Dear Abby doesn't get FIRE

[fritz]

What kind of response does "ready-to-retire" expect? A better question is "how do I deal with my friends about ER?"

"I did things my way and can afford to retire now, so why can't my friends keep their mouths shut and let me enjoy what I have worked for?"

I thought this came off as more of a rant, using an advice column to chastise his friends , and that he was not really looking for an answer.

 

[Shawn]

I wonder how Dear Abby would respond if READY TO RETIRE was 70 instead of 62. Objectively, Abby's advice should be the same since the ability to retire is not specifically tied to age. However, I speculate that Dear Abby would respond more like ... "Don't worry about what your friends and family say. Feel free to retire if this is what you want and your financial professional believes this is appropriate. You have worked hard. You deserve to enjoy this next phase of life." Instead, Dear Abby's specific advice appears to be tied more to READY's relatively young age, as opposed to a proper course of action applicable to anyone.

 

[Spanky]

Find new friends who also ER'ed?

That's a good one!

 

[Spanky]

"I did things my way and can afford to retire now, so why can't my friends keep their mouths shut and let me enjoy what I have worked for?"

I thought this came off as more of a rant, using an advice column to chastise his friends , and that he was not really looking for an answer.

You might be right that he's not really looking for an advice after all.

 

[Spanky]

I wonder how Dear Abby would respond if READY TO RETIRE was 70 instead of 62. Objectively, Abby's advice should be the same since the ability to retire is not specifically tied to age. However, I speculate that Dear Abby would respond more like ... "Don't worry about what your friends and family say. Feel free to retire if this is what you want and your financial professional believes this is appropriate. You have worked hard. You deserve to enjoy this next phase of life." Instead, Dear Abby's specific advice appears to be tied more to READY's relatively young age, as opposed to a proper course of action applicable to anyone.

good answer - do what you want to do regardless of remarks from others.

 

[Running_Man]

I think Abby took his question the same way I take his question. He is obviously annoyed by all the comments that he is crazy to retire. If he was truly confident in his decision other people's opinion on his retirement would not bother him so much that he would write to Abby. Also since he is already 62 it is not that unusual to retire at that age so perhaps his friends are genuinly concerned for good reason.

With those same minimal facts I would reccomend the same thing as Abby did, get a second opinion to validate your thoughts on retirement because it appears to me you are uncomfortable with this idea when you should not be. There are far more people who retire because they are tired of work without enough money thinking they have more than they need than who truly have everything covered. I think Abby's answer was insightful in a non-demeaning way of communicating true concern

 

[Spanky]

With those same minimal facts I would reccomend the same thing as Abby did, get a second opinion to validate your thoughts on retirement because it appears to me you are uncomfortable with this idea when you should not be. .. I think Abby's answer was insightful in a non-demeaning way of communicating true concern

Getting a second opinion from an adviser is a safe or generic advice. It does not address the concerns of "READY TO RETIRE" who seems to be looking for ways to deal with friends and not interested in another opinion or doubts similar to those of their friends.

If I were in his/her situation, I would say that I appreciate their concerns but have decided to start a new chapter of my life - to do all the things that I want to do now instead of later and have thought about it long and hard and weighted the pros and cons carefully. I will not feel guilty of letting them down because I have my own life to live and do not need their approval. It's hoped they would accept and respect my decision.

 

[mickeyd]

Abigail Van Buren (Dear Abby) died years ago so I question any current advice that she dishes out from the grave.