Who on here is retired?

[04mazdaspeed]

I have a long ways to go myself as I am only 33. The earliest I can retire with my pension at work is 51. My pension gets maxed out at 58 so definetely no longer than that. I mean no disrespect to anyone that needs to work longer but to the people that choose to, that is just idiotic to me. Time is the most precious asset that we cannot purchase. Im not working a day longer than I need to. I dont have enough time now as it is to enjoy all my hobbies. We have a few guys at my work currently that are still working in their 70s. Stupid if you ask me. They are just working for free. Just the thought of not having to "report" to someone or somewhere everyday, makes me want to retire even sooner...lol

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[Les]

Retired Oct 14th 2016. I worked at my company for 44 years. They offered a voluntary retirement Package. I was 67 at the time and took the package but my original plan was to work until I was 70. The writing was on the wall, the people that didn’t take the package were laid off with no package 4 months later. I was lucky, I really liked my job and the people I worked with. My boss, for over 26 years (a female born in Hawaii) was one of the nicest people on the planet, and still is! She retired and moved back to Hawaii and was recently re-hired as a consultant. We still communicate. My first year of retirement was an adjustment for me. Not seeing my friends at work, not having a routine was weird! Being retired for 6 years now, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT! At 73 now I walk 3 miles just about everyday, play guitar everyday, spend an enormous amount of time in my garage and enjoy the company of my cat. I’ve detailed 165 cars since I’ve retired. It’s hard work, I think of it as therapeutic, and exercise. I created a spreadsheet showing the date, the process, the products used, the amount charged etc. Being retired I can go to bed early, go to bed late, get up early (most of the time) get up late, take a nap anytime I want, eat when I want, clean a car, not clean a car. Being the boss of my own life isn’t bad. I’m very happily retired!
Hmmmmm! I had to edit this! I’m my own boss when my cat is not telling what he wants! The truth is, he doesn’t live with me, I live with him!

 

[Rapid Red]

I wonder how many companies still give pensions to workers. Not happening in the IT field. I remember when 10 years made one eligible (vested) to receive a pension.

A pension (aka corporate socialism) is a big gamble for a worker if it's the sole retirement plan.

 

[Coastal-Mach]

Im 51, and if things go as planned I will call it quits in 2023. Both of my parents worked for GE, 37 &38 years. They worked hard and saved every penny, both are in their 70's now, and have good health, but refuse to travel or spend the money they worked so hard for. I told them time and time again, go spend it all and have fun with your life.

My wife and I like to cruise and travel, so that's our plan for now. My other plan is to add a couple more Stangs to the stable. You only have one life, make the most of it.

 

[The Demon]

Im 51, and if things go as planned I will call it quits in 2023. Both of my parents worked for GE, 37 &38 years. They worked hard and saved every penny, both are in their 70's now, and have good health, but refuse to travel or spend the money they worked so hard for. I told them time and time again, go spend it all and have fun with your life.

My wife and I like to cruise and travel, so that's our plan for now. My other plan is to add a couple more Stangs to the stable. You only have one life, make the most of it.

Yep.

Exactly what I told mine. They did until my Dad passed and my Mom continued to travel but not as much.

Live life everyone! You never know.

 

[Deleted member 69033]

I doubt I'll ever retire. Maybe from my current career, but I'll still do something full time, as long as I'm not in diapers. My dad retired. For three weeks, lol. He said "Son, there's only so much golf you can play..."

I'm the same. Too much of a busy body. Besides, I already feel like I sit around too much now, and I have an 8 year old kid, play in a busy band, and do fity hrs a week....

 

[04mazdaspeed]

I wonder how many companies still give pensions to workers. Not happening in the IT field. I remember when 10 years made one eligible (vested) to receive a pension.

A pension (aka corporate socialism) is a big gamble for a worker if it's the sole retirement plan.

Not many for sure and thats sad. I work in the city of chicago where most city work has pensions. I know major railroads still have their pensions as well. My vest schedule is 10yrs but I do know its only 5yrs at Metra railroad. Our pension is doing phenomenally well. No big gamble for us. Unlike the teachers pension, where they either dont pay any into it or very little, we pay 12.125% of our gross paycheck into our pensions while the company pays 26%. What also works in our favor is OT is counted towards our average. So people can retire making more on pension than their base salary. Its the only reason I havent left this work to find a better job. The pension.

 

[MachNroll]

Pretty simple question:
Who on here is retired?

That rolls into these questions:
What do you do with your time now - being retired?

Is retirement everything you had imagined?

Retired 2.5 years ago. Chose family and quality of life over career. First 1.5 years of retirement was a bit tough. Still felt like I needed to be super productive. Last 12 months finally realized that I don't need to "work" 8-hour days. Now, daily morning coffee can last until 10am if I choose. Car has never been shinier. Yard, never nicer. Exercise every other day. Run the smoker at least 2x per month. Brisket and pulled pork are my "specialty." Bi-weekly whiskey tasting with friends. Send my kid "hilarious" dad joke texts daily. Did I mention the Mach 1 has never been shinier?

