Class of 2018

[cnocmmz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cat wrangler Just had my final performance review today. "They" don't know that! Now to throw together the required Development Plan for this year. Unfortunately, they don't think Retire is an acceptable plan.

Nice

[ugeauxgirl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cat wrangler Just had my final performance review today. "They" don't know that! Now to throw together the required Development Plan for this year. Unfortunately, they don't think Retire is an acceptable plan.

Love that. I am already enjoying my year of "last time I ever have to - whatever" I just declined an "invitation" to the last spring meeting I will be around to attend. I'm pretty sure I'll get a phone call asking why I won't be attending. the real reason (its a strategic planning meeting and I won't be around for anything we're planning- also I don't want to) might not go over well. I better think of some excuse...

[Spanky]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeWras And why not? Something different. I can always walk. But this job gives me one final chance to use my software skills in a different way, for a consumer product that can change lives. Why not try? This may all end up nowhere. We've already discussed salary, and it would mean a cut. I don't care, but they may get cold feet by my desire to take a pretty steep cut. More later...

As a software architect, I am considering switching to a less-stressful role of doing just software development as opposing to leading others and playing politics. It will be one level lower with a salary cut of about 10%. I would give it a two-year try and finally retire after countless years of OMY.

[ugeauxgirl]

Today I found out that our team won the only award I care about- customer service. My assistant was happy, then at the end of the email read that the requirements for winning the same award for next year are changing. She immediately stalked to her desk mumbling about how to make sure we win it next year. I smiled because i won't BE here for the next one....

[ugeauxgirl]

I'm afraid you're going to have to take me off of this one. revised date 2/24/2020.

[JoeWras]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ugeauxgirl I'm afraid you're going to have to take me off of this one. revised date 2/24/2020.

I may be slipping along with you, ugeaugirl. But not for benefits. Rather, DW is taking my place and definitely (100%, I hear it every day!) graduating in 2018. We decided to offset our dates to reduce risk, so I'm either 2019 or 2020. And I started this thread?

Then again, Megacorp may make the choice for me, so I haven't officially bowed out yet.

[whatnot]

Sorry to lose you both from the Class of 2018. Are there any others out there who are in the Class of 2018. Pretty small Class as it stands.

[almost_there]

Since we need people for the class of 2018 I'm stepping up. I intend to give my boss the first hint that I am seriously thinking of retiring in a few months. My initial intro posting from 2/2014:

Hi All - Have been reading some good stuff on this forum and I am learning a lot. My situation is that I am 59 and have a good news/bad news situation. I live in what most people would consider a good size house on about 10 acres. If I were to sell out and down size I could probably retire tomorrow. The thing is that I really like where I live. My health is good and I like being outside working around my house and property (yes even in the summer in SW FL). My wife no longer works and I am fortunate enough that I get to work out of my home as a tele-commuter. As a result I have older cars with no payments. My only debt is my mortgage which is $300k. The house is worth about $850k. My stash between pre-tax retirement savings and others is $700k (about 600k is pre-tax). The kids are grown and on their own. My annual expenses with the mortgage payment would normally be about $60k. It has actually been about $84k because I have been throwing lots of extra money at the mortgage (after contributing the max towards the 401k). I am fortunate enough that I get a $30k (gross) per year pension that I have been collecting for the last 12 years. Without the mortgage we could easily live (even in this house) on about $30k net. Some day SS would make this even more tenable.

My plan is to pay off the mortgage. My combination salary and pension makes it possible to aggressively pay extra principal each month so it will take me about 3.5 more years to pay it off. My main concern is that I will be involuntarily retired. While I have a good job it is tied to the healthcare industry which as we all know is in quite a tizzy these days. If something happens to my job my ability to rapidly pay of my mortgage disappears and the house basically then becomes a big drag on my ability to retire.


Since then there have been some changes:

The mortgage is down to $84k
I traded my pension for a lump sum payment. As a result my stash is now a little north of $1.4M
All the calculators tell me that even with my current mortgage payment I am good to go now. So I've decided that the house free and clear is my safety net. At the rate I have been throwing money at the mortgage I should be done with it sometime next year. So barring any more OMY waffling 2018 is it for me!

