Thread: david.alan.williams Account Talk

Enjoy yourself, you've earned it!

Hey Evinrude (SGM) at 49 you ain't got no reason to not continue to participate on this board. Take some of that retirement money and open an online discount brokerage account and get busy. Your investment fun is just starting now that you'll have more available free time to stay on top of the money. Start your research with the manufacturer of your poontoon boat - you've got a bright horizon ahead.

Thank you very much for your service SGM. On one hand, I hate that our government is making you leave due to your situation instead of helping to get you into a job you could do; on the other, it sounds like you have a terrific piece of America to retire to. Enjoy your retirement. It sounds like you know what you want to do to keep active. Please, keep in touch with us and if you have any information on your future retirement issues that could help people on this board, we would love to hear them.

<Salute> (Sgt Majors really should be considered officers... except you're usually wizer)

Thanks everyone for the kind words! Evinrude, I like that Birchtree and I may do exactly that, as you suggested. Someone asked if I was drawing my 90% VA yet and yes I am. It's a little tight at the moment since I haven't received my first FERS check yet but I'm getting by just fine.

On another note about the FERS disability process, we are required by law to file for Social Security disability whether we want to on not, as a part of the FERS disability retirement packet. They won't even process your atFERS paperwork until you bring back proof that you applied. Since I was still working at the time, I was obviously denied SS disability as I made too much money. The lady at the SS office told me to come back after the government had terminated my employment.

Now if I reapply and are approved for SS disability, it's not really much of a gain at all the best I remember because the FERS would be offset and greatly reduced. I will recheck and let you know the percentages and figures. If its not much of an overall gain, I probably won't apply because of the Medicare catch 22. If I am approved for SS disability, then in one year from that date, I would automatically be enrolled in Medicare thus my BCBS would no longer be primary and that really bothers me a lot. Due to court rulings, you can't OPT OUT of Medicare.

What are your thoughts and knowledge about the SS offset of FERS and the Medicare Catch 22? Am I thinking correctly about not applying?

Thanks!