Thread: Soon to Retire!

Originally Posted by Hallatauer

Just a little bit of my story.

Presently staring retirement in the face. I turn 50 April 1st 2011. Just got my AARP package in the mail too. I'll be eligible to retire as I am ATC in New York, 23 years 7 months on duty so far.

The plan. I'm doing some final touch ups on the house and will put it up for sale in April. Once I get a buyer, I retire, and move with my lovely wife to Austin TX where we have some property on Lake Travis. I will be mortgage/HELOC/debt free. Proceeds from the equity in my house with fund the new one and with a little leftover... we'll see how much later.

Income will be my federal pension, social security supplement and when I turn 59 1/2, TSP which has a wonderful amount of money in it as I have been contributing the max since year 2 of my employment. Separate stock account and a ING account with an emergency fund. Debt... utilities, real estate taxes, food, clothing, car insurance/maintenance/gas, entertainment.

We do like to travel but that may be restricted depending on what we do once we're settled in. We both hope to find part time work to keep us busy and fund our travel habit.

As we say when scuba diving... plan your dive, dive your plan.

wow you are my inspiration i'm only 24 i hope to reach where you at when i'm that age, let's hope life be as kind to me as it is to you.

Fantastic story and CONGRATS !!

Love Lake Travis! Congratulations and hope all goes well!!

I_T

Originally Posted by Hallatauer

Just a little bit of my story.

Presently staring retirement in the face. I turn 50 April 1st 2011. Just got my AARP package in the mail too. I'll be eligible to retire as I am ATC in New York, 23 years 7 months on duty so far.

The plan. I'm doing some final touch ups on the house and will put it up for sale in April. Once I get a buyer, I retire, and move with my lovely wife to Austin TX where we have some property on Lake Travis. I will be mortgage/HELOC/debt free. Proceeds from the equity in my house with fund the new one and with a little leftover... we'll see how much later.

Income will be my federal pension, social security supplement and when I turn 59 1/2, TSP which has a wonderful amount of money in it as I have been contributing the max since year 2 of my employment. Separate stock account and a ING account with an emergency fund. Debt... utilities, real estate taxes, food, clothing, car insurance/maintenance/gas, entertainment.

We do like to travel but that may be restricted depending on what we do once we're settled in. We both hope to find part time work to keep us busy and fund our travel habit.

As we say when scuba diving... plan your dive, dive your plan.

Originally Posted by Hallatauer

Just a little bit of my story.

Presently staring retirement in the face. I turn 50 April 1st 2011. Just got my AARP package in the mail too. I'll be eligible to retire as I am ATC in New York, 23 years 7 months on duty so far.

The plan. I'm doing some final touch ups on the house and will put it up for sale in April. Once I get a buyer, I retire, and move with my lovely wife to Austin TX where we have some property on Lake Travis. I will be mortgage/HELOC/debt free. Proceeds from the equity in my house with fund the new one and with a little leftover... we'll see how much later.

Income will be my federal pension, social security supplement and when I turn 59 1/2, TSP which has a wonderful amount of money in it as I have been contributing the max since year 2 of my employment. Separate stock account and a ING account with an emergency fund. Debt... utilities, real estate taxes, food, clothing, car insurance/maintenance/gas, entertainment.

We do like to travel but that may be restricted depending on what we do once we're settled in. We both hope to find part time work to keep us busy and fund our travel habit.

As we say when scuba diving... plan your dive, dive your plan.

You must be one of those evil union members.

Early retirement is the way to go. No one to answer to anymore!

I recommend it.

Retirement is wonderful! Social security (if it is still there when you retire) is like clockwork, TSP is the same (I take a monthly payment), but OPM sucks canal water, so beware. It took over two months for them to finally give me something and only after I called back to NSSC to my HR counselor! So be prepared for the worst and hope for the best. We were prepared as we had been working to retire.

Retirement is like a perpectual vacation; it is wonderful!

Congrats!

Thanks to all...

Zebra, thanks for the heads up on OPM. I expect to be in the financial position that a month or two, or even 3 month delay will not cause me due hardship. We'll cross our fingers and keep updated on our status.

Cletus, actually no... I "was" a union member until they screwed me on my seniority. Good bye to them. And I always said, "I think I get paid very well for what I do but I would never say no when they got us more money".

Originally Posted by Hallatauer

Just a little bit of my story.

Presently staring retirement in the face. I turn 50 April 1st 2011. Just got my AARP package in the mail too. I'll be eligible to retire as I am ATC in New York, 23 years 7 months on duty so far.

The plan. I'm doing some final touch ups on the house and will put it up for sale in April. Once I get a buyer, I retire, and move with my lovely wife to Austin TX where we have some property on Lake Travis. I will be mortgage/HELOC/debt free. Proceeds from the equity in my house with fund the new one and with a little leftover... we'll see how much later.

Income will be my federal pension, social security supplement and when I turn 59 1/2, TSP which has a wonderful amount of money in it as I have been contributing the max since year 2 of my employment. Separate stock account and a ING account with an emergency fund. Debt... utilities, real estate taxes, food, clothing, car insurance/maintenance/gas, entertainment.

We do like to travel but that may be restricted depending on what we do once we're settled in. We both hope to find part time work to keep us busy and fund our travel habit.

As we say when scuba diving... plan your dive, dive your plan.

Congrats Hallatauer & welcome to Texas,

I retired at 49.5 (LEO) myself ... water temps fine, vis is 100ft, so backroll on in and start blowing some bubbles.

(pssst ..... if you're coming to Texas: www.scubatoys.com)

As Z said, SS like clockwork, but you won't have to worry about that for now. Since my wife still works I'm not touching TSP yet. Z and I retired the same day, but i got my first check from OPM on schedule. (I think he p-o'd somebody, lol). But do expect to only get a partial OPM check, about 80% I was told, for several months. We retired 31 Dec 2010 and still getting partial payment. If you stick with your fed health plan they will deduct that from your partial payment. Originally I got letters from vision and dental riders that they wouldn't deduct those payments until OPM was straight, but then got past due bills from both of them. Go figure. Three and a half months in and enjoying life. I'm sure you will down there on that Texas lake.

I highly recommend early retirement to anyone who can swing it. Congratulations

If Congress ups the retirement from a high 3 to a high 5 for 2012 I am gone this year. If they offer a buyout this year I am gone. Otherwise it will be April or May next year. 41 years service this October.