[cnocmmz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by almost_there Since we need people for the class of 2018 I'm stepping up. I intend to give my boss the first hint that I am seriously thinking of retiring in a few months. My initial intro posting from 2/2014: Hi All - Have been reading some good stuff on this forum and I am learning a lot. My situation is that I am 59 and have a good news/bad news situation. I live in what most people would consider a good size house on about 10 acres. If I were to sell out and down size I could probably retire tomorrow. The thing is that I really like where I live. My health is good and I like being outside working around my house and property (yes even in the summer in SW FL). My wife no longer works and I am fortunate enough that I get to work out of my home as a tele-commuter. As a result I have older cars with no payments. My only debt is my mortgage which is $300k. The house is worth about $850k. My stash between pre-tax retirement savings and others is $700k (about 600k is pre-tax). The kids are grown and on their own. My annual expenses with the mortgage payment would normally be about $60k. It has actually been about $84k because I have been throwing lots of extra money at the mortgage (after contributing the max towards the 401k). I am fortunate enough that I get a $30k (gross) per year pension that I have been collecting for the last 12 years. Without the mortgage we could easily live (even in this house) on about $30k net. Some day SS would make this even more tenable. My plan is to pay off the mortgage. My combination salary and pension makes it possible to aggressively pay extra principal each month so it will take me about 3.5 more years to pay it off. My main concern is that I will be involuntarily retired. While I have a good job it is tied to the healthcare industry which as we all know is in quite a tizzy these days. If something happens to my job my ability to rapidly pay of my mortgage disappears and the house basically then becomes a big drag on my ability to retire. Since then there have been some changes: The mortgage is down to $84k I traded my pension for a lump sum payment. As a result my stash is now a little north of $1.4M All the calculators tell me that even with my current mortgage payment I am good to go now. So I've decided that the house free and clear is my safety net. At the rate I have been throwing money at the mortgage I should be done with it sometime next year. So barring any more OMY waffling 2018 is it for me!

Sounds like you're good although not golden. The concern for me would be the health care if any serious illness. I would think as long as you keep your conservative spending in check you should be fine with your 1.4 + 30K pension. Taxes should not be an issue in the near term but as you turn toward 70+ it may be? With no mortgage things should be well.
On another note I think we are right behind you, thinking of Dec 18 @ age 58 yrs young if all goes well. We should have just about 80K net pensions and 700K in investments, not counting my SS and small gov pension (7K) at 62 or later. Enjoy while you can

[Pellice]

My target date is August 1, 2018. The numbers work, according to both my departed and my new financial adviser. I must have done 500 online retirement analyses, too! Of course, the market could crash, but I've already lowered my risk. My consumption stays level or rises slightly. I'm definitely not as well off as most here, but my ace is a golden retirement health care plan. Everyday I appreciate more and more how much money that accounts for.

I am so happy!!! I also have a one year's allotment of vacation days I've carried over, so I get to use up two years' worth in this last year. Even with a couple of vacations, that means that, with some planning to take into account holidays and vacations, I can make most, not all, but most of my workweeks into 4 days - starting now. I'm taking next Wednesday off to test my hypothesis that, for me, breaking up the workweek in the middle will make it fly past.

I will be 62 at retirement. That's not really early retirement, but it's certainly not late!

This last year is going to be full of milestones, and I'm also buying a new car to replace my 15 year old servant. I can start thinking about what trip I want to take to celebrate.

[whatnot]

Congrats! And welcome to the Class of 2018!

[Pellice]

OK, I realize this is already out of date because some people are delaying their retirement year, but since it was asked, and since I'm the sole entry for August 2018, I'll copy it here!

I just read an article stating that people who retired early risked early cognitive decline - fie on that! It's my work that has killed brain cells. Filing unit assessment reports. Submitting the same forms repeatedly because the new online system can't coordinate. Sending polite requests for information to people 3 times because they don't respond - I just worry that my brain has been permanently affected by the nonsense.

