Retirement!!!

[dancogan]

Not all of us who are retired or in the process of retiring have comfortable pensions. Some of us saved as much as we could, educated our kids, saved some more, and then will have to rely upon our IRA's and other savings.

This was my own post from 1/15/2012. Now, almost 4 years later, I'm still working (part time) but much closer to retirement. The key to committing to retirement was realizing that no matter how much we saved, it would never seem like enough. So, at the end of this year I will cut the strings and see what retired life is like.

 

[henzilla]

This was my own post from 1/15/2012. Now, almost 4 years later, I'm still working (part time) but much closer to retirement. The key to committing to retirement was realizing that no matter how much we saved, it would never seem like enough. So, at the end of this year I will cut the strings and see what retired life is like.

At some point I decided that I had planned as well as I could. I could have stayed a few more years to get the maximum amount from my retirement account, decided my sanity,health and happiness were worth more.
Still work, but on my schedule (and H's) and pace. No regrets.

Good luck with your next adventure!

 

[EvryDayRide]

Been retired 7 years this December. LOVED MY JOB! I had the best job ever. Love being retired better. At this time, I have not been bored and have no interest in seeking employment elsewhere. But, that is me. It is just as important to keep yourself happy doing whatever it is that brings you enjoyment? If working part time, full time, no time, or volunteering your time is the key happiness then that is what you do? Since this is a motorcycle forum, you better save time to ride........

John

 

[dancogan]

...
Good luck with your next adventure!

Thanks!

 

[glenfiddich]

The company I've worked for the last 20 years was acquired by another from Boston. Work has gone completely corporate, with the new owners bringing in their friends and those who built this company being swept aside. Recently 300 were laid off, the first in company history and nearly all of them old timers. We used to be a data-driven culture; now the leaders demand that our data support the hunches they pulled out of some orifice.

I find myself thinking of retiring, though I turn 60 next March. The big unknown is health insurance. And in this extremely rural part of Vermont the odds of me finding another job at my age should retirement turn out to be a mistake are slim to none. We've scrimped and saved, doing all the right things, but with everything a profit center these days I worry that it won't be enough. Suicides among the elderly whose resources ran out are reported more often these days...

 

[rangerreece]

Glenfiddich,
Don't you go getting down on me. I know things are tuff now but they will be better soon. Your 60 so you only got a few years till full Social Security kicks in. And you'll be riding your butt off with all that free time and disposable income. Hang in there big brother, I look forward to seeing you at the national next year.

 

[36654]

The company I've worked for the last 20 years was acquired by another from Boston. Work has gone completely corporate, with the new owners bringing in their friends and those who built this company being swept aside. Recently 300 were laid off, the first in company history and nearly all of them old timers. We used to be a data-driven culture; now the leaders demand that our data support the hunches they pulled out of some orifice.

I find myself thinking of retiring, though I turn 60 next March. The big unknown is health insurance. And in this extremely rural part of Vermont the odds of me finding another job at my age should retirement turn out to be a mistake are slim to none. We've scrimped and saved, doing all the right things, but with everything a profit center these days I worry that it won't be enough. Suicides among the elderly whose resources ran out are reported more often these days...

Depending on your salary, the SS benefit, starting at 70, is nearly 2x that at 62. If you can, it's best to wait on taking SS.

But, you are correct, the insurance is the killer until you hit Medicare at 65.

 

[GeneT]

Retirement

Well gentlemen retirement may be great under certain conditions. I was self employed most of my life so retirement checks are a matter of how much you stashed away. Part of retirement is great, the part of not having to git up and git moving, not having to worry about the phone and all that sort of stuff. But truth be known; I miss what I was doing, I miss it because I enjoyed it, I miss some of the guys I worked with and yes I miss the money. I did thank goodness, manage to put some away for a rainy day. But there comes a time when your mind says lets go and your body says, are you nuts? I don't mean to piss on someones blanket here, but I find myself in the part of life where my body is boss. I lost my wife 5 years ago so I am free to come & go as I like. I have the means to enjoy some of it but not to the point of getting crazy, but sleeping and living habits change with age. With that in mind motorcycle travel is awkward, often not sleeping well I wind up sleeping too late, it ruins the travel day more ways than one. Sleeping pills are not the answer, I have tried that and wake up with a hang over so back to square one. Right now I am not enjoying the so called golden years. Sorry guys, life is what it is.

