Retirement

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kenny thomas

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SW tip of Virginia
Since I have had 2 colon surgerys and will have a 3rd later this winter I have considered retiring after almost 40 years as a wildland firefighter. I checked into what my retirement pay would be, and what the insurance costs were since I am only 56. What I found out was I cant afford to retire. Insurance and taxes would take 1/2 of what I would get per month. If disabled I could get $120 per month more. Big deal for 40 years of abusing my body and mind.
I have been on 24 hour a day call 5 months of the year with no pay for the on call time. But have to be available within 30 minutes to respond. I always thought that when time came to retire it would be worth all the extra effort I had always been expected to give. Guess not.
Well back to work soon I hope. I would starve if I retire so gotta get back in shape.
Just had to vent. At least I still have a job. Some of the coal areas here have almost 18% unemployment.
Anyone else have the same issues?
 
Sorry about the disappointment buddy that doesn't make any sense for our protectors who put their lives on the lines to have to worry about can they afford to retire... :mad: However I know you will be fine and your health is the most important thing to concentrate on don't sweat the small stuff. I know you will be fine maybe you could open up your own personal training school and make the state pay you out the wazooo to train the newbee's.
 
skyhightree1":3rvpppkm said:
Sorry about the disappointment buddy that doesn't make any sense for our protectors who put their lives on the lines to have to worry about can they afford to retire... :mad: However I know you will be fine and your health is the most important thing to concentrate on don't sweat the small stuff. I know you will be fine maybe you could open up your own personal training school and make the state pay you out the wazooo to train the newbee's.
That might actually work. They are contracting everything else.
 
Yea, I was serious. They are trying to get away from permanent employees and like you said contract EVERYTHIGN out. I have a contract with a couple community colleges to spray the weeds growing out the sidewalks lol They would rather pay me than send those guys to class to get the spray certs lol
 
Oh, I have my commercial applicators license also. And the state paid for them and pay for me to keep them. Maybe its time they pay for me to use them.
 
I've got heart and lung trouble, along with diabetes. I've really slowed down a lot in recent years, especially since I started on oxygen 2 years ago at age 49. Can't do much anymore physically, and the O2 hose is a real PIA. In my way and catching on stuff all the time.

My insurance pays well, but I pay them well also. Go trecent notice that my 2014 BCBS premium as of Jan 1 will be $14000+ :shock: :shock: :shock:

I think I have an appt at the local SS office tomorrow to apply for disability. Now I'm not sure if they will be open because of the big govt shutdown. :roll: :roll: :roll:
 
John SD":1c6i4xsp said:
I've got heart and lung trouble, along with diabetes. I've really slowed down a lot in recent years, especially since I started on oxygen 2 years ago at age 49. Can't do much anymore physically, and the O2 hose is a real PIA. In my way and catching on stuff all the time.

My insurance pays well, but I pay them well also. Go trecent notice that my 2014 BCBS premium as of Jan 1 will be $14000+ :shock: :shock: :shock:

I think I have an appt at the local SS office tomorrow to apply for disability. Now I'm not sure if they will be open because of the big govt shutdown. :roll: :roll: :roll:
I ask about SS also and was told I would have to be off work a year before I could apply. But when I ask about work disability I was told if I applied I had to also apply for SS. Also I had to retire normally and then apply for disability. Heck I cant retire, it cost too much.
 
kenny thomas":2r87mqk4 said:
John SD":2r87mqk4 said:
I've got heart and lung trouble, along with diabetes. I've really slowed down a lot in recent years, especially since I started on oxygen 2 years ago at age 49. Can't do much anymore physically, and the O2 hose is a real PIA. In my way and catching on stuff all the time.

My insurance pays well, but I pay them well also. Go trecent notice that my 2014 BCBS premium as of Jan 1 will be $14000+ :shock: :shock: :shock:

I think I have an appt at the local SS office tomorrow to apply for disability. Now I'm not sure if they will be open because of the big govt shutdown. :roll: :roll: :roll:
I ask about SS also and was told I would have to be off work a year before I could apply. But when I ask about work disability I was told if I applied I had to also apply for SS. Also I had to retire normally and then apply for disability. Heck I cant retire, it cost too much.

I've sold most of my place to the neighbors, so I do have a tidy nest egg started with annual payments coming in for a few years. But the way the cost of this health insurance is jumping spooks me. I did splurge and buy and new car and tractor and am making payments for 3 and 5 yrs. I hope can use the tractor on my income tax depreciation schedule.

My aunt is 85 yrs old and retired from working for Social Security 20 yrs ago. She says I should be on SS disability if I have paid enough in. IIRC, I have to have paid in 5 of the last 10 yrs. If I did qualify, the disability payments themselves would mostly be a token amount. The real benefit would be that I then would be eligible for Medicare coverage. A Medicare supplement in theory should be much cheaper than my $14K individual health insurance plan is now.
 
John, I have been told that under the new health laws the price of insurance for folks like us could triple in the next few years. I would have to get Medicare or I couldn't do it.
 
Just start a consulting business and a training school for the new guys coming in. We all know you won't truly retire. This could just be the kick in the pants to push you to do something different.
 
First off, I don't think I've awaken any morning since I retired and said, "dang, I'm sure going to miss going to work today." As a matter of fact, since I retired I don't know how I had time to go to work as I have a lot of interest and participate in several volunteer projects around here. In short, I am enjoying most of my retirement with the exception of all of the doctor visits associated with workmens comp.

As far as the insurance stuff goes, it sure sucks. And since joining the "older generation" it looks like my wife and I are going to be paying a lot more for insurance coverage.

My tidbit of free advise this morning is: Save as much as you possibly can while you are working. Don't plan on social security taking you into your golden years comfortably. Another way of putting it is, plan on taking care of yourself as the government is moving away from taking care of it's senior citizens.
 
My wife declared that she will be retiring December 31, 2014. Although we've put back money getting ready for it, it just a little scary. I will be 60 and she will be 58 and can't draw SS for a few years afterwards. SS had been factored in to our retirement plan, but I was talking to my brother the other day and he say's SS will dock me around half because I have a retirement check coming in. Or, at least, that's what they did to him. If this is true, then we may have to find the right Obummer plan for us.
 
kenny thomas":1prwmhm1 said:
John, I have been told that under the new health laws the price of insurance for folks like us could triple in the next few years. I would have to get Medicare or I couldn't do it.
What I've heard too and the only way to lower the premium is to sign on to one that has something like a $15,000 deductible. That's a big help huh??
 
Kt,
Sorry to hear that about your retirement plans not being what you thought they might be. Unfortunately, that is exactly why you see so many "older" people still working, mainly because of needing health care insurance or health problems they need to pay for. As they always say, just cuz you retire, doesnt mean your bills freeze. I am one year older than you, and I plan on working (if I am able) until I can reach the 66.5 age mark for full SS. Not sure if my health will allow that, but so far so good, and the Lord's willing I will make it that long.
I wish you the best in doing what you can to make it, just like the rest of us.
 
Kenny, look on the bright side. At least you will be receiving something every month. The majority of the public won't get squat. I'm surprised with that many years of service you will not actually receive more at retirement. In Georgia, under the old plan for woodland firefighters, most get a raise when they retire and they receive 90% of their pay till they die. Most do complain that they have to pick up the subsidized half of their health care costs but they still have a pretty sweet deal under the old plan. Have a friend who worked 8 years with Ga. DOT and he was given the choice of either going to prison or retiring so he retired and is making $80,000 a year for his service. I think I could tighten my belt and make that work.
 

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