How many Feds here hanging on for MRA?

[sparkytheop]

I wish State would offer a VERA, but we're constantly short of IT staff.

I hear you, @sparkytheop  about walking away, and I'm so close to the finish line that I'll keep on keeping on.  As I've said elsewhere, I value the FEHB for life more than the pension itself.  How long to go if you stay on?

I've got over a decade to MRA, but have 23 years of service.  We get VERA surveys pretty much annually at this point, so I can only hope that the trend continues for a few years and that they'd be willing to let someone in my position go (they would need to fill behind the position, eliminating another one, which means if anyone in one of those other positions wants it, they'd get it before I would.)

[tj]

I think there is a less than 5% chance that I would ride it out until MRA. That's another 19 years. Only way that would happen is if I want to retire in a VHCOL area. :D

[frugalecon]

I think there is a less than 5% chance that I would ride it out until MRA. That's another 19 years. Only way that would happen is if I want to retire in a VHCOL area. :D

If you live in Orange County, that qualifies as a VHCOL area! Are you planning on doing some geoarbitrage, @tj ?

[tj]

I think there is a less than 5% chance that I would ride it out until MRA. That's another 19 years. Only way that would happen is if I want to retire in a VHCOL area. :D

If you live in Orange County, that qualifies as a VHCOL area! Are you planning on doing some geoarbitrage, @tj ?

I do plan on moving after I hit my numbers. I'm probably a few years out depending on market. I can't afford to buy any real estate and I'd like to own something cheap in retirement. I could make it work in the California desert where my parents have one of their places, but might just head back to Arizona.

I think the higher locality pay is sufficient to live here while I need to continue to accumulate. My overall expenses aren't significantly higher than when i lived in Arizona, but i am definitely more homebody-ish here and I'm spending more on rent and less on fun.

It's really cool to live in a walkable area by the beach, but at the same time, it's too cold for me most of the year! It's late march and it was under 60 degrees today!

If I wanted to buy real estate in coastal SoCal....I don't think my income would even qualify for a mortgage.

[Monkey Uncle]

I've now been retired for 6+ years.  I'm still over a year away from MRA and my deferred pension.  Sure, I could have splurged a lot more if I had kept working, but I haven't regretted pulling the plug for a minute.

Wow, that's amazing, @Monkey Uncle , glad to hear you have no regrets and made the best decision for you & yours.  What prompted your early exit, if you don't mind sharing?

Sorry for the slow response.  I've been traveling for the last month and haven't been checking the forum.

Basically, I was fried and ready to get out.  The "do more with less" insanity just kept getting worse year after year.  I worked in public lands management, which involves trying to settle intractable disputes between multiple internal and external stakeholders, so it was just one big conflict day in and day out.  And at the end of the first year of the Trump administration, it was crystal clear that the agency was going to be pursuing policies that made me want to vomit.  I ran the numbers and it seemed pretty doable, so I saw no point in subjecting myself to another 7+ years of that crap.

[elysianfields]

I've now been retired for 6+ years.  I'm still over a year away from MRA and my deferred pension.  Sure, I could have splurged a lot more if I had kept working, but I haven't regretted pulling the plug for a minute.

Wow, that's amazing, @Monkey Uncle , glad to hear you have no regrets and made the best decision for you & yours.  What prompted your early exit, if you don't mind sharing?

Sorry for the slow response.  I've been traveling for the last month and haven't been checking the forum.

Basically, I was fried and ready to get out.  The "do more with less" insanity just kept getting worse year after year.  I worked in public lands management, which involves trying to settle intractable disputes between multiple internal and external stakeholders, so it was just one big conflict day in and day out.  And at the end of the first year of the Trump administration, it was crystal clear that the agency was going to be pursuing policies that made me want to vomit.  I ran the numbers and it seemed pretty doable, so I saw no point in subjecting myself to another 7+ years of that crap.

I certainly feel you there, my last assignment burned me out, and if TFG becomes TNG, that will make for a very… erm… interesting last dash for the finish line.  Fortunately, I haven’t had to fight such intractable battles as you.  Glad that the numbers are working for you.

[Monkey Uncle]

I've been counting down for years. lol.  I have just over 4 years left.  August 4, 2028 is my last day.  :) I've been resolute in that for years.  But to be honest, the closer it gets the more worried I get that it's not enough time.  Specifically my adult kids aren't launched yet and it's starting to feel like they never will be.  They have mental health issues.  OCD, Asperger's, ADHD, Anxiety, Depression, etc.  At 21 and 24, they take two college classes at a time and have never worked a day in their lives.  They also do nothing around the house or care for themselves in any way.  They're both in therapy, meds, etc., but I'm feeling like 4 years will come and go and they'll still be totally dependent on me.

All I want is to lie on a beach in Costa Rica.  I've never even been, but it's my number one fantasy.

Anyway, I never had a number in mind.  I always just figured I'd rather live in a studio apartment than work a day longer than I had to.  But the older my kids get, the more crowded that studio apartment is looking.

ETA:  To be clear, I adore my kids.  They are really sweet smart funny great people.  I'm just super worried about them.

As the parent of an adult child with mental health issues, I can relate to your predicament.  The unfortunate truth is that treatments for mental illnesses don't work very well for the majority of patients, and loved ones should expect a life-long struggle.  I hadn't fully reached that realization when I retired back at the beginning of 2018.  I don't know whether it would have changed my decision.  Regardless, things have worked out so far.  Not that it's been easy by any stretch of the imagination.  But our kid is currently stable and is largely supporting himself.  Feel free to PM me if you'd like to compare notes.

[DeniseNJ]

I've been counting down for years. lol.  I have just over 4 years left.  August 4, 2028 is my last day.  :) I've been resolute in that for years.  But to be honest, the closer it gets the more worried I get that it's not enough time.  Specifically my adult kids aren't launched yet and it's starting to feel like they never will be.  They have mental health issues.  OCD, Asperger's, ADHD, Anxiety, Depression, etc.  At 21 and 24, they take two college classes at a time and have never worked a day in their lives.  They also do nothing around the house or care for themselves in any way.  They're both in therapy, meds, etc., but I'm feeling like 4 years will come and go and they'll still be totally dependent on me.

All I want is to lie on a beach in Costa Rica.  I've never even been, but it's my number one fantasy.

Anyway, I never had a number in mind.  I always just figured I'd rather live in a studio apartment than work a day longer than I had to.  But the older my kids get, the more crowded that studio apartment is looking.

ETA:  To be clear, I adore my kids.  They are really sweet smart funny great people.  I'm just super worried about them.

As the parent of an adult child with mental health issues, I can relate to your predicament.  The unfortunate truth is that treatments for mental illnesses don't work very well for the majority of patients, and loved ones should expect a life-long struggle.  I hadn't fully reached that realization when I retired back at the beginning of 2018.  I don't know whether it would have changed my decision.  Regardless, things have worked out so far.  Not that it's been easy by any stretch of the imagination.  But our kid is currently stable and is largely supporting himself.  Feel free to PM me if you'd like to compare notes.

Thanks!  I appreciate your response.  It's such a shame bc my kids are both really smart but depression, anxiety, and OCD grip hard and it's nearly impossible to get anything done without being completely overwhelmed by even a short list of simple tasks.  But I tend to think they would get more done if I wasn't around to do everything for them.  We'll see what happens when I run off to Costa Rica. :)