For the Older Techies: What to Do After Retirement?

Iron_Peddler asks: "With over thirty one years doing open disk and system bypass surgery, I'm a been there, done that, kind of guy. Early retirement is seven years away and full is at sixty six. I needed to know what my option were, so I began looking around, I found many financial sites. One that is interesting is the Journal of Finance, where they had an article about early retirement. I'm interested in knowing what options other gray haired technology early adaptors would like to pursue at this time. I'm thinking of teaching part-time at a local community college. That seems so rewarding and can provide a few buks for toys."

Yes, teach

[unitron]

Community colleges can definitely use people who actually know what they're talking about, especially with regard to hardware.

Re:Retiring?

[unitron]

"I'd especially like to be a mentor to young women of secondary school age..."

If a man had said that, no matter how innocent his motives, the cops would be breaking down his door and hauling him and all his hardware away in a quinstant.

Move to Florida

[sharkey]

Hike your pants up to your armpits, buy an old portholed Buick, move to Florida to run out the clock, drink Muselix and complain about the gov'ment full-time.

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Re:Retiring?

[harlan]

i didnt realize that it was a female posting that message, and i was like ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Code

[green pizza]

Write (and GPL!) the apps you've always wanted. I wish I was retired...

I look forward to

[ReidMaynard]

1. Long naps
2. Slow strolls down nude beaches

My dad did this recently...

[duffbeer703]

Although he wasn't a techie, my dad just retired from his job and is really enjoying himself.

He teaches english at a local community college, which he really enjoys (finally put that masters to use!) and does alot of odd things (farming, substitute teaching) to keep busy when my mom is working.

As a bonus, the teaching continues to continue contributing to his pension!

You need to find something that you enjoy and just do it. Whether you restore a car or start building stuff in a woodshop or whatever, enjoy! You worked all your life, now work to have fun!

Not there yet but already planning

[Quietti]

After too many recent interviews with some of the few remaining, beleive-your-own-hype cash-burning dot-coms, and already being in my thirties, I have started asking myself how I intend on spending the rest of my working life and whether chasing the dot-cash-and-carry dream is worth it. Do I really feel like burning myself up before hitting forthy and becoming a lifeless corporate drone until retirement comes of age?

As a fresh example, two days ago, I interviewed with a Paris-based network auditing startup that flew me business-class just to meet me face-to-face, but whose managers could not answer basic questions about their company's business strategy nor about the salary and benefits package they intend on offering me if I accept the job.

That one was the last stroll for me.

Meanwhile, a reputable university is offering me the leading role in their new Multilingual e-Communication Entrepreneurship curriculum. Being a publicly-funded college, the paycheck they offer is not amazing but the benefits package and permanent nature of the position more than make up for it. Heck, they're even offering me to add a couple of degrees to my CV while working for them! Part business, part Internet publishing, part international cooperation, part plurilinguistic communications... a very good combination for an ex dot-burned looking for something mellower where the sum of his multidisciplinary experience will be appreciated and passed on to the next generation of the workforce. I know I'm gonna enjoy it.

Retiring?

[annielaurie]

I guess I also qualify as an early adopter. I have seventeen years til that magic age.

I'm doing something about it right now. I've started, and am nurturing, a small web design and development business on the side. It's beginning to thrive. Two years from now, when the last kid gets out of college and the financial burden isn't so great, I'm going to ease into that full time and jump off my current treadmill, which involves consulting on assorted network-related issues.

I honestly can't perceive of myself ever tiring of computers and their technology. The difference as I see it will be I'll be working for myself, and for pure love of the game.

I also think teaching is a dandy idea. I'd especially like to be a mentor to young women of secondary school age, perhaps to help them see that a life of techology doesn't condemn them to a life of boredom.

Have a great time. I'll be joining you in seventeen years!

Annie

Re:My dad did this recently...

[Pogue Mahone]

My father (also not a techie, and been "retired" for a few years) recently took a "Computers for Retired Dummies" course at the local technical college. Usual stuff - MS-Word basics, internet access etc. Then he discovered that the college was running similar courses for the visually handicapped and needed a volunteer teaching assistant, so he took the post. We all joke about "the blind leading the blind", but he gets his bandwidth free and doesn't need to maintain a PC at home.

You need to find something that you enjoy and just do it.

Interesting observation: computer programming is one of the few jobs where you are priveleged to get paid for doing your hobby. But maybe a change would be refreshing.

You worked all your life, now work to have fun!

Couldn't agree more. That's exactly what I intend to do, although it's a few years away yet - too early to make any decisions anyway. But woodwork is appealing.

Anyway, whatever you do, have fun.

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Taking SSA Early Retirement vs Regular

[Iron_Peddler]

It appears that taking the early retirement option at 62 is better than 66. It would take an extra dozen years to catch up. Another thing, how much could you earn and how much would your SSA payments be taxed?

Stop working and travel!

[HardwareLust]

That's what my S.O. and I are doing. We're going to liquidate everything (cars, furniture, toys, everything except our long-term investments), trade the house for a small condo (to use as a home base), and head off to actually see the world. Starting with Paris in the springtime, naturally. We're going to go *everywhere* that we've ever wanted to go, but couldn't because of Time, Job, Etc.