Dumbest question you'll ever read...

TimSullivan · Aug 13, 2003

Re: Dumbest question you\'ll ever read...

Four years ago I retired at fifty-five and have never looked back. It was a no brainer for me because of the finacial part. When I subtracted my retirement income from what I was earning I was working a year for about 8% more. Those are just not good numbers.

As others have said retire to something. In the my retirement years we have traveled to Ireland one year and the next to Scotland. We have visited forty of the States and have enjoyed our freedom. Last year my wife and I built a new home and did a lot of work ourselves. I tease her by saying I am going back to work for a rest.

There is a friend that retired at the same time and he is miserable because he doesn't do anything.

Our next project just about ready to go. That will be GCing my son's new home.

Don't waste any time when you don't know how much time you have. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

MRHURT · Aug 13, 2003

Re: Dumbest question you\'ll ever read...

I am not old enough to really ponder that question yet. But my mother who is 70, retired to take care of my grandmother who was 91. Now that my grandmother is gone, my mother wishes everyday that she was still at work. She is just that kind of person, raised 5 kids, up every morning at 5:30, wide open for 70 years. I guess she is finding old habits are hard to break.

Gary_in_Indiana · Aug 13, 2003

Re: Dumbest question you\'ll ever read...

 "Thanks for your excellent idea." 

I can't begin to tell you how happy I am to hear that I was able to help. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Please let us know how it works out for you. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Heck, after a year you may go back to work and then decide "What the heck am I doing back here?" and decide to bail out then. At least you'll have, to quote Carole King, "looked at life from both sides" then. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Good luck with your application for a leave of absence with the city. I hope it all works out for you. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

rlk · Aug 13, 2003

Re: Dumbest question you\'ll ever read...

Terry, the attached information was sent to me by a friend. I'm not sure who put the info together, but it sure is something to think about. Good luck with your decision.

As you know I am a strong proponent of retirement and I want to share this info with people I care about, either people who are working hard and putting off retirement or are younger and can use it in planning their futures.

It's from a US study (Boeing, Lockheed Martin, AT&T, Lucent Tech, etc.) that showed age at retirement vs average age at death - here's what portions of the table looked like:

Age @ Retirement Average Age @ Death

49.9 86
55.1 83.2
58.3 80
60.1 76.8
62.1 71.8
65.2 66.8

Key conclusions from the study:

"For every year one works beyond 55, one loses 2 years of life span on average."

"if you are not able to get out of the pressure cooker or the high speed battleground at the age of 55 and must keep on working very hard until the age of 65 or older before your retirement, then you will probably die within 18 months of retirement."

"The hard-working late retirees probably put too much stress on their aging body-and-mind such that they are so stressed out to develop various health problems that forced them to quit and retire. With such long-term stress induced serious health problems, they die within two years after they quit and retire."

Retirement as used in this study can include some work, on a part-time basis at a more leisure pace.

I'm not trying to forecast doom but to encourage quality of life.

I am having trouble getting the columns to line up, however, you may be able to make out the information. The first column should be "average age at retirement". The second column should be "average age at death".

fivestring · Aug 14, 2003

Re: Dumbest question you\'ll ever read...

Great facts, rlk.

This oughta wake up a lot of folks. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
Similar statistics were found at our Police Dept. After 25 years of service (high stress, high divorce rate, etc.), if you didn't retire and have hobbies, you died within a couple of years. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif Those that stayed more than 30 and did not have a life or hobbies usually died within a year. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
Gotta have hobbies or part-time work to make it.....

Bird · Aug 14, 2003

Re: Dumbest question you\'ll ever read...

( After 25 years of service (high stress, high divorce rate, etc.), if you didn't retire and have hobbies, you died within a couple of years )

That was a good enough reason for me to retire 2 months short of 25 years. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Of course I have had a few hobbies, and even a few part time jobs, since retiring 14.5 years ago. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

fivestring · Aug 14, 2003

Re: Dumbest question you\'ll ever read...

Bird, I was just thinking of you and F350Lawman. I hope to join the retirement ranks in a little over 6 years. They've been trying to get 25 yr retirement for 10 years now.... that would be real sweet for me...less than 1 1/2 years away. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Imagine 46 and retired! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
On another note... this my 200th post. I thought that was a lot until I saw your number!!! OMG! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif Your keyboard must have dents in the keys! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

B7500 · Aug 14, 2003

Re: Dumbest question you\'ll ever read...

Wow rLK,
That is one sobering article.
Color me gone......
-Terry

fivestring · Aug 14, 2003

Re: Dumbest question you\'ll ever read...

Guess that answered your questions, eh, Terry????

DaveNH · Aug 14, 2003

Re: Dumbest question you\'ll ever read...

WOW! I like those numbers.
I went out at 46 . That chart puts me at about age 92.
I worked for 21 years but draw a pension for maybe 46 years! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Now I don't feel so bad.