[poncho-mike]

After the Great Recession that lasted from 2008 - 2009, jobs were hard to find and often laid off workers had to settle for healthy salary cuts to land a new gig. Many of the people laid off during that time were higher paid employees aged 45 or more. Today, employers are complaining they can't find and keep new workers and are facing a wave of older workers retiring. I wonder if the worker shortage will reverse the trend, forcing employers to take offer better wages and benefits to their US employees? Of will companies handle it by pressing congress to allow more immigrants to come in and fill those jobs or outsourcing more jobs to India and Asia.

My employer has done little to instill loyalty. A few years back, our 401-K match was cut by 1%, and less than a month later, they raised their dividends payable to shareholders. When I hired on, one of the retiree benefits was a $50K life insurance plan paid for by the company. That was eliminated about ten years ago. Basically my employer kept cutting benefits to the point where there is no difference between retiring and quitting. My employer offers retiree health insurance if you are not Medicare eligible, but it is more expensive than Obamacare. I know this sounds like griping, but what right do corporations have to expect any loyalty when they treat their employees like a disposable asset.

[PontiJunk]

Originally Posted by poncho-mike

After the Great Recession that lasted from 2008 - 2009, jobs were hard to find and often laid off workers had to settle for healthy salary cuts to land a new gig. Many of the people laid off during that time were higher paid employees aged 45 or more. Today, employers are complaining they can't find and keep new workers and are facing a wave of older workers retiring. I wonder if the worker shortage will reverse the trend, forcing employers to take offer better wages and benefits to their US employees? Of will companies handle it by pressing congress to allow more immigrants to come in and fill those jobs or outsourcing more jobs to India and Asia.

My employer has done little to instill loyalty. A few years back, our 401-K match was cut by 1%, and less than a month later, they raised their dividends payable to shareholders. When I hired on, one of the retiree benefits was a $50K life insurance plan paid for by the company. That was eliminated about ten years ago. Basically my employer kept cutting benefits to the point where there is no difference between retiring and quitting. My employer offers retiree health insurance if you are not Medicare eligible, but it is more expensive than Obamacare. I know this sounds like griping, but what right do corporations have to expect any loyalty when they treat their employees like a disposable asset.

Same here. Constant degradation of benefits. No real "retirement" just quitting. Company had record earnings during the pandemic yet froze our salaries because, you know, it is all covidy out there.

[BobC]

Looks like I’m one of the few that plans on working until 70. I’m 66 now and there’s always the possibility that something comes up to cause a change in plans. The GM assembly plant where I’ve been a skilled trades electrician for over 36 years does not yet have new product allocation. It could close in a few years and I’ll be done then. In the mean time my medical costs are lower while an active employee and I receive yearly benefits like profit sharing. Each year I work past 30 also increases my pension. Working until 70 will max my SS plus it will increase the SS survivor benefits for my wife.

[geeteeohguy]

Originally Posted by BobC

Looks like I’m one of the few that plans on working until 70. I’m 66 now and there’s always the possibility that something comes up to cause a change in plans. The GM assembly plant where I’ve been a skilled trades electrician for over 36 years does not yet have new product allocation. It could close in a few years and I’ll be done then. In the mean time my medical costs are lower while an active employee and I receive yearly benefits like profit sharing. Each year I work past 30 also increases my pension. Working until 70 will max my SS plus it will increase the SS survivor benefits for my wife.

This is the carrot on the stick for most of us. I could have gone longer and got increased benefits with each year (incremental) but for me, my time was more important than a couple hundred dollars a month. You can always make more money. You can't make more TIME.

[vertigto]

Originally Posted by geeteeohguy

You can always make more money. You can't make more TIME.

Truth...

[02Hawk]

A little different story here. I am going to be 64 in April but did not have plans to retire anytime soon until this past Christmas. I did retire about 11 years ago, and after a year decided that I had to do something.
A good friend and I started a new company up and 10 years later it is going fine. We pay ourselves a decent salary and really don't work that hard. My wife retired 10 years ago as she had an awesome pension plan (me) but the real reason she quit is that it pissed her off leaving me unsupervised each day.

Then this past Christmas, my little brother who was 61 was feeling ****ty and jumped in the shower, had a dizzy spell and wacked his head on the coping. My sister in law tried to get him to go to emergency but he told her no F..ing way was he gonna sit at emergency on Christmas eve and then went to bed and never woke up.
He had just sold his business and had spent several months getting his cabin redone so they could live there full time.
That is having me rethink my near and far future

[Riverbird455]

Originally Posted by 02Hawk

Then this past Christmas, my little brother who was 61 was feeling ****ty and jumped in the shower, had a dizzy spell and wacked his head on the coping. My sister in law tried to get him to go to emergency but he told her no F..ing way was he gonna sit at emergency on Christmas eve and then went to bed and never woke up.
He had just sold his business and had spent several months getting his cabin redone so they could live there full time.
That is having me rethink my near and far future

Our hearts go out to you 02Hawk, deeply sorry my friend.

