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My name is Gene and I'm a retired IT manager with 34 years experience in IT. After college I did a stint in the USMC in the mid-70's, conductor on the railroad, and then during an economic recession went back to school and got a 2nd bachelors degree in computer science. I then did half my IT career in corporate America and half as a civil servant. I grew up in the southwest and after military service returned to the southwest to raise my family (1 girl & 2 boys). I went through an unwanted and unexpected divorce at 49, but remarried 11 years later to a wonderful companion who's truly my soulmate. We both retired in 2018 and we're having a great time in retirement. We're currently in good health and live in a 55+ community. We love our home but we plan to ultimately move into a CCRC at some point to remove that uncertainty and risk.
Comments:
Exactly.
Post: Two Innovations That Can Improve Your Health by Dennis Friedman
Link to comment from October 9, 2024
My kids went to local state institutions with cheap tuition. For example, my daughter got her accredited associates RN at the local community college about 25 years ago. It cost about $3K a year (tuition and books). Then while working full-time she went back to school part time and got her bachelor's and masters degrees. Her accredited graduate nursing degree at the local university was about 15 years ago. Grand total cost of the graduate degree was about $30K. Since her current job pays a base salary of $165K and absolutely requires her graduate degree in nursing, I'd say the $30K for her graduate degree was an outstanding value. Meanwhile, another extended family member (arguably the best student of these 2) got a graduate degree at an expensive "name" school out of town. She majored in anthropology. Today she makes a living in an accounting job that doesn't require a masters degree and is completely unrelated to anthropology. Value returned for that degree; minimal. When it comes to college in America, I think the value received (at least in terms of cost versus income) very much depends on the choices we make when choosing both the school and the degree.
Post: Quinn ponders the College Conundrum
Link to comment from October 8, 2024
Thanks for clearing that up. That really puts a different view on the 30% figure for state pensions being kicked around. I'm glad there seems to be a trend of the states trying to get their pension plans in better shape and address their unfunded liabilities. I hope it continues and it's successful.
Post: I’m depressed, not very optimistic about retirement 😱 by R Quinn
Link to comment from October 6, 2024
You're right and I was surprised it's only about 25% of state & local plans that don't participate in SS. But my other point about my wife's COLA is 100% accurate, as is the fact that our state (unfortunately) doesn't participate in SS. So yeah, here "generous" state plan has a COLA, but her cumulative COLA increase since she retired in 2018 is 6%. So my point to Dick stands that his blanket criticism of state retirement plans having COLA's as "generous" is misleading in multiple ways.
Post: I’m depressed, not very optimistic about retirement 😱 by R Quinn
Link to comment from October 5, 2024
How does a state employee who isn't eligible for SS "save on SS taxes". They don't participate, so I'd hope they wouldn't pay SS taxes.
Post: I’m depressed, not very optimistic about retirement 😱 by R Quinn
Link to comment from October 5, 2024
My last job required a lot of telephone meetings. On speaker phone, I think I experienced the background noise issue you described with hearing aids. Basically, if there was any significant background noise on the other end of the telecon it was impossible to understand the remote speaker. I can really understand your desire to avoid venues that expose you to that irritating babble of noise. At least the telecon's allowed us to put in place some rules to minimize that, which of course isn't possible in various social settings.
Post: Two Innovations That Can Improve Your Health by Dennis Friedman
Link to comment from October 4, 2024
I think the reason state and local plans are so much more expensive is that in most cases those plans replace social security, while corporate plans are in addition to social security. As an aside, this makes comparing state and local plans to corporate pensions an unfair comparison. It'd be more accurate to compare them to social security. Then suddenly they don't look so generous in comparison. For example, my wife's state pension benefit does have a COLA, but it'd better since she didn't participate in social security while in the state plan. Also her state pension check has had a cumulative COLA of 6% since she retired in 2018. Meanwhile, inflation is up over 20% and social security COLA's have been much more generous.
Post: I’m depressed, not very optimistic about retirement 😱 by R Quinn
Link to comment from October 4, 2024
Good article. The blood test sounds good, but I doubt I'd stop the scheduled colonoscopies since they can remove pre-cancerous polyps and I'd rather not wait until they turn cancerous. But adding it to the annual blood test suite; for sure. Next visit I'll ask my physician about it. As far as the AirPods, I have a set and will probably download the upgrade and give it a try. But I'm doubtful of their usefulness as their battery life is much shorter than hearing aids. But it might be useful in certain situations as I'm borderline needing hearing aids.
Post: Two Innovations That Can Improve Your Health by Dennis Friedman
Link to comment from October 3, 2024
I've had both over time and the Moderna has always given me more of a reaction than the Pfizer. This time I got the Moderna and the flu shot at the same time. Definitely had a reaction and felt slightly lousy the next day. I'm going with the science and I'll continue to get the shots as long as that's the official recommendation.
Post: Jabs Anyone?
Link to comment from October 3, 2024
I agree with your overall sentiment. I don't know what the answer is, but I'm skeptical the problem will be solved following the current approach.
Post: I’m depressed, not very optimistic about retirement 😱 by R Quinn
Link to comment from October 1, 2024