Or, I could actually retire

[justalurkr]

So, this surplus thing that happened at work carries with it the chance to convert the surplus into an early retirement. The advice I've been getting from people giving advice has been to get the jump on looking for another full time job because you don't want any gaps in your employment ZOMG.

I've been in the American workforce since I graduated college in 1984 and working for some Fortune 50 company or other since 1986. Really? I think I've done my bit for the corporate economy.

Turns out that the contents of my 401k will get me to Social Security retirement age 67, at which time I'll have Social Security plus a pension from All Your Phones Are Belong To Us. The retirement package I'm looking at in lieu of surplus gives me the same medical, dental and vision coverage I have now for less than $100 per month until Medicare kicks in at age 65, unless I get another job that covers me medically at any level, including crappy, at which time All Your Phones, Etc., is done with me. Forever.

Help me understand why I'd ever work anywhere else full time again?

Additionally, one of my co-workers introduced me to the concept of getting a TEFL certification and teaching English as a Foreign Language abroad. Who wouldn't rather do that than move from one soul-crusing cubefarm to another?

Comments

[superbadgirl]

There doesn't seem to be much incentive to work FT at all. Have you crunched all the numbers, etc? I'd hate to see you lose your 401(k) entirely - in my line of work, I see how important those things are as basically a means to pay for long term care, which almost all of us eventually need.

[vamysteryfan.livejournal.com]

The teaching career sounds awesome. Check all the numbers carefully and make sure you won't be paying some horrendous IRS bill. But then I'd say hey, go for it!

[justalurkr.livejournal.com]

That's a really good point, especially considering the Alzheimer's that runs in our family.

On that, though, (1) THEY'RE CURING IT ANY DAY NOW, RIGHT? and (2) I don't have the gene currently recognized as associated with Alzheimer's, so what hits our family could be environmental and preventable with blueberries and sudoku or something.

Gene test: you also had a slightly elevated risk of Parkinson's.
Me: Shut up.
Gene test: ...

[justalurkr.livejournal.com]

I'm considering having Mom do that. She's got the MBA and kind of lives for my fiscal responsibility.

[nialla]

I can definitely see the temptation, especially if they're going to give you healthcare coverage as part of your retirement package for less than $100/month.

I wish I could do it, as I'll have my "20 and done" for municipal governments in three years. But I've got a 13 year gap before early retirement at 62 for SS, and the longer I work, the better off I'll be from both retirement systems.

I don't know if I could do a lot of traveling due to health reasons, but I would still want to do something to get me out of bed each day. Either a part-time job or volunteering somewhere.

I agree with superbadgirl about not blowing your 401(k) completely. I view my retirement fund as an emergency fund right now. I could draw from it now if I wanted, but I'm leaving it alone until I need it.

Crunch those numbers hard. The idea of not having to work is so very tempting.

[justalurkr.livejournal.com]

It really really is.

If I don't go abroad and pick up one of the ample oppotunities in Atlanta (immigrants love us, what can I say,) it would likely be a fulltime job + benefits & bye bye phone company benefits. Still not a cube farm, though.

There's also other seasonal work like IRS phone monkey or would you like gift wrap next year when my leg no longer makes decisions about whether it's going to hold me up. In other words, I'm very likely to snap out of the notion of using as much of the 401k as I can, as fast as I can.

Now I'mma brood over all those places you and I and Tam can't go and teach because health is such a fickle bitch.

[nialla]

I'm pretty sure a lot of places would be thrilled to hire someone at "almost full-time" and not pay benefits. Many companies work you to an hour under full-time just to avoid paying for benefits anyway.

I don't want to jinx it, but after my "OMG the annual sale has undone my back surgery and my leg is coming off and I'd be happy if it hurried up" incident in August, it's... better. Like almost no pain, but still some localized numbness. Maybe it's a sign I need to exercise more and build up my core and endurance.

Nah! :)

[justalurkr.livejournal.com]

People do keep going on about the benefits of eating right and exercising, but I think I need to see more science around it. Just sounds too good to be true, y'know?