15 Ways to Tell if You Are Ready to Retire

June 21, 2010 RSS Feed Print
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Take a practice retirement. One way to tell if you will enjoy retirement is to test it out by taking an extended vacation or leave of absence from your job. "Very often, people who are used to working really hard are just lost when they don't have some place to go," says Ward. "Their value in their own mind is being part of the workforce and going in and solving problems for people every day." Find out if you will enjoy hours of free time and lingering lunches or if you'll crave work to structure your days. "We encourage people to take a leave as an alternative to retirement as a chance to sample it," says Ward. "Consider what you want to do next and what you are going to give up."

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retirement

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Hello, wel I am lost, since 69 I have worked for the govt. either as a srevice member or civ. Now at age 63 they want me to leave. I will receive about $2K monthly. Problem is I don't want to start my social security till 66 in 2015. Am I ok or must I find work. My wife and I are in Germany and I have been told that I must pay taxes to German on my social security (19.8%) plus my US taxes. Help!!

Oldleather 3:26PM January 29, 2012

Well Joe, if you have spent every stinking every cent you've made, it is your fault and no one else's, that you are going to have to live on just social security. Man up and accept responsibility for your life long screwup. Repubs are blaming government workers for fiscal problems, since they are the last democrat stronghold. They are trying to bust government unions. The repubs are desperately trying to reduce taxes for the rich. They want to reduce services and social security for the middle class, to pay for these tax reductions. So, they make up stories about government workers, to convince blue collar workers to vote for them, but they only care for the rich dudes that fund their re-election. Government workers accept a pay that is 2/3 that of industry, since they have an a decent retirement.

BobK of IL 1:17PM January 26, 2012

If you can't get a job, why not work for your self?

Chris of AZ 9:47AM September 08, 2010

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