Contributing Post Career

[Elbata]

Up on the boards presently is a post about someone who has recently retired, being offered short-term work at a rate of $1000/day. Perhaps 3 times more than what he was making when working for the company. The arguments for not accepting the job are indeed strong, and I don't think the OP will accept.

My wife is in a similar position, to where she could work part-time, but she would have to pay self-employment tax, to which she would get zero benefits.

It just seems like such a terrible waste. That with all of our collective knowledge (and energy), the potential to do good, instead withers away and dries up. Not that there are other ways to help others, but that the system is set up in such a way as to have people turn down offers such as the one above.

When the wife does work, it's pro-bono. I know too she would like to stay relevant in her craft and I mine, but it's just not worth it. Too bad there's not some kind of happy medium.

 

[Souschef]

I am sorry, but I disagree with you about all the good withering away. Many retirees found other outlets for their talents.
Please read what I have done, and many of our retirees have done more.

 

[target2019]

Anyone can volunteer their time, or work as many hours as they please. Pay your taxes if the latter, and repeat to your hearts content.

 

[pb4uski]

I sort of get your point. Like the OP in the other thread, I "had enough" and continued work just paid the governments a lot of money in taxes and padded the nest-egg for our heirs and charities and I decided that I wanted my time for myself so I quit (was too young to "retire" from the firm). Besides, my work wasn't very fulfilling... basically helping the rich grow richer.

Since I retired, I now have time to help friends and family and do some volunteer work while still reserving a lot of time for myself. I manage our assets and my Mom's, manage a commercial building that she owns, do tax returns for family and a friend, serve as treasurer for a non-profit, do financial consulting and prepare the the 990 for another non-profit, transport food for a local food shelf, served as guardian for my grandmother and a great aunt and settled thier estates, cleaned out and sold Mom's home when she moved, etc. Just last night I volunteered to drive a friend's granddaughter and boyfriend to the airport since she doesn't like driving in the dark anymore. I seem to find plenty to keep me busy.

 

[38Chevy454]

I'll just add that retiring also allows a young person to be able to get hired or to move up in their career. Sure your specific knowledge and skills are not being used in corporate world, but as pointed out there are many other ways we contribute after retirement.

 

[Midpack]

I’d do the work if you need the money or enjoy the work. I wouldn’t take the work to preserve skills and contribute to society. You can contribute in many other ways, maybe new ways. And while some of your skills will wane in time ***, as long as you stay mentally active and engaged, essential skills will stick around for many years. Watching mindless TV will kill brain cells fast...

*** 1) I still have some spreadsheets I wrote in my heyday that I’m not sure I could write from scratch today, and it takes way more time for me to modify them nowadays.
2) A few nights ago at dinner a neighbor asked about my career. I mentioned I was in manufacturing and my site was a leader in environmental compliance (because his DW is a professional in the environmental field). He asked me what made us leaders - no one has asked me that in over 8 years, and it was hard to answer, but luckily the brain cells came back pretty quickly. Whew!

Like the OP in the other thread, I "had enough" and continued work just paid the governments a lot of money in taxes and padded the nest-egg for our heirs and charities and I decided that I wanted my time for myself so I quit (was to young to "retire" from the firm). Besides, my work wasn't very fulfilling... basically helping the rich grow richer.

+1. Wow, exactly how I felt when I retired early. Reached FI at about 51, but finally it just didn’t make sense to pad further.