 

[key01]

Retired 2.5 years ago. Chose family and quality of life over career. First 1.5 years of retirement was a bit tough. Still felt like I needed to be super productive. Last 12 months finally realized that I don't need to "work" 8-hour days. Now, daily morning coffee can last until 10am if I choose. Car has never been shinier. Yard, never nicer. Exercise every other day. Run the smoker at least 2x per month. Brisket and pulled pork are my "specialty." Bi-weekly whiskey tasting with friends. Send my kid "hilarious" dad joke texts daily. Did I mention the Mach 1 has never been shinier?

Nice. Don’t misjudge the finish line ( which you didn’t)

 

[KeyLime]

For those who did initially retire, but did go back to part-time or even full-time work, do the retirement benefits received from the initial job "stop" - like do you have to report that you're working again, or does that not even matter? Meaning, taking retirement $$ and also bringing in additional $$ from X-source - conflict or no?

I'm not close to being in any of your shoes as far as being able to retire - but was really wondering and wanting to get a genuine perspective from genuine folks who are up front and honest about retirement. I find it interesting too that the retirement spectrum or age bracket varies quite a bit - but l also understand that being able to retire is based on many variables as well.

I think to myself that I may get bored - as I always have to be doing something and when my time comes to retire, that my day to day will change drastically where I may not enjoy that "time off". I don't know if that makes any sense to some reading this paragraph, as many do look forward to retiring. ?...

Do keep the comments coming because I'm sure the subject matter really gives insight to those wondering the same thoughts or questions.

I retired with a traditional pension plan. Medical benefits continued until I was 65 and qualified for Medicare. A part time job after retiring had no effect on anything except that there is a limit to how much you can make if you are collecting social security. Over the limit and the amount of SS is reduced. Once you hit 67 (I think) you can earn as much as you want and still collect the full SS without penalty.

Once you retire or quit the previous company doesn't care what you do. If you're vested you get what you're entitled to and other employment has no consequence.

Here's the nice thing about post retirement employment. If you work to do something fun, or just to earn beer money, there's no pressure. If you don't need the income you can quit any time you want. You can get a grin and giggles job or something challenging and difficult, or anything in between.

In my case I got lucky. The part time job is challenging, but I work with great people and I feel like I'm making an impact. I show up to work, enjoy it, and I can usually (always) find a way to spend the extra money.

 

[Goz63]

Glad to see a bunch of guys retired and having Mustangs. My wife tried to talk me into a vette instead. She said it as more my age lol. First they are uncomfortable and second I really like the Mustang. So I retired from the Air Force after 23+. Went back to work because I like it. Medicine is fun for me. Aaaaaand my wife is not ready for me to be home every day, all day…! Now that the kids are grown and gone I get to have my sports car. So I do have a question though, will my Mustang make my F350 look fat?

 

[69mach1-395]

Pretty simple question:
Who on here is retired?

That rolls into these questions:
What do you do with your time now - being retired?

Is retirement everything you had imagined?

I retired in 2015.
I do whatever the eff I want, lol
Not having to hang out with lazy assholes is priceless, lol

 

[ajsfirehawk]

I think the rush to retirement depends on how much you like/love our job. I worked with some extraordinary people but I didn't like the work, too much stress. So I got out as soon as I got medical figured out and could afford it. If you love your work, hey, roll with it. I'm trying to relearn how to play.

 

[moosestang]

I think the rush to retirement depends on how much you like/love our job. I worked with some extraordinary people but I didn't like the work, too much stress. So I got out as soon as I got medical figured out and could afford it. If you love your work, hey, roll with it. I'm trying to relearn how to play.

Exactly, I loved my work as long as I felt rewarded for my contributions (i.e. raises and promotions). Along came H1B visas, and those incentives disappeared. Management realized they could hire H1Bs for less money/benefits and could treat them as indentured servants. Then they layed off US citizens. I gave them the finger and walked.

 

[Paul McWhiskey]

I think the rush to retirement depends on how much you like/love our job. I worked with some extraordinary people but I didn't like the work, too much stress. So I got out as soon as I got medical figured out and could afford it. If you love your work, hey, roll with it. I'm trying to relearn how to play.

While I was still working, I was asked many times when I was going to retire. My answer was "When I am not having fun anymore". Well, things lined up financially and, as I stated earlier, I worked a year longer than I had planned. I guess the hardest part was realizing that I was not having a good time working any longer. I can't point to any one thing that caused it. There were many things that just did not make sense to me that were required and they required that I be dishonest with myself. Which meant that I also had to be dishonest with my clients and that was something that I could not do. I liked the people that I worked with and the Gentleman that owned the company, they were all top shelf. It was the greasiness of the new people that were entering the industry that disgusted me so. I knew I could not change them and I damn sure wasn't going to let them change me.
I only look back now and know that I made the right decision.

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