Keeping Professional Certifications after RE?

[timo2]

I've just come to my point where my carefully maintained professional certifications are expiring, one year after I retired at 65. (in my case it is an ISC2 cert first, soon to be followed by the PMP cert). This is the most disturbing feeling I've had in retirement. Leaving my employers, no problem. Moving to another state, some issues but not that major. But I put a lot of my energy and self worth into getting and keeping these certifications, and had great ownership in them. Much more than my places of employment or positions held. And after I purposely decided to let them go, now I'm getting periodic reminders from the organizations that my past is clearly sliding away. Even though it was me that pushed then into the slide, it's still a weird feeling.

[On the other hand, since I'm still too burned out to consider getting another professional j*b, the money to keep the certifications current will be much better used on fun stuff like beer and visiting places of interest.]

 

[simple girl]

Oh, I can totally see this being an issue for me (when it happens, not retired yet, and probably won't let my license lapse for a few years after FIRE, just in case!).

I get it!

 

[Jerry1]

As a CPA, I'm allowed to go to "registered" status versus full licensure. It's not that expensive and I'll likely keep it for quite some time - maybe forever. Not sure if your certification has anything like that, but I can absolutely understand the feeling. It was easy to give up my job, but my certification/license will be much harder.

 

[MarieIG]

I totally get it too.

 

[Paracelsus]

I let my professional veterinary licensure expire and not get renewed. I was a specialist working in industry, not a practicing veterinarian working with pets. Frankly, I'm getting more satisfaction simply volunteering at wildlife rehab shelters as a mere human these days than trying to do veterinary work in there.

 

[RunningBum]

Maybe letting your work certification go is a good way to let go of your past work life? Burn the boats?

 

[Aerides]

let me give you a reality check slash chill pill: ain't nobody hiring a 66 yr old PMP anyway (and I say this as a former PMP/ISC and some others).

Hang em up time!

 

[pb4uski]

My CPA renewal came about 18 months after I retired. For whatever reason, I decided to renew. I had a lot of CPE to make up. I did a bunch of self-study on topics that I was expert on... basically just took and passed the tests to get the credits that I needed.

The next renewal cycle a couple years later I decided not to bother. I think that technically I am "Inactive" and can get my licence back by taking some CPE and writing a check... but I doubt that I will ever do that.

I guess that it was less tramatic for me because I had two other professional certifications that I let lapse long before I retired so I had already crossed that threshold once before.

The funny/ironic thing was that technically, I never needed to be a CPA my entire career.... I never signed an audit opinion or anything that required licensure... yet I spent much of my time doing technical consultations to audit engagement teams. It was just something that was expected in the jobs that I had and was actually a firm requirement for someone in my position even though it was not legally required.

 

[JoeWras]

Most of my friends are keeping their certifications. And why not?

Certified financial planners, registered nurses and certified life underwriters.

I'm seriously considering trying to become an enrolled agent with the IRS. Why? Not sure.

 

[swakyaby]

I totally get it too. I was more disturbed than I thought I would be letting my professional licensure lapse. My DEA registration expired the day I retired. My medical license expired 2 months later. It would cost thousands of dollars every 2 years to keep these active, and I had no illusion of returning to practice. Still, strangely disturbing. . .

 

[aja8888]

PE has expired and no intention of (trying) to renew. Too hard; no one wants me anymore; too old; too lazy; CRS is kicking in.

 

[Meadbh]

I totally get it too. I was more disturbed than I thought I would be letting my professional licensure lapse. My DEA registration expired the day I retired. My medical license expired 2 months later. It would cost thousands of dollars every 2 years to keep these active, and I had no illusion of returning to practice. Still, strangely disturbing. . .

That’s what I felt too. I remembered the enormous effort and financial cost that went into earning my medical licence and various specialist qualifications. But those were sunk costs. I had already paid them, I wasn’t getting them back. After ER I had some consulting opportunities. The organizations hiring me wanted the full gamut of licence, insurance, CME, even for work that was clearly administrative, because they were hiring a physician. To keep that going, I would have had to spend at least $10,000 per year. The break even point would have been close to half time w*rk. That was what convinced me to let my licences lapse.

 

[Clone]

I maintained my PE for 35 years. I will probably have enough continuing education hours to renew my license for two years, then I will set it to 'inactive.' If I ever decide that I need it active again, I just need to send them $60 and proof of continuing education, and it is good to go.

