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I turn 60 later this month (and that's just plain WRONG!). I'm still working but have a pension from my previous job that I have to take at 60. Filled out the paperirk this morning. If things go my way, only 2 more years of work. I love my job, but I'm so tired of working. This is the first step to sleeping past 5:30 am.

I agree - turning 60 is WRONG! LOL, I also will be 60 this year. It's something I really dread. I was good to go in my 50's, but in the last few months, I just feel so tired and drained.

It will be so nice in 2 years when you can retire and enjoy your days of sleeping in, spending more time with family, friends and horses!!!!

All I gotta say is I remember when I was younger (much ) I remember thinking that I'd never retire. Now that I am, it's pretty much a lovely thing (the whole wheelchair thing has been a bit of a crimp in some of my retirement plans ).

I also recently turned 60 and hope/plan to retire at 62. I need to pay off my truck and am looking forward to more free time. My thyroid issues are really exhausting me so trying to adjust my medication dose.

I would love to retire. I am 61 1/2. I have no debt, house paid off, fair amount in the bank. BUT...if I retire now, I will have no health insurance. With the mess that is healthcare right now, I don't want to chance it and I don't want to pay 1/2 my pension for healthcare premiums. I have about $6k in my health savings account which might pay 6 months of premiums (never mind co-pays or deductibles)?

My sister is in the midst of treatment for breast cancer . 6 figures to cover that. My retirement would be gone...poof!

So, I will keep slogging away. My job isn't physically demanding and if I can keep my brain sharp (I am a pharmacist) I
may look at part time work where I could get health coverage and my part-time hours would hopefully cover the premiums. Otherwise, I will be working away until 65. Hopefully, the republicans don't totally gut Medicare in the next 3 1/2 years but I am not holding my breath on that either. I may work until I am 80?? I hope not.

Susan

Josette wrote:My thyroid issues are really exhausting me so trying to adjust my medication dose.

Last winter my endo decreased my thyroid dose because taking high doses can have side effects (bone loss, heart issues). So all winter I kept wondering if my lack of energy had anything to do with the lower dose, but then this spring a lot of my energy magically came back even though I'm on the lowest dose I've been on since I had to have my thyroid out, so I guess my energy levels didn't have anything to do with my thyroid meds after all.

When I complain to my endo about feeling so tired he always maintains that it has nothing to do with my thyroid meds, which apparently, he's right about since I'm now taking 80% of what I was taking before and I still cycle between feeling fine and feeling too tired to do anything.

I may be retiring by 62 and I too worry about healthcare. It could be a huge burden on my retirement income/savings and with 2 horses my monthly costs are pretty high as it is.
Since I'm part owner of a business, we would sell the business and I would be without a job, whether it's full or part-time. I doubt I would enjoy working for someone else at this point in my life.

My plan is to go part-time at 62 and still be benefits eligible. If not, the US had better figure out affordable health care.

PaulaO wrote:My plan is to go part-time at 62 and still be benefits eligible. If not, the US had better figure out affordable health care.

I'd confirm that you'll get benefits through your employer. I would certainly not assume that the US will get affordable health care figured out any time soon

I am jealous that you are retiring and that you have a pension.

I'm not retiring yet. And it's not a REAL pension. We had to contribute 4.5% of our salary but I'm not complaining. My very first job (in the early 1980s) had a real pension that the organization fully funded. I don't think those exist.

Actually, pensions do exist. Not new ones but drawing on old ones...

When I started my work life my employer offered a company paid pension... 40+ years later, I was able to draw on it. It really hasn't been contributed to in years but and isn't much but it is something.

My pension was fully funded by my employer in the union contract. I was the last to retire on the contract. New hires, for the last two years of my employment were required to contribute 20% of the pension each month. also, the pension was reduced considerably by how much, I can't remember.

Instead of the 10 years to be vested, it was reduced to 6 years vesting.

I retired after 10 years and have a very small pension. But it helps! Others in the same who were there longer, some 40+ years, had a GREAT pension, to say the least.

My health ins. is fully paid by same employer until I'm 65 when I have to sign up for Medicare. New hires, 20% contribution and no benefits for spouses.

Times are changing for the benefit of corporations. Pay, has barely increased.

Paula- One day I might make it to that point! Actually, I will be eligible for two pensions, which is highly unusual in this day and age. I try to act like I won't have them and save accordingly, but they could make a big difference--especially with the given healthcare options they offer (reduced fee quality insurance). Dealing with the insurance gap in a huge issue for many people.

piedmontfields wrote:Dealing with the insurance gap in a huge issue for many people.

