On Sat, 24 Feb 2007 02:30:17 GMT, "Vaughn Simon"
wrote:


"Dan Luke" wrote in message
...

As things turned out, I could have retired comfortably at 55. Now, I've just
turned 60 and am planning to cash out in two years...but that's what I said
two years ago.

Retirement can be scary when you actually face it.

And expensive when you actually look at everything that is involved,
particularly medical insurance. I am now 6 years past my retirement date, and
still working the same job. I am now working for 19% of my pay, for benefits,
(that is the main thing) and for a small increment (2.2% per year) on my future
retirement pay.

In the pre retirement meetings they used to tell us that our expenses
would go down after retirement which always ended up with me raising
my hand. After about the third time the exasperated speaker said,
"Roger, not every one in here flys airplanes". :-)) But it's true if
you want to travel as well.

My insurance followed me including life insurance or it did until I
turned 65. I still have good medical, but my life insurance is now to
the point where I'm no longer worth more dead than alive.

Retirement gains where I worked were 2.2% per year UNTIL you reached
enough points (age plus years of service) to retire. Then it was only
about 0.6% as I recall.

I was able to put up to 15% of my salary into the CAP and with company
matching I think that was also 19%. However I could move it between
accounts, or have a portion of it directly in the stock market.

I suppose it would pay me to go ahead and collect my pension and look for
another job with benefits ... but I HAVE a job.

You could go do something for fun. That way you get paid for having
fun, have benefits AND have the retirement on top of that. IF you work
it out right you can retire with a substantial raise. If you need the
money and can't do it without a raise what advantage would there be to
retiring?

Vaughn



Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com