 

[greenwald]

Well gentlemen retirement may be great under certain conditions. I was self employed most of my life so retirement checks are a matter of how much you stashed away. Part of retirement is great, the part of not having to git up and git moving, not having to worry about the phone and all that sort of stuff. But truth be known; I miss what I was doing, I miss it because I enjoyed it, I miss some of the guys I worked with and yes I miss the money. I did thank goodness, manage to put some away for a rainy day. But there comes a time when your mind says lets go and your body says, are you nuts? I don't mean to piss on someones blanket here, but I find myself in the part of life where my body is boss. I lost my wife 5 years ago so I am free to come & go as I like. I have the means to enjoy some of it but not to the point of getting crazy, but sleeping and living habits change with age. With that in mind motorcycle travel is awkward, often not sleeping well I wind up sleeping too late, it ruins the travel day more ways than one. Sleeping pills are not the answer, I have tried that and wake up with a hang over so back to square one. Right now I am not enjoying the so called golden years. Sorry guys, life is what it is.

I don't think you pissed on anyone's blanket (never heard that one before, but you can bet I'll be over-using it for at least the next 6 months!).

You present an oft-not discussed facet of retirement - changes in lifestyle, like them or not - health concerns - excess free time - and the BIG one - loneliness.

I think it would help to mark down on your calendar some long-term motorcycle destinations/goals. Not just rallies, but places you have always wanted to visit.

Then, make an effort to find someone willing to tag along. Riding around the country solo does appeal to some, but most of us want to share our experiences on a daily basis with some special person.

I hope you find yours again soon.

 

[henzilla]

Gene, sorry your reality is a tough one. Hope you find a workaround for your issues.

I too loved what I did for 25 of the 30 years I was in the business. Two different employers, same trade. Enjoyed the interaction and challenges. Then I moved into senior management and was forced into following and enforcing knee jerk poor decisions that ruined a lot of those close ties with the field troops. The cost cutting schemes put the field workers safety on the back burner.It wasn't a fun job anymore and I couldn't change the culture as I was one of the few that common sense meant something to.

I watched several guys hang on to be the most senior tenured retiree...they all died within a year of leaving, one a month after he left while mowing his lawn. I shook my head at the contestants who still played that challenge while their health an opportunities dwindled.
Time to go before I was assimilated into that collective.

 

[rad]

My observations of the people I know regarding retirement are as follows:

The people during their work days that were happy, active and with strong outside of work interests are successful in retirement.


Folks that were depressed and unhappy during their work careers are the same in retirement. Sometimes even more so.


No real surprise in those statements.


Two things that can change that dramatically for folks is money and health, or a lack there of.


I retired earlier than I planned in order to keep from having to lay off one of two full time people left in my office. Both were single women, with school age children, with almost zero chance of finding another job with medical benifits for their family in our field that was hit hard by the depression. My wife and I talked and we elected for me to take a good sized hit in my retirement and leave early. The powers to be at work approved my plan to retire and move one of the ladies up into my position. I sleep well at night with that decision.

My wife and I don't have much money, but we can pay the mortgage and our bills and take some low budget vacations in our little travel trailer and I could not be happier. I bicycle ride, play guitar, motorcycle and watch my grandkids, I feel lucky.

 

[DalePA]

Retirement

Congratulations! I too am retiring. Last day is set for January 8th, 2016. I am 66 and have worked since the 8th grade. I have a new 1200Rt and am looking forward to some nice, long trips. Maybe we'll bump into each other at a rally or a campground some where.

Bill

 

[36654]

Well gentlemen retirement may be great under certain conditions. I was self employed most of my life so retirement checks are a matter of how much you stashed away. Part of retirement is great, the part of not having to git up and git moving, not having to worry about the phone and all that sort of stuff. But truth be known; I miss what I was doing, I miss it because I enjoyed it, I miss some of the guys I worked with and yes I miss the money. I did thank goodness, manage to put some away for a rainy day. But there comes a time when your mind says lets go and your body says, are you nuts? I don't mean to piss on someones blanket here, but I find myself in the part of life where my body is boss. I lost my wife 5 years ago so I am free to come & go as I like. I have the means to enjoy some of it but not to the point of getting crazy, but sleeping and living habits change with age. With that in mind motorcycle travel is awkward, often not sleeping well I wind up sleeping too late, it ruins the travel day more ways than one. Sleeping pills are not the answer, I have tried that and wake up with a hang over so back to square one. Right now I am not enjoying the so called golden years. Sorry guys, life is what it is.

