Hi, I am ...

J

Jollyquick

Recycles dryer sheets
Joined
Aug 4, 2013
Messages
50
Location
Stuttgart
Greetings,

I am a long time Lurker that owes a lot of my current financial peace of mind to the sometimes painfully honest posts found here in ER. Folks like Nords and other prolific contributors on here quite literally changed my life. I discovered this island of misfit (financially savvy) toys around 10 years ago, when I was convinced I would be a slave to my own finances for life. I was heavily invested with a financial company that preyed on military officers and was losing more than I was making on crappy front loaded mutual funds. TSP had just become available to the military and I was clueless. I actually joined 5 years ago after my first retirement from the military, but was reluctant to post anything as I went right back to work as a Fed.

Well, after 33+ years of combined DOD service I resigned (deferred retirement) effective this Friday, 28 Sep 2018. My DW resigned earlier this year. This was made possible by key changes we made in our financial planning a decade ago, and it all started right here! By the time Nords‘ book came out in 2011 I was already on my road to financial recovery and independence! I am so very grateful to all of you that have shared your opinions, joys, disappointments, and successes for the benefit of others!

To all of you, my sincere thanks! I hope to pay it forward with whatever I can contribute to this great forum of misfit toys!

Jollyquick
 
Hi JQ and your DW. Welcome to the free zone!!!
I am a retired E-8 (15 active/15 AR) with a mega-corp retirement as well. I too have expressed my gratitude for the financial (and other) wisdom espoused here.

Because of Tricare and my combined pensions, I was able to comfortably pull the plug at 60. Not overly early, but it was great not having to fret over health cost for the 5 years gap until Medicare. The decision to retire was based largely on what I had learned here over the past few years.

Thanks for your joint service and congrats on your freedom.
 
Well done. Enjoy your RE time.
 
Great post. I'm just getting my financial feet wet, but I hope to have an experience like yours.
 
Welcome...it's always nice to see a lurker decloak.

omni
 
Welcome to posting and thanks for the wonderful testimonial - so glad we've been helpful to you. Best wishes for a long and happy retirement!
 
Welcome and hope to read more posts from you.
 
I also lurked for years before I first joined and posted here. Maybe I was using it as a carrot, or maybe I just didn't feel qualified to post until I had FIREd.

Though I have learned much on this site, the main thing it did for me was show me that real people were really achieving FI and retiring early. It was really achievable.
 
Onward said:
I also lurked for years before I first joined and posted here. Maybe I was using it as a carrot, or maybe I just didn't feel qualified to post until I had FIREd.

Though I have learned much on this site, the main thing it did for me was show me that real people were really achieving FI and retiring early. It was really achievable.
Click to expand...

but questions ( asked) can be educational as well , your views and stuation might inspire less conventional options


good luck on your adventure
 
Welcome.
You might just be surprised how much info you can contribute. The forum goes off in many different directions. Very interesting.
 
Welcome! And thank you for your service. I hope you’re thoroughly enjoying freedom!
 
Red Badger said:
Hi JQ and your DW. Welcome to the free zone!!!
I am a retired E-8 (15 active/15 AR) with a mega-corp retirement as well. I too have expressed my gratitude for the financial (and other) wisdom espoused here.

Because of Tricare and my combined pensions, I was able to comfortably pull the plug at 60. Not overly early, but it was great not having to fret over health cost for the 5 years gap until Medicare. The decision to retire was based largely on what I had learned here over the past few years.

Thanks for your joint service and congrats on your freedom.
Click to expand...

Red Badger: Right there with ya, Enlisted man like yourself, Retired E9, Still working as Government civilian and hope to retire in 2 years at 59 :)
 
Jollyquick said:
Greetings,

I am a long time Lurker that owes a lot of my current financial peace of mind to the sometimes painfully honest posts found here in ER. Folks like Nords and other prolific contributors on here quite literally changed my life. I discovered this island of misfit (financially savvy) toys around 10 years ago, when I was convinced I would be a slave to my own finances for life. I was heavily invested with a financial company that preyed on military officers and was losing more than I was making on crappy front loaded mutual funds. TSP had just become available to the military and I was clueless. I actually joined 5 years ago after my first retirement from the military, but was reluctant to post anything as I went right back to work as a Fed.