It is, and is the reason that it's sometimes a better choice to work for lower pay and better benefits, even though that's not the decision we want to make when we're young and think we're going to be the exception and stay young enough to continue to work forever.

Co-workers and I all used to complain that our employer was too paternalistic (too much was taken out of our salaries), but now those of us who are retired are grateful that we were pressured (by the offer of matching funds) to put more in so that we'd have more when we retired.

I lucked out with a part time job at a non-profit with health insurance for my last three years before Medicare kicked in. Pre ACA. I went a goodly number of years without insurance (and got away with it ... was very healthy) so was very grateful to find that gig.

I had a complete meltdown over turning 30, slight one over 40 and all since then have been LOL funny. As in "whoa, how weird is this?" I might actually be looking forward to 70 because it is so totally ridiculous.

Woost2 wrote:I had a complete meltdown over turning 30, slight one over 40 and all since then have been LOL funny. As in "whoa, how weird is this?" I might actually be looking forward to 70 because it is so totally ridiculous.

I never cared much about my age because I recognized that I had no control over it. What I thought I could control however, was working toward a healthy lifestyle, so I focused on that. And then I started reading about how the decisions we make are likely determined by genetics and environment, and we probably actually have no free will, which, if true, makes all those resolutions moot.

kande50 wrote:And then I started reading about how the decisions we make are likely determined by genetics and environment, and we probably actually have no free will, which, if true, makes all those resolutions moot.

IMO, genetics and environment are some of how you age but also some of how you age is health living. Sure, you could smoke like chimney and still not get lung cancer but you're stacking the deck against you (for example).

You do the best you can and hope for the best and be prepared in the event the best doesn't happen...

I retired from my career job at 53 with full benefits and a pension after 30 years. What seems like plenty of money doesn't seem like it even 5 years later...especially if you have horses. I retired for the second time last October after 9 years part time with no benefits, which was fine since I had them from the first employer. This second job filled in the gap. When I qualified for Medicare my employee benefits canceled. I HIGHLY recommend taking a class from an independent broker to determine what Medicare decisions you are going to make. Not all decisions can be changed after the fact without financial impact. Also if you want to take social security early make sure you check to see how much you can earn (if you take a part time job) without affecting your benefits. It is nice to have more time for the horses, but I really don't know how I ever had time to work!

How fortunate to be reaching these decades, in at least reasonable* health (*wear and tear has to be gracefully accepted!). I think we need to rejoice. I can say I am thoroughly enjoying this 60's decade, at least so far. Health is the key, I think. The Trump revisions / proposals / health plans seem terrifying, presumably cooler heads will in due course prevail. While genetics / environment are perhaps not within one's control, lifestyle often is. Let's share the joy of being here, being connected in this supportive on-line community, and remember some of our posters from our previous iteration who are no longer with us. Many at a far-too-young age.

Calvin, thank you for reminding me of my gratitude for everything I have...all the experiences...friendships...and loving relationships...garnered throughout my life.

Just to provide a little bit of “internet trolling,” retirement age is approximately the age where half (as in one out of every two) the individuals born in a given year have died. If we consider retirement as a destination, would you buy a ticket on an airplane that had a 50% chance of killing you enroute? A powerful argument for living in the moment!

On those rare occasions that I considered how to get to the destination of retirement, I kept in mind that there is a very high probability that my deferred income wouldn’t be used - at least by me. Now having said that, I retired for the first time from the military in 1995 and I retired from the work force totally in January of 2013, and still have a “middle class” income. I tended to favor positions that had a pension which now days is pretty much limited to government jobs so I could have my cake and eat it too.

I didn’t realize it but there has been a major change to Social Security introduced to Congress this spring. I still haven’t digested it all but for your consideration:

Social Security 2100 Act (H.R. 1902)

https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-con ... 2%22%5D%7D

Literiding wrote:Just to provide a little bit of “internet trolling,” retirement age is approximately the age where half (as in one out of every two) the individuals born in a given year have died. If we consider retirement as a destination, would you buy a ticket on an airplane that had a 50% chance of killing you enroute? A powerful argument for living in the moment!

It may be improving, though. https://www.ssa.gov/history/lifeexpect.html

I never would have guessed that it was so low before you posted that.

For some reason I am getting 6 months back pension. Not that I'm complaining. Guess what? It's enough to buy Ariel AND go on vacation!