The Last Week

[Gangster Octopus]

This is my last full week of work. From July I'll be working four days a week, and from October three days a week. A gradual retirement...

[elguapo4]

My brother's going the first week of September, he's currently a mixture of nervousness and anticipation.

[WOM]

Congrats, GO. That sounds like a lovely way to ease out of and into.

[ursus arctos]

It does strike me as very wise on everyone's part.

[Amor de Cosmos]

Welcome to your second childhood GO.

[Uncle Ethan]

I'm doing three four and one three day week a month as a way to take my long service leave. It's great but my goodness it'll be hard to go back to five days a week again (and I actually like my job!). Forgot to add, all the best with it GO.

[Sean of the Shed]

All the best GO. Enjoy your retirement, even if you are dipping into it like it's an ice bath.

[Sits]

Nice one GO. Just turned 58 and a few years mortgage left for us.

[beak]

I've been on a four-day week for the last couple of years, and the effect it has on my general wellbeing far exceeds what I'd get out of the extra day's pay. Good on yer!

[Capybara]

I'm doing three four and one three day week a month as a way to take my long service leave. It's great but my goodness it'll be hard to go back to five days a week again (and I actually like my job!). Forgot to add, all the best with it GO.

I hadn't realised that long service leave was still a thing. We had it where I worked but it was withdrawn about ten years ago. I guess that with working patterns in the UK being what they are, people are very unlikely to be with the same employer for long enough to earn it, even if it was on offer.

Anyway, all the very best GO.

[colchestersid]

I went down to half days a couple of years ago and fully retired start of last month at age 55. Partly health related (Parkinson's) but mortgage finished and didn't want to waste whatever years of good health I have left doing a job I (1) didn't enjoy and (2) wasn't very good at anyway..

[nmrfox]

Great news GO - pleased for you (and envious too).

[diggedy derek]

That's tremendous news GO. Congrats. A year from now, how many days a week do you think you might be working?

[Nurse Duckett]

This is also my last week, in a way.

After 6 years of a high pressure management role for which I only put myself forward as I didn't want to work for any of the other candidates, and which I only expected to be an interim 6-month post-acquisition post, I step down on Friday, and retire 2 months later.

I gave my manager 14 months notice, in effect. As a result of my leaving, he's announcing (unnecessarily) far-reaching changes on Wednesday about which some people aren't going to be pleased. I feel slightly bad for my successor, but I wasn't consulted on any of this. I am just the catalyst that sparked the revolution.

[DCI Harry Batt]

Gratz, GO.

I've been thinking about shifting to four days.

[Gangster Octopus]

That's tremendous news GO. Congrats. A year from now, how many days a week do you think you might be working?

Zero is the plan...

[WOM]

At what age can you collect the state pension?

[Balderdasha]

At what age can you collect the state pension?

Currently 66 for both men and women.

[Balderdasha]

But it will be increasing. So by 2028 it will be 67. So essentially depends on when you were born.

[DCI Harry Batt]

There's a timetable, depending on when you were born, because they've been pushing up the state pension age so it will be 68 for those born after 6 April 1978 (and maybe earlier than that, I think there's a consultation on speeding it up underway at the moment). Mine will be at 67.

[Balderdasha]

Currently, my own state pension age is predicted to be 68, but this could change.

[ursus arctos]

In the US, one has some discretion as to when one can begin drawing Social Security (the closest equivalent), with the amount paid each month increasing with age.

The earliest one can draw is age 62 and the latest age 70.

[Nocturnal Submission]

I've been tidying up a few financial matters of late, such as paying off the last few years of my mortgage, (a tracker product so interest rates are rising along with the base rate) and sorting out my National Insurance contributions. As regards the latter, I discovered that I was two full years short of reaching the level that would enable me to receive the maximum state pension, but the advice was that I only really needed to pay off one of them as, slightly strangely, the second would only give me an extra £1 or so per week, so I'd have to live 16 years after retirement to actually be in credit!

[WOM]

They escalated ours to 62 - 72 under Harper (you take a hit for taking it early and get a premium for taking it late), but then Trudeau rolled it back to 60-70.

The hit / premium is significant. I think you lose 35% for taking it at 60 and gain 42% for taking it at 70. Or t'other way around....I'll look it up.

[Yup....those are correct.]

[WOM]

I've been tidying up a few financial matters of late, such as paying off the last few years of my mortgage

Ooo...congrats.