As I mentioned, I realized that I could probably get by most weeks with a 4 day workweek if I utilized my days off to that end (e.g. NOT taking Monday, July 3, off, in order to save that day for a week without a holiday). This scheduling ambition began last week with Memorial Day making a 4 day workweek. Next week, I'm taking Wednesday off to make a 4 day workweek. I contacted a retired friend and we are going hiking. Hoping that this makes my final year go really fast!

Unspecified Month
Grumpyretirement
Rickt (58)
boilerman (57)
RoyDornoch (60)
trapperjohn
datuck
Snoopy (55)
Lovetoski (46)
seabourne (39)
ugeauxgirl (46)

January
chief04010 1/2
cat wrangler

February

March
Nunyaa
38Chevy454 3/1 (54)

April
whatnot 4/1
timo2 4/28 (65)

May
Joe Wras 5/1 (55)
SumDay 5/31

June
Bigdawg

July

August
Pellice (62)

September

October
FIREmenow

November

December

[whatnot]

Pellice - Thank you for making the list. It looks like we have a relatively small Class.

[Dan4495]

Added myself again.

Unspecified Month
Grumpyretirement
Rickt (58)
boilerman (57)
RoyDornoch (60)
trapperjohn
datuck
Snoopy (55)
Lovetoski (46)
seabourne (39)
ugeauxgirl (46)

January
chief04010 1/2
cat wrangler

February

March
Nunyaa
38Chevy454 3/1 (54)

April
whatnot 4/1
timo2 4/28 (65)

May
Joe Wras 5/1 (55)
SumDay 5/31

June
Bigdawg

July
Dan4495 (60)

August
Pellice (62)

September

October
FIREmenow

November

December

[Rickt]

Pellice: Thanks for putting the list together.

You may take my name off .....I am retiring next week on June 15, 2017!

Best Wises to all,
Rick

[timo2]

Please take mine off the 2018 list also. This coming Friday is my last day on the job!! No more OMY for me 😀😎

[JoeWras]

I waffled recently. I need strength, brothers and sisters! Keep me on the list.

Here's the deal. DW and I were initially going to retire together in 2018. After discussing it, we decided DW should go in 2018, with Joe to go in a following year, to help mitigate risk.

Recently, DW learned that if I get on her insurance before she retires, I can come along for the ride, for a monthly fee, of course. The kicker is I need a life event to get on her insurance, i.e. having my job go away.

The difference between this benefit and my crummy "at cost" retirement insurance (or even ACA) is about $500 to $600 per month. On top of it, my Megacorp is having issues, and the first line in their retirement insurance booklet says: "Megacorp may drop this plan at any time." So, I'm trying to warm up DW to the idea that the opportunity cost of me not being on her insurance is costly and risky. I.E. the risk of me continuing with my job is more than retiring. Is that nuts or what?

I would have to work at least 1 year, maybe 2 (need to do some math) to make make up for this difference. And that 1 year is not guaranteed. As a matter of fact, I'd be surprised if Megacorp lets me stay much longer due to the pattern of layoffs over the last few years. They may make the decision for me.

Keep me at May 2018. Wish me strength to not waffle.

[whatnot]

JoeWras - Not sure I completely understand your insurance dilemma.

Is your goal to get on your wife's insurance before she retires?
If so, then the "life event to get on her insurance" comment - typically applies only to the open enrollment period. Generally, there is an annual open enrollment period. For example, during the month of Nov- Dec, changes to insurance can be made for the following calendar year. So she can add you during normal enrollment for the 2018 year and no "qualifying event" need occur.
Hope this helps.

[38Chevy454]

Removed myself from the list, going out early Aug 2017. Also took Rickt and timo2 off so the 2018 list is now:

Unspecified Month
Grumpyretirement
boilerman (57)
RoyDornoch (60)
trapperjohn
datuck
Snoopy (55)
Lovetoski (46)
seabourne (39)
ugeauxgirl (46)

January
chief04010 1/2
cat wrangler

February

March
Nunyaa

April
whatnot 4/1

May
Joe Wras 5/1 (55)
SumDay 5/31

June
Bigdawg

July
Dan4495 (60)

August
Pellice (62)

September

October
FIREmenow

November

December

[ugeauxgirl]

sadly, I am off of this list- pushed back to 2020