I also love your Steven Wright quote,.. 24 beers in a case, 24 hours in a day. Coincidence?

My fav Steven Wright lines:

I have a map of the USA in my glove box that is actual size, it says '1 mile = 1 mile'. It's a bitch to fold.

I put instant coffee in the microwave and went back in time.

Brad

[JUDGE3]

RETIRED TODAY!!!!!!!!!

moved my paid time off up a month due to yet another overtime demand in my area. 10hr days 7 days a week. no more of that for me. i'm 60 1/2 and time for fun stuff only.

42.5 years and now done and does it ever feel great! already have reservations for several big camping/hiking trips.

tossed my alarm clock in the trash.

[nas t eh]

Originally Posted by Riverbird455

Well, I have been retired 7 whole days and I realize it is going to take a few more weeks to fully decompress and get in the grove. Still waking up and thinking about work. Of course,.. I was local government, and 40% of us worked our ass off so the other 60% didn't have to do anything.

I want to help my 90 year old dad, so having more free time helps a lot. Went with him to renew his drivers license today, but he failed the eye test. Need a serious conversation about not driving. He was a firefighter for 35 years, and has NEVER been in an accident, drove the trucks to the fires, but was safe and did not hot dog it because fire trucks don't stop on a dime when some idiot pulls out in front of you.... I learnt a lot from dad. Old school Korean war era NO fn nonsense stuff.

No plans to work again, but not completely sure of future now. WTF is Putin up to?,... leave the FN nuclear power plants alone! I was thinking that in the world wide history of conventional ground warfare,.. Korea, Nam, Afgan, Iraq,.... nowhere have we had to worry about nuclear power generation plants in the line of fire before. Brave new world.

Hang tight all,........

Originally Posted by JUDGE3

RETIRED TODAY!!!!!!!!!

moved my paid time off up a month due to yet another overtime demand in my area. 10hr days 7 days a week. no more of that for me. i'm 60 1/2 and time for fun stuff only.

42.5 years and now done and does it ever feel great! already have reservations for several big camping/hiking trips.

tossed my alarm clock in the trash.

Congratulations to you both, I'm still getting use to the idea that May 10th is going to be it for me.

[5th TA]

Once again, congratulations to all those who have retired or soon will be. Enjoy your family, grand kids, friends and hobbies!

Come August I will be retired four years, I have kept very busy with no regrets. I loved my job, but since I was in a salary position, I averaged 65 hours a week and was always on-call. When hours became more important to me than dollars, it was time.

[poncho-mike]

I'm very close to retiring.

I turn 65 in July, will be signing up for Medicare soon. My wife is a couple of years younger than I am and works part time. She is currently covered by my employer's insurance. I may end up working until the first of the year to keep her covered by insurance a while longer. If I retire before the beginning of 2023, I lose my employer's matching 401-K contributions, which sucks.

I work from home 4 days a week, which isn't bad. The work isn't hard, just annoying as I have to deal with teams in India and China a lot. I'm considering asking to work part time if it keeps insurance on my wife.

I have looked through my employer's retirement plan, and I see no advantage in giving them months of advance notice of my retirement.

[5th TA]

Poncho Mike,

Retiring at 64 1/2, I paid COBRA for six months until I was eligible for Medicare. My wife is four years younger, we were able to carry her on COBRA for 18 months. It was not cheap, about $600.00 per month but provided good coverage and cheaper than private insurance. For the year 2021 it cost us almost $10,000 for private insurance including deductible, and co-pay for services and tests, In December she turns 65, once she is on Medicare it will be like getting a pay raise.

I suggest doing research on what Medicare plan well before it’s time to sign up. Lots of decisions regarding what plan suits you best. I have been on Aetna Medicare advantage and been happy with the coverage.

Best of luck to you!

[Mattman]

I’m almost 56 and I’m self-employed and I love what I do so much and I mean I really have a passion for it so it doesn’t feel like work 98% of the time.

It’s physical work going up and down ladders inspecting roofs etc. every day, but I really enjoy it.

Fortunately I’m healthy but I know one day it’s going to be margin call on my health and my body will say I can’t do it anymore.

Also retirement is not an option as I have one daughter that’s a senior in high school and about to go to college and she’s actually the first person in my family history to go to a university and my second daughter is a freshman in high school and she’ll be going to college also.

So I have to stay healthy and keep working.