From the E-R Mailbag

Janet H

Janet H

Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Site Team
Joined
Feb 6, 2007
Messages
6,254
Location
Pacific NW
Periodically we get mail from reporters, authors and others who are interested in ER members input. We review these requests and occasionally give the go ahead to register and account and post about their project, etc. Rather than continue this practice of registering to post once and never return, we though we'd try just posting their requests here in this mailbag thread for folks to read, act on or disregard as they see fit.

This one today, caught our fancy:

I noticed your website while searching for recent and soon-to-be retirees for a casting call. VPE entertainment is seeking retirees for a one day film project. Your blog seems like a great resource, and platform for this particular audience. Below is a description of the project:

Are you retiring between February 15 - March 15, 2012? Do you know how you'll fill your days? Have you overcome great obstacles in your life to get to this point? Do you anticipate that first day the alarm clock goes off and you have no one to answer to? We want to hear your story.

VPE Talent (Vinnie Potestivo Entertainment) is looking for men and women who are about to retire for a one day shoot to document their first day of retirement. For more information please email Louise@vpetalent.com with your NAME, PHONE NUMBER , RETIREMENT DATE AND A BRIEF DESCRIPTION ABOUT YOURSELF.

The project is for Prudential, who are spearheading a nationwide advertising campaign. They asked that we cast people without using their name, but the project can be found at www.dayonestories.com, if you would like to take a look. Please let me know if you have any ideas to reach recent retirees, or if you are able to post our blurb or flyer (attached) on your blog. We appreciate any help you can send our way!!
Click to expand...
:flowers:
 
I expect all you introverts to sign up :)
 
If this is part of the series the Prudential is running on CNBC they are actually pretty good if you ask me.
 
Who sets their alarm clock for their first day of retirement?!?!
uglystupid2.gif


Oh, and the project sounds too much like w*rk... :cool:

2Cor521
 
SecondCor521 said:
Who sets their alarm clock for their first day of retirement?!?!
uglystupid2.gif
Click to expand...

Actually I seriously considered it. Then I was going to have a huge wooden mallet with about a 1-foot diameter next to the bed and smash the damn thing.

But then I would have had to buy a new nightstand so reconsidered.
 
Living on Social Security alone?

Gosh, I hope I don't get in trouble for posting this, but I'm sure the mods will let me know if it's inappropriate (sorry in advance if it is ;-)

I'm Jeff Yeager (aka "The Ultimate Cheapskate") and I'm looking to do some short telephone interviews with retired people who are living entirely (or at least 90%) on Social Security alone, whether out of necessity or choice (i.e. they could afford to spend more, but choose not to). This is for a retirement book I'm writing. If you or someone you know falls into that category and would like to be participate, please send me a PM or email me at UltCheapskate@aol.com.

Thanks & Stay Cheap!
 
Not RE'ed (yet) but this sounds like a great idea for book chapter.

Good luck with the project!
 
We have been contacted by a reporter for the New York Times who would like to talk to childless retirees (either single or couples) about some of their concerns regarding health care, finances and other issues, for an article she is preparing on this topic. This discussion triggered her request.

Please contact Phyllis at thesearch@nytimes.com if you are interested in participating.
 
Well I actually qualify but the NY Times... does anybody read that anymore :)
 
Actively participating in your the design of your habitat after retirement

Hi I am Itziar, a student in Sweden, BTH. I am currently researching on healthy and active aging and how to involve seniors in the design of their lifes and the environments where you live.

I would be very happy and grateful if you could help me with my research by completing this questionnaire, no one better than you knows yourselves.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1ZN9aMEOSjO869eUe158_OzBQJgx0PX2HYfkMSKDomYE/edit?usp=sharing
 
Itzi's survey has been reviewed and approved by us, so we encourage participation by anyone who wants to do so.
Itzi said:
Hi I am Itziar, a student in Sweden, BTH. I am currently researching on healthy and active aging and how to involve seniors in the design of their lifes and the environments where you live.

I would be very happy and grateful if you could help me with my research by completing this questionnaire, no one better than you knows yourselves.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1ZN9aMEOSjO869eUe158_OzBQJgx0PX2HYfkMSKDomYE/edit?usp=sharing
Click to expand...
 
