The Retirement Thread

[Chief Broom]

Morning folks its chilly this morning and a northerly for the next week
Ive noticed some fencing going up by loch Brora which is going to block access for visitors and locals alike. I can understand farmers being defensive as there have been a lot of 'dirty' campers and selfish moho owners who not being satisfied with parking up in designated places drive over farm land to get right next to the water. Where i once walked my dog and scattered his ashes is now behind a 6ft fence.....

 

[PaulSB]

Good day. Bright, sunny and breezy in Lancashire. For the first time in several weeks I've slept badly. Fingers crossed 🤞 it's a one off.

Main event today is the Brindle Cuckoo walk. So named because Brindle, a local village, organises these local annual walks in late April when there's the chance of hearing cuckoos. There are 3, 6, 9 and 12 mile routes. It's very much a family community thing. All walks are guided. Sometimes they come through our village. We're doing the six miler.

Two local sponsors, the Cavendish Arms who provide hotpot and Brindle Distillery who make the Cuckoo gins I wax lyrical about.

I shall be using my new lightweight boots for the first time.

 

[welsh dragon]

Morning. Dull and overcast here as well. Looks like we could be in for some rain as well at some point.

I have 3 Grantchester episodes recorded, so I might indulge and watch them

Stay safe peeps

 

[rogerzilla]

I did my state pension forecast, assuming that I'd have missed years and wouldn't get much.

Wrong.

I'll fully qualify by age 55 (ok, I don't actually get it until 67) because it turns out the part-time shop work I did, including during university holidays, counts. I've only missed one year from age 16, I suppose because I didn't quite make the minimum.

 

[Dirk]

Morning all

Little bit cloudy and breezy here on Norfolk Broads, but looks like it's brightening up.

If I quoted some of the black humour we used at work I would be shot at dawn!

Same here. My line manager actually WhatsApp'd this Ricky Gervais joke to our office.
Serious warning: Not for the easily offended.

View: https://youtu.be/2QOIRuc6sZU

 

[Deleted member 1258]

From my Facebook page this morning, Lol.

A man once told his son that if he wanted to live a long life the secret was to sprinkle a little gunpowder on his cornflakes every morning:
The son did this religiously every morning, and lived to be 93.
When he died, he left 6 children, 11 grandchildren, 27 great-grandchildren and a 15-foot hole in the wall of the crematorium!.

 

[PaulSB]

I did my state pension forecast, assuming that I'd have missed years and wouldn't get much.

Wrong.

I'll fully qualify by age 55 (ok, I don't actually get it until 67) because it turns out the part-time shop work I did, including during university holidays, counts. I've only missed one year from age 16, I suppose because I didn't quite make the minimum.

You might want to double check this. My wife retired aged 60 and will get her State Pension at age 66. Currently her forecast shows she is missing six qualifying years for the full SP. This is because she has made no contributions for the years following her retirement. Her payment record shows she is fully paid up by number of years.

As I understand it the rule is that you must have been making contributions up to the date you reach SP age. In my opinion if you stopped working at age 55 by the time you reach 67 you will be 12 years short of contributions. Currently it's around £800 to buy each additional year.

As I say check it but this is our direct experience this year.

 

[Dirk]

MrsD had her first State Pension payment yesterday.

 

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Yes i think you are right @PaulSB
When my wife conversed with the pension people asking why her state pension forecast fell short of the full pension she was told because she had worked for the NHS who had opted out.
She has being making up the years by paying av's but her final state pension forecast for next year when she will start receiving her pension still falls a bit short.

 

[Mo1959]

What a cracking morning here. Cool but and perfect for my early walk. Ended up doing 8 miles and really enjoyed it. That chilly wind is picking up again today though. I still haven't heard a Cuckoo yet but did see bluebells and my first Swallows.

 

[PaulSB]

Yes i think you are right @PaulSB
When my wife conversed with the pension people asking why her state pension forecast fell short of the full pension she was told because she had worked for the NHS who had opted out.
She has being making up the years by paying av's but her final state pension forecast for next year when she will start receiving her pension still falls a bit short.

I'm not entirely sure about the opting out bit. My wife also worked for the NHS and was automatically opted out from SERPS etc as the NHS pension is better. It shouldn't impact the standard SP.

At a guess what your wife is seeing could be a quirk of the system linked to the tax and contribution year. Mrs P will be making AVs in the near future which will give her the full SP.

 

[pawl]

a dull grey and windy morning, according to the carer its cold as well, bimble postponed, I'll look at next weeks weather and pick a day.

Last time I looked Monday looks promising.That’s the BBC website so it could possible be snowing

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I did my state pension forecast, assuming that I'd have missed years and wouldn't get much.

Wrong.

I'll fully qualify by age 55 (ok, I don't actually get it until 67) because it turns out the part-time shop work I did, including during university holidays, counts. I've only missed one year from age 16, I suppose because I didn't quite make the minimum.

Be careful of that
I fully qualified when I checked some years ago - so when I retired I just assumed I would be OK

Turns out that I am not - down quite a bit even though I worked - and paid - for over 40 years
I had to sedn them a few thousand to make up some of the difference but it will increase again until I reach 66

but I can, apparently, leave it until the last year or so and then pay anotehr lump sum - or pay a bit a month until then. However, no matter what I do I will end up short by a bit
Some of the message they give are seem very misleading to me!

 

[pawl]

From my Facebook page this morning, Lol.

A man once told his son that if he wanted to live a long life the secret was to sprinkle a little gunpowder on his cornflakes every morning:
The son did this religiously every morning, and lived to be 93.
When he died, he left 6 children, 11 grandchildren, 27 great-grandchildren and a 15-foot hole in the wall of the crematorium!.

I like that.Nearly choked on my Weetabix

 

[welsh dragon]

MrsD had her first State Pension payment yesterday.

Well done. I started to get mine this month as well. I am short due to being a stay at home mum to start with, then working part time for 6 years and as I wasn't earning a certain amount per week my national insurance contributions didn't count. Luckily I have small private pension so I get more than the full weekly stats pension. Thank God.