atmsmshr
Full time employment: Posting here.
Amazing to see how your replies demonstrate the similarities of our FIRE anxieties. However, there were some I had not thought of yet (best in class -old man scratching ).
My last work day is 20 June and good progress made towards wrapping up projects. No successor named - subject to speculation, but not my problem since 4 weeks is plenty of notice for a mega with a good succession planning program.
A week has gone by and every day someone new congratulates me for 'getting out' so young (for crying out loud 58 is not young) and healthy. To those that expressed genuine worry about continuity of business, I thanked them for the kind words and then tell them about the organizational change analogy of a hand being removed from a bucket of water. One congratulatory handshake was followed up with 'You're an $$$hole for leaving us so early.'
To those that are similar in age bracket, I say - you are next and closer than you realize. Some of the notable anxieties shared from these highly educated and highly paid professionals:
- Can't believe you are leaving before me. (He is older and has a higher salary, but left the company for a promotion elsewhere only to come back but lose retiree medical in the process. Also owns a Porches, Tesla, and sent both daughters to private university.)
- Can't retire - ex spouse wants more money.
- Can't retire - lifetime alimony (ouch)
- Can't retire - who else would support my three ex wives?
- Did not save enough, but sure had fun when younger.
- No retiree medical available (x3)
- Gotta get the kids out of college first (x2)
- Have to get DS off the payroll.
- Too many life resets to be able to retire early.
- Scared to retire (extrovert)
- Don't want to retire - love my job (older than me but that's great for him. He is also extremely extroverted)
- Programmed myself to be a working professional and to save money - don't know how to stop. (That's ok - someone has to keep propping up social security).
- My financial 'guy' says I am not ready. (which I interpreted as a form of financial illiteracy).
- Don't have my million yet and Fidelity says that's what I need before even thinking about it (He's 63)
- Too scared - don't know how finances work.
And my favorite - Won't be able to retire until the zombie apocalypse comes. (I laughed too hard to ask why).
All of which reinforces to me that this forum is a non-representative select group. For the most part we tend to be financially literate people who plan ahead and look forward to retirement. And of course we are better looking.
Maybe I should start another forum for the Unlucky and Financially Dependent and Retiring Late types. The UFDaRL movement has to be a much bigger population.
My last work day is 20 June and good progress made towards wrapping up projects. No successor named - subject to speculation, but not my problem since 4 weeks is plenty of notice for a mega with a good succession planning program.
A week has gone by and every day someone new congratulates me for 'getting out' so young (for crying out loud 58 is not young) and healthy. To those that expressed genuine worry about continuity of business, I thanked them for the kind words and then tell them about the organizational change analogy of a hand being removed from a bucket of water. One congratulatory handshake was followed up with 'You're an $$$hole for leaving us so early.'
To those that are similar in age bracket, I say - you are next and closer than you realize. Some of the notable anxieties shared from these highly educated and highly paid professionals:
- Can't believe you are leaving before me. (He is older and has a higher salary, but left the company for a promotion elsewhere only to come back but lose retiree medical in the process. Also owns a Porches, Tesla, and sent both daughters to private university.)
- Can't retire - ex spouse wants more money.
- Can't retire - lifetime alimony (ouch)
- Can't retire - who else would support my three ex wives?
- Did not save enough, but sure had fun when younger.
- No retiree medical available (x3)
- Gotta get the kids out of college first (x2)
- Have to get DS off the payroll.
- Too many life resets to be able to retire early.
- Scared to retire (extrovert)
- Don't want to retire - love my job (older than me but that's great for him. He is also extremely extroverted)
- Programmed myself to be a working professional and to save money - don't know how to stop. (That's ok - someone has to keep propping up social security).
- My financial 'guy' says I am not ready. (which I interpreted as a form of financial illiteracy).
- Don't have my million yet and Fidelity says that's what I need before even thinking about it (He's 63)
- Too scared - don't know how finances work.
And my favorite - Won't be able to retire until the zombie apocalypse comes. (I laughed too hard to ask why).
All of which reinforces to me that this forum is a non-representative select group. For the most part we tend to be financially literate people who plan ahead and look forward to retirement. And of course we are better looking.
Maybe I should start another forum for the Unlucky and Financially Dependent and Retiring Late types. The UFDaRL movement has to be a much bigger population.
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