I looked at the questionnaire, and became puzzled in the latter parts.
It seems to assume you are in some sort of senior care facility. May not be very applicable to most of us fairly active folks.
 
First of all thank you all that have taken some time to answer and the potential coming answers.

braumeister, I do understand what you mean. However it is interesting for me to have a perspective of what young people like you would see as valuable services in a future for the community where you could potentially live. I am not thinking about institutions, but something more like cohousing for elderly.
 
Itzi said:
Hi I am Itziar, a student in Sweden, BTH. I am currently researching on healthy and active aging and how to involve seniors in the design of their lifes and the environments where you live.

I would be very happy and grateful if you could help me with my research by completing this questionnaire, no one better than you knows yourselves.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1ZN9aMEOSjO869eUe158_OzBQJgx0PX2HYfkMSKDomYE/edit?usp=sharing
Click to expand...

Itzi, in the preamble to your survey you specifically refer to "people aged over retirement (65 and above)". As this is an early retirement forum, most members are current or aspiring retirees who are not yet eligible to answer. I am 55 and retired. I found the questions to be inapplicable to my current situation. Despite your response to braumeister, the wording of the survey does not convey the message that you want to know about future plans.
 
Really valuable answers, thank you and go on!

Meadbh said:
Itzi, in the preamble to your survey you specifically refer to "people aged over retirement (65 and above)". As this is an early retirement forum, most members are current or aspiring retirees who are not yet eligible to answer. I am 55 and retired. I found the questions to be inapplicable to my current situation. Despite your response to braumeister, the wording of the survey does not convey the message that you want to know about future plans.
Click to expand...

Sure Meadbh, I accept and understand your point of view, however I can also tell you that the answers I have got until now are really valuable for me. I have been taking a look now and really, it helps me a lot for my research.

If I could I would definentely change some of the questions based on your feedback, but it is a little bit late for me in the process to do so.

So, please go on answering, it really helps!! :flowers:
 
Very interesting survey! I wish Itziar much success in this research!
 
Hi, I am...

Donna Rosato. I'm a writer at MONEY magazine. I write about planning for and living in retirement. I am particularly interested in early retirement for a story I'm working on and I'd love to talk with some people in these forums about how they pulled off early retirement. Looking for folks who have taken early retirement fairly recently, somewhere between the ages of 55 and 62 and did it even though they didn't have a pension. Maybe you moved to a cheaper place to live? Or continue to work in a part-time capacity? Or power saved to reach your goal? Or had a side business or hobby that brought in money and enabled you to save more during your working years or bring in extra income post-retirement?

Anyone interested in talking with me? You can respond to this thread or email/call me at donna_rosato@moneymail.com or 212-522-0989.

Thank you!
 
Survey about sustainable and responsible investing

Dear forum members,

As part of my dissertation about sustainable and responsible investing at the University of Regensburg in Germany, I am carrying out a study about motives, preferences and beliefs of socially responsible investors.

Since the success of a study depends on high participation, I would like to ask you for your support. I would be very grateful if you would have a few minutes to take part in this survey. It takes only about 10 minutes to complete the questionnaire: https://www.soscisurvey.de/nachhaltigkeit2013/?r=ert

Thank you very much in advance for your support!

Best regards,
Mai
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Seeking to interview ERs for Men's Health magazine

Hi ERs,

I'm a Contributing Editor to Men's Health magazine. I'm writing a feature with tips on how to retire 10+ years early and seeking stories to back them up.

Please reach out to me if you are a male (this is Men's Health!), have retired earlier than 60, and can discuss any (or more than one) of the following and their specific impact on your finances:

1) Convincing your boss/company to let you retire gradually
2) Supplemental income from a casual/fun/interesting job (including where you get a lot of work online--my editor is interested in sites like eLance and Fiverr.)
3) Aggressive saving techniques that really moved the needle
4) Multiple streams of income, especially landlording
5) Downsizing--did you do it early? Financial impact?
6) Paying off your mortgage (esp after staying in the house for a long time)
7) Retiring somewhere much cheaper, especially international
8) Impact of staying healthy on lower self-paid insurance premiums, etc.
9) Did aggressive investing pay off for you?

