Since millions now living will sometime retire.....

by YoursChelbie 21 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  YoursChelbie

  If you bought into the lie that "millions now living will never die," has the

  realization that you will very likely reach retirement age, settled in your mind just yet?

  For instance, I never looked to see if there was a 401K plan when I was in the JW cult.

  Why save money when Paradise will give everybody all they need and no one will

  ever get old or get sick?

  At my job, we have open enrollment next month so that means we can select

  the percentage of our paycheck that goes into our 401K, as well as select health

  coverage for our dependents.

  Are you well on your way in preparing for your golden years? Financially and emotionally?

  By emotionally, I mean do you have a significat other or grown children who will

  keep you company and look after you as you get older?

  These are the things I ponder about --sometimes-- because when I was

  in the JW brainwashed mind-set, I never gave these things a second thought.
• 

  teel

  It does give me things to think about, thank you. I'm in my 30s and out, but I still sort of live like I'll never get old. It's not just cult mindset, it's something youg people (alas I'm starting to grow out of that period) never think about.
• 

  Broken Promises

  Thankfully when I was 20 (and a full-on JW) I worked for a government agency and we had employer-paid superannuation (Australian 401K), and I have a small amount set aside for my retirement. It is in no way enough to live on for more than a year, but it’s better than nothing.

  But thanks to the belief that Armageddon was “just around the corner”, I didn’t see the need to put down a deposit for a house and got caught in the rental trap and am now in the position where I’ll never have enough money to buy a house.

  But then, I don’t have any kids to pass anything on to, so who cares?
• 

  cameo-d

  You really do not need worry about it after all. *God's Soverign Army* has already set up Retirement Farms for those of you who qualify. Talk about being put out to pasture....
• 

  Heartofaboy

  Thankfully in 1976 I started paying a mortgage on my first home despite disapproval from a major part of the congregation because I was leaving home without being married & was not putting God's Kingdom first by pioneering. Oh yes, the Borg even tried to interfere with that by saying the only reason a young person would leave home would be to get married...............this was a talk given at a circuit assembly around that time.

  Ignoring the Borg & buying my own home was one of the best things I've done, but as I said I IGNORED the WBTS.

  A JW couple that's the same age as me (late 50's) have made no provision pension-wise because of the rubbish they were told by the WBTS & are starting to realise the predicament they are in.

  You see to have sought any form of material security for your advanced years showed a lack of faith in what the WBTS was foretelling would be the future & was something others would be encouraged to view as a sign of being spiritually weak.
• 

  Heartofaboy

  Good grief, the WATCHTOWER have really messed up haven't they?

  The demographic time lag between what they told us would be our future & what is actually happening to us is starting to impact financially & emotionally.

  How does one cope with the empty feeling of such disappointment?
• 

  blondie

  I come from a long line of government workers so we all had good retirement programs at work, contributed to by our employer. I have found a person doesn't need to be a jw not to take retirement seriously. Younger people don't see their getting older and spend their money now, not saving for their older self's future. There is social security that provides some income; this program was developed in the US to force people to save after the fiasco of the depression in the 30's. So I don't see that it is a given that we had not been jws we would have saved money for our future. It is never too late to save or plan for your future. I am close to retirement and am glad that my government retirement supplemented by social security and my savings will allow me to have a simple life. When I left the WTS 10 years ago, I also started supplementing that. I know jws that we asked to leave Bethel that had to work 10 years minimum to qualify for social security, and they were in their 60's. So don't give up, read up on retirement information and realize that you can still provide.

  http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/RetirementandWills/PlayingCatchUp/PlayingCatchUp.aspx

  http://www.passionsaving.com/late-start-retirement-plan.html

  http://financialplan.about.com/od/retirementplanning/a/LateStartRetire.htm
• 

  Heartofaboy

  To be encouraged by governmental authorities to save for your future retirement & as an individual foolishly decide to ignore the advice is one thing.

  To be DISCOURAGED by the 'God given authority of the Governing Body Of JW's' to save for your future retirement & as an individual suffer the weight of disapproval by people who consider themselves more spiritually mature should you decide to plan for your future is another.
• 

  xcellxior

  Started my pension at 25. Obligatory in the company I work for otherwise I wouldn't have, since that time I am no longer associating with JWs. Glad I have a pension hopefully by the time I retire compound interest and equities will have done their job!!
• 

  blondie

  heartofaboy, after 45 adult years as a jw, I can tell you than many more jws did save for retirement, including my parents, aunts and uncles, and cousins. And they are glad they did. I only hear about one or two that had the money who chose to not save because of what the WTS said. jws are not the most obedient lot in my experience. They are always finding ways around the WTS directives that are not df'ing ones (and sometimes even around those). They only worry about what some humans might think, not God who sees all (per their beliefs).