The only thing that I could foresee needing a license for would be if my boys wanted to start or buy an engineering services company. Realistically, setting it to inactive is a way to put it on the shelf and not think too much about it.

 

[GalaxyBoy]

I plan to let my PEs expire once they come up for renewal. Megacorp had me register in multiple states and each came with slightly different continuing ed requirements and I ain’t shelling out all that dough for no good reason. There was always pressure to join several professional societies which I never really thought were worth the money. I let one of those lapse at the end of last year and they called me to milk my dues. I nicely interrupted them and told them I’m RETIRED.

 

[marko]

I get it.

If your re-cert are reasonably inexpensive, I'd say do it.

If the cost is going to require you to re-think a long weekend you had planned, I'd take that long weekend instead.

Whether it is work certifications, sports equipment (had to sell my goalie equipment at age 59) or that fun toy, we all reach a point where they no longer have any value to us. The next step is that eventually even the sentimental value is gone.

As Aerides noted its time to hang 'em up.

 

[HadEnuff]

I let my dental license and DEA registration go. Too much work and money to keep them, and I realized that even if I do run out of money, it should take me long enough to do that that by that time, nobody should let me near their mouth.

 

[Ronstar]

I put my land surveying license on retired status shortly after I retired. Then one of my old clients wanted me to testify in an eminent domain case. So I had to ask the state for relicensure with a waiver for continuing education since I let the education lapse. So I now have a license again, the court case hasn’t happened yet, and my license expires again in November. What a nightmare.

 

[DEC-1982]

It varies from person to person. I rarely think about past work, jobs, certifications etc Life has phases and this is one that's gone.

 

[Winemaker]

Yes, it was disheartening to allow my mine foreman's paper expire from three states, as well as several shot-fireman certificates, also. Not that I want to blow anything up, but by losing them, I lost federal clearance and vetting to handling explosives. I don't like any Federal agency telling me I'm not qualified or good enough.

 

[cynicalbuthopeful]

Timo2 -- PMI has a PMP-Retired status if you've had your PMP in good standing for 10 years.

From Handbook -
"Retired Status

If you are a certification holder in good standing and wish to voluntarily relinquish your active status due to retirement, you are eligible to apply for retired status. To qualify, you must no longer earn primary remuneration for practicing project management and must have been a certification holder in good standing for at least 10 consecutive years. Once you are in retired status, you do not need to earn or report PDUs.

To apply for retired status, submit a written request to PMI by email (Certification.CCR@pmi.org) or fax (1 610 239 2257). PMI will send you guidelines about retired status and a form to complete. There is also a US$100 processing fee.

If you begin practicing project management again, you can apply for active status again by contacting PMI’s Customer Care by email. Once you have active status again, you will be required to earn and report PDUs"

 

[Car-Guy]

I've just come to my point where my carefully maintained professional certifications are expiring, one year after I retired at 65. (in my case it is an ISC2 cert first, soon to be followed by the PMP cert). This is the most disturbing feeling I've had in retirement.

Converted my ISC2 (CISSP) designation to CISSP-R (retired) for a small one time fee. It's the only certification I really "valued" since "IMO" it was by far the hardest to get.

 

[StephieJean]

personally, if the certificate is to perform legally as a IT, doctor, etc. keep them current, you never know, but if the certificates are simply to make you ego feel good by displaying on your wall, and are only specific to your m-f 9-5 job, say bye bye, and hello to retirement.

 

[kcowan]

I let my PE go after being retired for 3 years. In reality, I did not need it after I had worked for 4 years.

 

[Chuckanut]

As a retired teacher I had toyed with the idea of doing some selective substitute work during the cold, dreary winter months. I would have had to take 150 hours of classes to renew my certificate at a minimum cost of $500, probably nearer to $1000. Not worth it.

Interestingly, the local districts are desperate for substitute teachers. Gosh, I wonder why?

 

[1-31-18]

I get it, too. Am an active member of the Bar in five states. (Most practicing lawyers are active in one, maybe two.) Have been torturing myself trying to decide which ones to let go. Can’t imagine cutting off all five. But any more than two is a waste. I could move to another state in retirement but am highly unlikely to change states twice.