Please give a few sentences of detail relevant to the above and even a few figures on financial impact. Please be available for a phone call (not just email) after I've gotten back to you. And just in case I get a lot of responses, I apologize in advance if I can't get back to everyone. I really appreciate your time!

You can reach out to me directly at rsine@outlook.com.
(And yes, my wife and I would love to retire early!)

Thanks very much for reading!

Best regards,

Richard Sine
rsine@outlook.com
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Richard Sine said:
Hi ERs,

I'm a Contributing Editor to Men's Health magazine. I'm writing a feature with tips on how to retire 10+ years early and seeking stories to back them up.

Please reach out to me if you are a male (this is Men's Health!), have retired earlier than 60, and can discuss any (or more than one) of the following and their specific impact on your finances:

1) Convincing your boss/company to let you retire gradually
2) Supplemental income from a casual/fun/interesting job (including where you get a lot of work online--my editor is interested in sites like eLance and Fiverr.)
3) Aggressive saving techniques that really moved the needle
4) Multiple streams of income, especially landlording
5) Downsizing--did you do it early? Financial impact?
6) Paying off your mortgage (esp after staying in the house for a long time)
7) Retiring somewhere much cheaper, especially international
8) Impact of staying healthy on lower self-paid insurance premiums, etc.
9) Did aggressive investing pay off for you?

Please give a few sentences of detail relevant to the above and even a few figures on financial impact. Please be available for a phone call (not just email) after I've gotten back to you. And just in case I get a lot of responses, I apologize in advance if I can't get back to everyone. I really appreciate your time!

You can reach out to me directly at rsine@outlook.com.
(And yes, my wife and I would love to retire early!)

Thanks very much for reading!

Best regards,

Richard Sine
rsine@outlook.com
Click to expand...

Richard, I just sent you an e-mail from NordsNords [at] Gmail with more information and my phone number.
 
Richard Sine said:
Hi ERs,

I'm a Contributing Editor to Men's Health magazine. I'm writing a feature with tips on how to retire 10+ years early and seeking stories to back them up.

Please reach out to me if you are a male (this is Men's Health!), have retired earlier than 60, and can discuss any (or more than one) of the following and their specific impact on your finances:

1) Convincing your boss/company to let you retire gradually
2) Supplemental income from a casual/fun/interesting job (including where you get a lot of work online--my editor is interested in sites like eLance and Fiverr.)
3) Aggressive saving techniques that really moved the needle
4) Multiple streams of income, especially landlording
5) Downsizing--did you do it early? Financial impact?
6) Paying off your mortgage (esp after staying in the house for a long time)
7) Retiring somewhere much cheaper, especially international
8) Impact of staying healthy on lower self-paid insurance premiums, etc.
9) Did aggressive investing pay off for you?

Please give a few sentences of detail relevant to the above and even a few figures on financial impact. Please be available for a phone call (not just email) after I've gotten back to you. And just in case I get a lot of responses, I apologize in advance if I can't get back to everyone. I really appreciate your time!

You can reach out to me directly at rsine@outlook.com.
(And yes, my wife and I would love to retire early!)

Thanks very much for reading!

Best regards,

Richard Sine
rsine@outlook.com
Click to expand...
Folks, I just finished a phone call with Richard Sine and it went very well. He does a professional interview and Men's Health is buying a real no-foolin' article on early retirement. I guess you could say that financial health is part of Men's Health.

The best part of the interview is where he mentioned that I'll be hearing from their fact-checker. It tells me that the magazine is spending the money to do it right. The SEO works so much better when your name is spelled correctly, too...

He's seeking more guys to interview, whether you're still pursuing FI or already FI or already FIRE'd. Fuego, JJac, I think you two would be particularly good interviews because of your age and kids and (JJac) expat lifestyle. ClifP, you'd be great from the perspectives of experience (including two recessions during ER), Hawaii, landlording, and angel investing. That's off the top of my head-- there are probably other posters here who I don't know very well but who are exactly the type of men he'd like to speak with.

If you're a personal-finance blogger who wants to raise his profile: this is one of the ways you do it.

I'm going to e-mail Richard a few names of other people who are either already FI or who are doing a great job of figuring it out. Feel free to contact him directly, and feel free to contact me if you have any questions about being interviewed.
 
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