Gene T,

You're just telling us the facts. Someday, we won't be riding a motorcycle and our bodies are going to be working against us.

Good luck,

Jon

 

[GeneT]

I don't think you pissed on anyone's blanket (never heard that one before, but you can bet I'll be over-using it for at least the next 6 months!).

You present an oft-not discussed facet of retirement - changes in lifestyle, like them or not - health concerns - excess free time - and the BIG one - loneliness.

I think it would help to mark down on your calendar some long-term motorcycle destinations/goals. Not just rallies, but places you have always wanted to visit.

Then, make an effort to find someone willing to tag along. Riding around the country solo does appeal to some, but most of us want to share our experiences on a daily basis with some special person.

I hope you find yours again soon.

Hello Greenwald,

I had a riding partner. We were doing trips inside the state of Florida, even after being friends for 30 years we found each other not compatible traveling partners. Actually our age and having become set in our ways played a big part in this awkward adventure. So my partner decided he wanted to ride from Florida to Connecticut to visit his grand kids. I had no intention of attempting this. He returned back to Florida, in a car driven by his grand kids with his bike on a trailer. A few days later he died in the hospital.

So good, bad or indifferent I lost a long time friend and riding partner, and at my age there just are not many left. Come Saturday I will attempt to ride with our local BMW group, however it may be a short day for me.

 

[72r60/7]

Retirement Decision ?

When I chose SS Benefit at age 62, I looked at the #'s (total monetary payout) for Age 62 and 65 or 66 for my age bracket. I would have to live to be 77 yrs old to break even. I paid life insurance for many years, betting I was possibly going to die. There was no way in h*** I was going to work 3 to 4 more years and change my bet that I was going to live now for more money after age 77.
My, very average monthly, benefit assures me that I will never have to use my personal savings for motorcycle fuel or travel. How nice is that? Better than I had ever expected and 3 to 4 years earlier than those people who choose to wait for "Full " retirement. Believe me when I say that for me, my retirement has been plenty "full" till my recent 65th birthday.
It has worked out terrific for my personal situation.
Charlie

 

[Omega Man]

When I chose SS Benefit at age 62, I looked at the #'s (total monetary payout) for Age 62 and 65 or 66 for my age bracket. I would have to live to be 77 yrs old to break even. I paid life insurance for many years, betting I was possibly going to die. There was no way in h*** I was going to work 3 to 4 more years and change my bet that I was going to live now for more money after age 77.
My, very average monthly, benefit assures me that I will never have to use my personal savings for motorcycle fuel or travel. How nice is that? Better than I had ever expected and 3 to 4 years earlier than those people who choose to wait for "Full " retirement. Believe me when I say that for me, my retirement has been plenty "full" till my recent 65th birthday.
It has worked out terrific for my personal situation.
Charlie

That's sort of the way I had read it
OM

 

[rangerreece]

"Youth is wasted on the youth... Wealth is wasted on the elderly." I had a commander, Brook Wiffen tell me that once when he was waxing philosophical. On the surface, it seems a little sharp... Peel away a layer or two, and you can see the wisdom lurking just below the words.

 

[GeneT]

Done Different

OK guys, you want to talk when to take your SS retirement. Your hopes and desires let me give you some hind sight, For free. Remember what is good for one is not good for all. What would have I done different? First of all I would have taken flying lessons when I was still wet behind the ears. Second; I would have waited until I was 65 rather than 62 for my SS retirement. I did this under advisement of an accountant who I later fired, once you do this there is no going back. However I continued to work and pay into SS, but I worked on a reduced schedule. I continued to work part time until I was 75 years old, I am now 83 years old. As stated before I was self employed and able t choose my assignments, also as stated before I liked my work, I enjoyed it. What would I have done differently at this point? After losing my wife almost 6 years ago I should have sold this house pronto, and bought a motorhome or toy hauler and hauled ass out of South Florida. If I had done this when I was younger I would not have the worries of home ownership, taxes and all that stuff. Plus I surely would have better places to ride my motorcycle. But with my present physical condition this is now out of the question.

 

[bluegrasspicker]

Going on July 12th 2018, 4 pm

 

[36654]

Going on July 12th 2018, 4 pm

Don't jinx yourself......