Deep Breath! Hi I am 62 today and...

[1vertical]

Retiring at 1700 MDT tomorrow!
What an emotional roller coaster. I will be trying to glean weather or not
to start Social Security....or tap my TSP to sustain life.... or Both. My FERS will
cover the cost to breath. And I just realized I dislike acronyms!

(Thanks forum for the birthday wish email!)


More info: My employer was not replacing attrition losses in staff and the work had not
gone away. I am debt free, own my house and 5 acres, new vehicle and, new old RV trailer
refurbished some.....have to admit I am not FIRE, but on the government teat hoping it
does not go dry. Yesterday I received an erroneous placard saying thanks for 29 years
of service, and my HR retirement statement clearly says 30+ years....Well, thanks
for the placard and sustenance for 30 years. Time to visit new horizons.
AND my living parents who are in their 80's.

 

[Katiek]

Congrats!

 

[HadEnuff]

Retiring at 1700 MDT tomorrow!
What an emotional roller coaster. I will be trying to glean weather or not
to start Social Security....or tap my TSP to sustain life.... or Both. My FERS will
cover the cost to breath. And I just realized I dislike acronyms!

(Thanks forum for the birthday wish email!)


More info: My employer was not replacing attrition losses in staff and the work had not
gone away. I am debt free, own my house and 5 acres, new vehicle and, new old RV trailer
refurbished some.....have to admit I am not FIRE, but on the government teat hoping it
does not go dry. Yesterday I received an erroneous placard saying thanks for 29 years
of service, and my HR retirement statement clearly says 30+ years....Well, thanks
for the placard and sustenance for 30 years. Time to visit new horizons.
AND my living parents who are in their 80's.

Congrats. Your post reminds me that the only thing I'm really sorry about regarding my retirement is that neither of my parents lived long enough to see it. Once I grew up and became a w*rking stiff, my time with my folks was always squeezed into little slots of time that I could be away from work. Now I have the time, but they are gone.
Enjoy your time with your parents. I hope they are well.

 

[MBAustin]

Congratulations and hope your last day goes well!

 

[Sunset]

Congratulations,

Since you mention parents age, perhaps you have longevity genes, which would mean it would be best to delay SS as long as you can so it maximizes.

 

[DrRoy]

As you may know, you make 8% more SS per year for every year you delay between 62 and 70. I plan to hold out as long as I can, probably to 70.

 

[1vertical]

So I have asked a hundred people, 50 said start Social Security, 50 said wait to start.
I asked my Mother and she informed me that they went on social security
early (not sure what that was for someone born in the 1920's) Mostly what struck me was that she said we have lived WAY past the break even point and have more than recovered any decreased payments.....kind of makes sense.

Thank you for your congrats I do appreciate that.
I will need a sleeping aid tonight!

 

[Souschef]

Dear 1 Vertical,
Rejoice that your parents are still with you. I lost my dad in 2003 and my mom last year.
I believe the break point on SS is now about age 79 for the difference between age 62 and FRA.
My late wife took it at 62, and passed away at 67.

 

[ABQ2015]

Congrats and Happy Birthday! That extra 3% FERS is a nice 62nd birthday present and is more solid than any 401K. I have a year to go and will also retire at 62 with 32 1/2 years service.

 

[ivinsfan]

Did you really ask 100 people, if so I'm betting at least 75 of them don't know the nuts and bolts of the SS system.

Relax and do some real homework on SS and I bet you can come up with a plan for yourself.

 

[1vertical]

Last 8 hours coming up. Slept fairly well and am actually emotionally ready to retire. I pray that I can find financial soundness in my arena and make good decisions.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

Happy Birthday, I am waiting till 65 (Not 66) to take mine, once I am on Medicare and do not have to qualify for ACA. I doubt I will live much past 75 and do not care anyway.

 

[kitesurfer2]

i retired at 62 also, 1.5 years ago. I've not touched my TSP and have no plans to . i took the earliest possible SSI ...and FERS....and a little check from the canoe club. Life is good. my combined mil/civ time 35.5 years. GO NAVY!

 

[1vertical]

Yawn. Good morning. Slept in... it is 0675. What to do today....hmmmmm
LOL

 

[aida2003]

Yesterday I received an erroneous placard saying thanks for 29 years of service, and my HR retirement statement clearly says 30+ years....Well, thanks for the placard and sustenance for 30 years. Time to visit new horizons. AND my living parents who are in their 80's.

This just shows how disposable we're.
Congrats and enjoy your earned time off!!

 

[Bigdawg]

Yawn. Good morning. Slept in... it is 0675. What to do today....hmmmmm
LOL

"0675"??

7:15 a.m.??

 

[Ronstar]

"0675"??

7:15 a.m.??

That's Egyptian time.

 

[Amethyst]

June, 1975.

Since retiring, he's been getting into travel. Time travel.

"0675"??

7:15 a.m.??

 

[Hawkssss]

haha, congrats...enjoy your well-deserved retirement and especially time with your parents..

 

[Rickt]

1vertical...Congratulations on your retirement!
Cheers.

 

[Johanson]

Congrats!

 

[1vertical]

It's been 6 (ex-)working days since I twisted off. I will go pick up my last
paycheck at the job site today. Just their way of making sure you are really alive
I suppose. I had 27 yrs of automatic payroll deposit. I have not had to take
even one tranquilizer or sleeping pill to get through the last 2 weeks NOT ONE!
YAY!


When DW gets recovered from forthcoming medical procedure, I hope we can
hit the high road to danger and spend this winter below the snow / ice belt.
Trvl Trlr is road ready and waiting.


The stress I feel now is the approach of freezing temperatures, geese and songbirds are already en-route. We are still in the snow belt.

 

[HadEnuff]

It's been 6 (ex-)working days since I twisted off. I will go pick up my last
paycheck at the job site today. Just their way of making sure you are really alive
I suppose. I had 27 yrs of automatic payroll deposit. I have not had to take
even one tranquilizer or sleeping pill to get through the last 2 weeks NOT ONE!
YAY!


When DW gets recovered from forthcoming medical procedure, I hope we can
hit the high road to danger and spend this winter below the snow / ice belt.
Trvl Trlr is road ready and waiting.


The stress I feel now is the approach of freezing temperatures, geese and songbirds are already en-route. We are still in the snow belt.

I live in Upstate NY, not the official "snow belt", but still we get snow and it is in the official "colder than an IRS agent's heart belt". For years I couldn't wait to retire so I could get somewhere warmer for the winter months. This will be my first winter completely retired, and somehow, the urgency to leave has diminished. I have no concrete winter plans for the southland. Probably because DW is still working. But just knowing I could leave at the drop of a hat (or an invitation from one of my many snowbirding friends) has me feeling completely free of the stress and anxiety I used to feel about the impending winter.

I hope you have a great first winter of retirement, and please keep us posted on how this winter goes for you.

 

[1vertical]

Thanks, Part of this journey may be me visiting an Army buddy in your area. Think he lives near Sherill, NY. Leave the TT at my folks in the
sunbelt and drive up to see him if we can fit it into the adventure.
I hope my want to is not bigger than my can do.

 

[Walt34]

For years I couldn't wait to retire so I could get somewhere warmer for the winter months. This will be my first winter completely retired, and somehow, the urgency to leave has diminished.

Same thing happened to me too. It makes a huge difference when you don't HAVE to go out in the snow. And you can plan grocery runs and stuff for when the traffic is light. If a heavy snow is forecast for here we just stock up on food and maybe some DVD's or just stream movies. I've been known to not leave the house for a week except to get the mail and newspaper.

That would drive a "Type A" person up the wall of course but it works for us.