Welcome to my retirement.

Welcome to the first official day of my retirement .

The good news is that the severance and last check came in, in a timely manner, and a small pension kicked in today. So I am feeling a lot safer, financially. Certainly for several months.

I am waiting for the retiree and COBRA medical papers to come, so that can commence.  I got the most out of my FSA, with a little room left for straggling bills.

I am still pending a sit down with my financial advisor lady, to map out a long range plan. I don’t think I am quite ready for a  permanent vacation, but I have some time I can take to rest and to plan. I have been offered free career counseling, which I will pull the trigger on, come October.  I also have possibilities of picking up some part time underwriting work from home, from friends who have gone elsewhere.

I will miss being so valued by my team.  However, my team was partly disassembled by the jobs eliminations, mine and one of my fellow RMs, and, to my shock, my now former boss. They wanted the head of  our credit/underwriting take on his duties, with no upgrades, and she also gave notice.  They will backfill and patch the team support together, and I am hoping it will go reasonably well,  but it will not be the same. So there are  blessings in the way things came down for me.

I am not entirely certain what the next year or so will look like, but I know I will come out OK.

Onward.

Loyalty as a lost quality o

So. After nearly 24 years with the same company and division, my position has been eliminated. It seems I have become a luxury. At 64, it a tough age to be looking for a new job. It’s an awkward age, really. Old to be looking for work, and young to retire. I was going to hang in other 2, 2.5 years.  I had a plan, a good one.  But my massive employer that touts itself as inclusive, caring, careful of the environment, with all its concern about the employee experience needed to cut some costs. So I, and the oldest person in the department , and all our seniority, are out.

They’ve offered a severance package, which I can accept ( and receive if I behave myself) , so, after my remaining 30 days, I can take it and go find work, and extend my medical coverage at my own expense.  So, I am likely to survive. 

It is, however, daunting to think that nearly a quarter of a century of loyalty, hard work, and being able to roll with changes, I am out. I have been evicted from my work home, so to speak. In 30 days. No time to have a wake, to mourn, little time to figure out how to land. 

They are dangling a more junior position, at less salary, a commute away, as a possible opportunity. It would mean working without interruption, and not have to go through looking for work.  

There are a lot of hoops to jump through to get to the severance, extending medical, etc, and the above might be an easy way out. And I would be good at the new position, as described.  But. I am tired. I have been waiting for my coming vacation, and need it.  It sounds really good to rest for a couple of months and then figure it out. If only I could have waited 2 more years.  Make plans and God laughs. 

I would like peace of mind. Taking less pay with no severance isn’t all that appealing. And who knows when they would cut jobs again.  

In any case, I will get good advice and figure it out. I just really didn’t want things to change so abruptly.  I was in need of a rest, but thought it would be when I was ready. 

Ah well, the best plans of meeces and men.