Dept. of Ups and Downs

[kaffy_r]

Saturday Evening, and I Wish I Were Older

Well, we can scratch that plan of retiring when I'm 62 off the agenda. First, someone reminded me that although I can retire when I'm 62, I won't be eligible for Medicare until I'm 65.

And then I found out that I actually don't get 100% of my Social Security pension until I'm 66 years and two months old, not 65, as I'd assumed. That was an unpleasant surprise that came to me rather late, since the changes went into effect after a 1983 change in the law, and yes, I managed to miss it over the 32 intervening years, as I suspect a lot of people did (but seriously, kaffyr ... seriously? You, a reporter, managed to miss this rather huge change that was undoubtedly talked about at length publicly?) So if I actually quit when I was 62, I'd only get 74 percent or so of my pension. Augh. Not doable, not in the least.

This threatened to screw over my day - and, given that my shrink declined today to prescribe me the kind of anti-anxiety help that my two other doctors thought I should have on hand for emergencies, instead upping my regular dose of gabapentin instead - screwing over my day was not something I wanted to deal with. 

And then I decided not to let it get me down. If I can manage to last even four more years, I'll get over 90 percent of my pension, and it will give me four more years to put into my 401K as well. And that's all to the good. 

To be truthful, I think part of my desire to quit when I'm 62 is my belief that my current employer is going to try to break the union in 2017; I'm not sure it won't be successful, and the thought of working in a non-union environment, or losing any of the benefits that I worked very hard over the last few decades to gain, was filling me with a lot of not-so-nebulous dread. 

Still - four years and change? I can do it ... maybe not standing on my head, but I can do it. 

Comments

[intrigueing]

Ouch! That sounds like a pretty terrible collection of bad news. The bait-and-switch type of bad news is the worst.

[shanghaied]

Of course you can do it. You got this far! And remember, for over a million years our species made do without a 401K, whatever that is :-)

[kerravonsen]

Here, they changed it so that I won't get any pension whatsoever until I'm 67. I can get my superanuation when I'm 60, but that will be all I'll have to live on for 7 years. But I'll have to, because there's no way I'll be able to hold out until I'm 67. I'm finding it hard enough to hold out the ten years until I'm 60.
(sigh)

my belief that my current employer is going to try to break the union in 2017
That's horrible.

[carbonel]

It's 66 years and 4 months for me, which was a slightly nasty shock when I discovered it a year or so ago. I never really thought about retiring early, though I'd be happy to do so if I won the lottery or some such.

[thisbluespirit]

Aw, I'm sorry - it's definitely a shock when you were counting down to something only to find it's that much longer in fact! I'm sure you can do it, but it's still rotten. *sends hugs winging your way*

[scripsi.livejournal.com]

Ugh, what a nasty surprise!

[a-phoenixdragon.livejournal.com]

Gods, honey...I'm so sorry...

*HUGS YOU HARD*

[eaweek.livejournal.com]

Oh, you poor thing. My poor mother limped through to 68-69 (she was able to work from home the last eight years or so), then worked one day per week for a couple of years, then finally retired for good last fall, a couple of months shy of 71. I'm so glad she did. May she have many healthy years ahead of her to enjoy being a lady of leisure. But she definitely benefited financially from being able to work until 70--she replaced her car, got some work done on the house, and this year we're taking an actual vacation!!!

I completely understand that feeling of having the rug pulled out from under you. For two straight years, I've anticipated my current boss taking a sabbatical. It was delayed by a year at this time last year, and now it's been delayed pretty much indefinitely; I fully anticipate working for her until I'm 50, unless she decides to retire or has to go out on a medical disability or something (or I find another job somewhere else). It's so horrible to feel like you can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and suddenly you realize the tunnel is 100 or 200 miles longer than you'd originally thought. : (

At least I still enjoy my actual *job*. I love the people I work with, the money is decent, the commute isn't bad (when the T is running, anyway, LOL), the benefits are excellent, and there's enough variety to keep my Gemini brain happy. I can only imagine what a slog it must be to have to keep working a job you don't even like that much any more (especially if you did once love it, which makes the situation all the more sad/ frustrating).

Big hugs to you. All your food sounds yummy, and yay for PT (and hot water!!). : )

[flowsoffire.livejournal.com]

Ugh, no… I'm sorry about the bad surprise :( Good for you, trying not to let this drag you down, though. You can deal with this! You're a trooper ♥