Don't care about collecting the SS. This country has given me more than the taxes & SS I paid in.
I'll sleep/retire when I'm dead. I don't feel any older than I did at 40. If it's my time to go, I'll go willingly - God's plan.
Many people especially men in their 60's don't go to the doctor. Some of these dead guys might still be alive if they went and got their hearts checked, cholesterol, etc. A friend just lost her brother this week, he ignored the signs and when they found stage 4 cancer May 2nd, it was too late. he was 51.
Happened again. A co worker I knew for oh...25-30 years that retired in 2010. After a few years doing this and that, he got bored and was hired back as a contractor to manage a project (construction side, maybe 6 weeks) a few years back. Spoke to him at the time at length maybe 2 years ago, about retirement, why he came back etc. He loved being retired. Great pension. In charge of his life. No money issues. Just liked being around his work friends, and the extra money. Spoke to him about 3 weeks ago, had decided to take on another project I would be associated with...great money, easy work....
Died yesterday.
No details as yet, but not yet 70 for sure. Intellectually I know it's statistically insignificant, but my gut reaction is "Retire ASAP". I can. What am I waiting for? (Rhetorical....., I KNOW what I'm waiting for).
I assume everyone not yet retired but close, gets that feeling??
Did you know the average person dies within 6 months of when they retire. I actually thought about this when I retired. So six months after I retired I started my exercise job of water exercises. 10 years later, here I am. Still alive!
I do not understand what Escort Rider is saying. Other than he's saying that it doesn't matter to Escort Rider as to when he himself or all others die, and that he thinks that age of death does not matter for himself and all others??
I do think that people (who have worked all their lives) who die early are terribly cheated out of retirement, a time which is very enjoyable for many.
Last edited by matisse12; 05-11-2017 at 06:27 PM..
Someone asked me what I am doing now that I am retired and I say, "Same thing I did before I retired but I don't go to work too." I didn't realize how hard I worked and how tired I was until I retired and started sleeping as long as I wanted to. Right now I am messing on here and should be doing laundry we dirtied while on a trip for the past five days.
We both went to our granddaughter's college graduation then stayed on in a condo with the girls until they had to go back to work. Retirement is good. I can always find something to do. Our home and yard need some attention after being away. But I will be doing my job exercising in the water in the morning.
One retired teacher came down the hall at the center saying that her new job is staying alive.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
