JWs and Retirement

Valis

If someone has already posted this thread recently please redirect to original thread. Metatron's observation about living in a fantasy land made me consider how many JWs that still believe are just now scrambling to arrange some kind of retirement fund for themselves, or securing life insurance, or paying up serious debts. I was curious to know if my lovely friends have simmilar experiences like mine, where the future was never an issue and that generation of JWs will have to work almost their entire lives. Is it my immagination, or does the same concept of fantasy apply to JWs in regards to the finances of a household? Thanks for comments.

Sincerely,

District Overbeer

Amazing

Hi Valis: Prior to 1975, especially between 1971 and early 1975, many, if not most, JWs did not see the need to build for retirement, or even have more than a modest savings ... perhaps a few thousand dollars at most. They put off fixing homes, and even health needs.

After 1975 the Society started publishing articles about the need to spend money to fix up the home with needed repairs, buying good health coverage, and even investing in the stock market for the future, retirement, etc. of couse they started urging giving one's estate to the Society in the event of death.

The Society itself commenced the quick-build Kingdom Halls, getting better insurance for COs and DOs, and upgrading existing Kingdom Halls, so they could not tell JWs not to do this too ... they even relaxed the standards on congregation savings to permit placing reserves for remodeling and maintenance into interest bearing accounts.

Soooo ... like many JWs, because I had a good job with 401K and other similar benefits, this transition was easy to make and I never gave it a second thought. I figured if Armageddon came sooner, it would not matter what I had saved, and if it came later, I would be prepared.

larc

I don't think it is just a JW problem. People in general don't prepare well for retirement. That is what the stats show. I do think being a Witness compounds the problem of living for today and giving little thought for the future. My own JW sister and her husband are woefully unprepared for retirement. Her husband hates his job, but he will have to stay at it until he keels over. The two them decided to spend extra money on cruises rather than retirement. Why they didn't wait for the new world to take those cruises, I'll never know.

Marilyn

My siblings are products of the pre 1975 attitude to education. My two brothers gave up their educations when the Troof found us in the early 70's.

My older brother(an elder) is 55 and he's had menial jobs all his life. In recent years he got some part time teaching work coz he had some teaching qualifications prior to the Troof. Can you believe he is now taking the extra subjects required to bring his teaching qualifications up to date. The retirement age for teachers is 65. He has no savings to speak of and he rents his accommodation. Ten years on a teachers salary does not a retirement package make.
The Australian Government supplies a modest pension for people who have no money.

My next brother, aged 51 (an elder), went back to university about 10 yrs ago. He became qualified as a teacher. He only works as a casual teacher which doesn't provide much in the way of retirement benefits. He has some how managed to more or less own his own home - so if nothing else he'll have a roof over his head and I guess the government will supply him with a meager pension because it is means tested and he will have no means.

My sister is married to an elder who cleans windows. He is better at spending money than saving it. His window cleaning business has allowed him to borrow heavily on his house and I cannot invisage a time that they will ever pay off their house let alone save for retirement. They will also be entitled to a Government pension.

Prior to the Troof we came from the middle socio-economic group. My parents were hard working and good savers. My husband and I are comfortably off because when my husband wanted to give up his university studies in 1971, his non dub mother literally begged him not to leave university.

I feel the WTS has a great deal to answer on the subject of poverty in the Organisation.

BeautifulGarbage

I know that my Aunt, a JW, who worked on and off for years while raising 7 children took early retirement from her last job. I guess she figured that the new system would be here by now. Those benefits have now been reduced so she finds herself going back to work, partime, at 66.

Constrast her two younger, long XJW, sisters. After investing and saving for years, one just retired comfortably at 54. The other sister, my Mother, will be retiring with savings and benefits in a few years at 62.

Andee