AUTHOR: Byjove on 10/13/2025 FIRST: Mark Crothers on 10/13 | RECENT: Senthil Nathan on 10/14
Comments
Thanks, Ed. And all the others for their replies. No, I don't think that I am depressed (though I will probably be the last one to know about it), and I have been warned (by multiple YouTubers; does that count?) that the transition period will be difficult. So, as someone said, forewarned is fourlegged. Or something like that. But great advice and support – thanks, all. And swimming for starters lessons sounds good to me.
Your comment "I have heard tax preparers joke about charging their clients by the pound; the more pages in the tax return, the higher the fee" reminded me of my late father's story about his school. He grew up in a village in rural India and attended the local school. (I have seen the school, and his stories of swimming to attend classes during heavy rains are totally believable). He claimed that his schoolmaster (the only one in the school, and apparently this superman covered all the subjects) corrected the answer papers by flinging all of them onto the sloping roof of his house, and passing those that slipped down – the theory being that the papers of those who answered more will have more weight). And yes, the one which fell down first got the first rank.
Thanks, Chris. Grateful for your comments. I do have a government pension waiting for us back home, we are unlikely to starve to death! Actually, we should be able to maintain our current lifestyle when I start drawing on my investments, which probably requires a major reset between my broker, financial adviser and chartered accountant. Not looking forward.
You guessed right; our final retirement destination is India (Goa, to be specific), though right now we are still in the Gulf, trying to decide on an appropriate time to move. Quality of life here is excellent, and I know that we will have to struggle for many things that we take for granted here (such as regular electric supply and disciplined traffic) in India. On the flip side, food is much cheaper over there (we sometimes find it difficult to believe the bill after eating out in India) as is medical care.
A couple of financial planners in India did the maths and they have come up with 3.3% as a safe withdrawal limit for Indian investments, but with a crazy man in charge and the markets all over the place, I will need a different approach. The sequence of returns risk seems to be very much in action (the Indian NIFTY index returned 1% over the last year!), which is no doubt contributing to my anxiety.
Our Shih Tzu will be 5 years old in November, and while he is a major factor in our future plans, we will have it no other way.
I had anticipated that retirement would come around one day, and my finances were very much in place (we have a very conservative financial adviser, who is strongly into debt investments) when the day arrived. But it still did catch me off guard in ways that are quite inexplicable, hence my post. I am glad to receive so many comments that these are quite normal. Regarding the psychology, my original plan was to lie on the beach with a can of beer, which my wife rapidly vetoed. Seriously, I did have a bucket list of physical activities (mostly impractical due to age limitations, such as taking up roller skating, though horse riding is still an option!) and travel (but my anxiety over the finances is putting a mental crimp over these, delaying our planned trip to Egypt and East Europe). I am hopeful that more positive feelings will emerge as time passes (as predicted by you guys) and our travel plans will soon be back on track. Bungee jumping, anyone?
Comments
Thanks, Ed. And all the others for their replies. No, I don't think that I am depressed (though I will probably be the last one to know about it), and I have been warned (by multiple YouTubers; does that count?) that the transition period will be difficult. So, as someone said, forewarned is fourlegged. Or something like that. But great advice and support – thanks, all. And swimming for starters lessons sounds good to me.
Post: MONTH TWO AND ITS NOT GOING WELL
Link to comment from October 20, 2025
Your comment "I have heard tax preparers joke about charging their clients by the pound; the more pages in the tax return, the higher the fee" reminded me of my late father's story about his school. He grew up in a village in rural India and attended the local school. (I have seen the school, and his stories of swimming to attend classes during heavy rains are totally believable). He claimed that his schoolmaster (the only one in the school, and apparently this superman covered all the subjects) corrected the answer papers by flinging all of them onto the sloping roof of his house, and passing those that slipped down – the theory being that the papers of those who answered more will have more weight). And yes, the one which fell down first got the first rank.
Post: Discarding the Negative
Link to comment from October 19, 2025
Thanks, Chris. Grateful for your comments. I do have a government pension waiting for us back home, we are unlikely to starve to death! Actually, we should be able to maintain our current lifestyle when I start drawing on my investments, which probably requires a major reset between my broker, financial adviser and chartered accountant. Not looking forward.
Post: Retirement blues
Link to comment from October 13, 2025
You guessed right; our final retirement destination is India (Goa, to be specific), though right now we are still in the Gulf, trying to decide on an appropriate time to move. Quality of life here is excellent, and I know that we will have to struggle for many things that we take for granted here (such as regular electric supply and disciplined traffic) in India. On the flip side, food is much cheaper over there (we sometimes find it difficult to believe the bill after eating out in India) as is medical care. A couple of financial planners in India did the maths and they have come up with 3.3% as a safe withdrawal limit for Indian investments, but with a crazy man in charge and the markets all over the place, I will need a different approach. The sequence of returns risk seems to be very much in action (the Indian NIFTY index returned 1% over the last year!), which is no doubt contributing to my anxiety. Our Shih Tzu will be 5 years old in November, and while he is a major factor in our future plans, we will have it no other way.
Post: Retirement blues
Link to comment from October 13, 2025
Good question, I wish I knew!
Post: Retirement blues
Link to comment from October 13, 2025
I had anticipated that retirement would come around one day, and my finances were very much in place (we have a very conservative financial adviser, who is strongly into debt investments) when the day arrived. But it still did catch me off guard in ways that are quite inexplicable, hence my post. I am glad to receive so many comments that these are quite normal. Regarding the psychology, my original plan was to lie on the beach with a can of beer, which my wife rapidly vetoed. Seriously, I did have a bucket list of physical activities (mostly impractical due to age limitations, such as taking up roller skating, though horse riding is still an option!) and travel (but my anxiety over the finances is putting a mental crimp over these, delaying our planned trip to Egypt and East Europe). I am hopeful that more positive feelings will emerge as time passes (as predicted by you guys) and our travel plans will soon be back on track. Bungee jumping, anyone?
Post: Retirement blues
Link to comment from October 13, 2025
Thanks, David, that is reassuring.
Post: Retirement blues
Link to comment from October 13, 2025
"Enough money" is an oxymoron.
Post: Never Enough
Link to comment from February 15, 2025