Well, after 33+ years of combined DOD service I resigned (deferred retirement) effective this Friday, 28 Sep 2018. My DW resigned earlier this year. This was made possible by key changes we made in our financial planning a decade ago, and it all started right here! By the time Nords‘ book came out in 2011 I was already on my road to financial recovery and independence! I am so very grateful to all of you that have shared your opinions, joys, disappointments, and successes for the benefit of others!

To all of you, my sincere thanks! I hope to pay it forward with whatever I can contribute to this great forum of misfit toys!

Jollyquick
Click to expand...

Jollyquick
Congrats on retirement and Thank you for your service to this great nation. I notice you mentioned you deferred retirement? If I may ask, how many years active mil service and how many civil service to you do?
Again, welcome and congrats.:greetings10:
 
Cnocmmz,

26+ Military, 6+ Federal. The Federal is deferred due to my relatively young age, 52. I won’t be able to draw the pension until I’m at least 62. A very small pension at that, but it will cover my annual booze expenses!


JQ
 
Yeah same with us. The 10 years pension for us is small. But that is okay, the medical alone was well worth it! I salute you for your service. [emoji106]
 
Can you tell us why you chose Germany? Cost of living? Family? Would love to know....
 
Sorry for the late response, somehow lost this thread between the web and app version.

We picked Germany for the short term because our son is graduating from A German degree program in Jul 2019 and still lives with us.

We haven’t decided to stay for the long term yet and are currently house hunting in the US.

The positives of living in Germany are multiple: German concept of neighboring leads to tight knit sense of community. Low cost health care due to social welfare society. National obsession with rule of law and cleanliness, recycling etc. Cost of basic food stuff is way cheaper than the US and usually sourced locally if that is important to you. The roads and infrastructure in general are excellent as the Germans use it as a Social Welfare Jobs program. Central location in Europe means you can be anywhere in Europe in just a few hours by train!

The negatives are few but significant. Germany is “Bernie Sanders” land. That great social welfare network is expensive to maintain and Germany’s population is in decline. So EVERYTHING is taxed. In addition to income tax (~40%) and sales tax (~19%) global dividend tax (25%) there are taxes on every transaction that can possible be taxed. This includes the “Jesus” tax which is ~9% income tax on people that declare a religion. A TV tax ~17% tax is also levied on anyone with a cable TV or internet account. Oh yeah and vehicles are taxed on how heavy they are and the horse power of the engine and you have to purchase your license plates on your own. Did I mention Petrol is ~8 Dollars US a gallon? So yeah Germany is not the place to live permanently in if you’re tax-phobic...

JQ
 
Keep us all posted

We picked Germany for the short term because our son is graduating from A German degree program in Jul 2019 and still lives with us.

We haven’t decided to stay for the long term yet and are currently house hunting in the US.​

Thanks for an excellent summary. My DW and I are on the lookout for a good retirement locale, though it's quite probable we will never act on it.

Government as it is, though, we might have to leave to keep from going broke here!
 
With all those taxes how do you possibly have any money to live on?

They tax you on religion?

When free ain't free....and I am not talking about $$$$.

What's the unemployment rate in Germany? You mentioned roads as a work program, does everyone have to work to receive all the social programs?
 
The Church tax comments got me interested. i had heard for yrs that Germany did this, presumably to keep the Church functional as attendance and therefore contributions declined considerably as belief wanes as it has all over Europe. But, apparently, the tax goes way back to the the nineteen thirties, if not earlier. And BTW, it is 8 or 9% of income tax, not income, and there is some level of income one can have before the tax kicks in at all. Still, it would be an uncomfortable entanglement of state/faith, and I would have a hard time paying it. Apparently, though to avoid it, one has to pretty much totally and publicly disavow one faith, if you have any. Here is a link:

https://liveworkgermany.com/2017/11/what-is-german-church-tax-and-how-do-i-avoid-paying-it/
 
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