Who else hasn't got a pension plan?!!!!!!! (page 2)

Country_Woman

I have non.

Here in the Netherlands there is a basic AOW (common age law) which permit you to survive....... for all inhabitants. No luxury allowed, but you can pay the rent and food from it.

To be able to live on the same level as you are used to, you must be having arrangements for pension, however, each time you change your job, you are loosing a lot of the pension you've build up.

I've have changed jobs very often, and a lots of those jobs did'nt either have pension plans, so no pension for me, now I have to use my savings .......

Gill

I often think, and this is not knocking the good advice I have just received, that we wouldn't be in a financial fix that we're in now if we hadn't both been born and bred into the JW's though.

My husband was able to get into an apprenticeship when he left school and took all the knocks, including the abuse from his mother and father, that he was materialistic and 'of the world' because he didn't want to pioneer straight from school and I admire him for that.

Myself, I know that when I was young,,,a long time a ago, I had an excellent brain, and I'm not being a big head here, and should have continued my education but I could not bear my parents constant going on about how ashamed they were that I was doing my 'A' levels and quoting aparantly anti education scriptures and after my exams I left school and we married as fast as possible and before you knew it, it was baby bonanza time!

I have young children now and so going back to education is not going to be easy. For instance last week I had three of my children at home with tonsilitis and they were very poorly. Over the winter they can be at home for what seem like FOREVER!

Having said that I wouldn't be without any of them now that they're here, little devils!

We blame ourselves for allowing our brainwashing to continue. We should have know better and should not have been afraid of losing friends and relatives because in the end we are both happier. In saying that I'm not trying to say that money solves all your problems but it just makes life a little easier. We were stupid but when you're brought up in the truth, especially when both of you are brought up in the truth there really doesn't seem to be anything else out there.

I've just started my own business selling antiques over the internet and that seems to be going well but sometimes I hanker over what I could have been. I had a vocation to be a doctor all my life and now it will never be. I think I would have been a bloody good one too!

So, that's why I'm bloody angry with the JW's. But without them I wouldn't have had the best husband and children in the world.

Guess you can't have everything. But it would have been nice to have my cake and eat it.

LittleToe

I haven't, and until I get free of debt associated from separating from my wife, I won't be doing for a wee while.
Meanwhile I enjoy a little travel, whilst I can enjoy to do so.

Freedom Fighter

Gill wrote:

We blame ourselves for allowing our brainwashing to continue. We should have know better and should not have been afraid of losing friends and relatives because in the end we are both happier.

Hi Gill - one thing you shouldn't do is blame yourself. As everyone knows on here, the power of the cult lies in it's ability to seduce and psychologically manipulate. This is especially true of the JWs as they play on our most precious emotional bonds - i.e. family and friends. You and your husband did what you thought was right at the time, and let's face it, in terms of spiritual rewards the JW paradise earth combo is a helluva big carrot to wave in front of anyone. You weren't at the stage where questioning and reflection began, and some poor folks will never reach this stage.

Back to topic - I am lucky to have a final salary scheme with my current employer. It's a government type scheme so in theory it should be safe *crosses fingers*. I hoping that I will be able to have unlimited blue rinses, new hips on demand, 16 Valve stairlift and a few Saga holidays before I finally kack me clogs!

FF - feeling some twinges already.....

Coqueton

You all should start now or end up working at McDonalds with all the other pioneers when you are 70 and sickly. (For those in the USA) Current law allows you to divert 25% of pretax earnings into a 401k up to a maximum of $13,000. Do this now. Don't be lame. Yuo know you spend money on dumb stuff, yes you! Let up on the Starbucks and fast food. Ditch the hokey medicine and beer one day a week. If your emloyer matches, then you get more. Start off small, lets say $100 a week. Now pretax you may only really see a reduction of $75 or $80 a week. Maybe cut out magazine subscriptions, make the wife get a job. Pack a lunch to work. Also you can do a Roth IRA up to $3,000 with post tax dollars and withdraw the earnings after retirement tax free. Remember OJ? He had millions in retirement and never lost it when he lost the lawsuit. I've had clients file Bankruptcy and keep retirement accounts. They are a safe vehicle to preserve wealth to support you when you are older and not as able as today. Laws very state by state. A qualified plan will help preserve things, you never know, you could inadvertantly hit a bus full of rabbi lawyers. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER cash out or borrow against retirement plan money. If they say do it for medicine or an operation or you will die, say ok, I'll die. I've seen hundreds do this and never pay it back and they never improved their position. There are annual limits on contributions and after you cash out, there is no going back, even if you won a small chunk in the lottery. If you want to be comfortable when you are older and less able, follow my advice or better yet, don't trust me, some random Zapatista rebel on the internet but go run my info by your trusted advisor (CPA or legal counsel). If you don't follow my advie, its ok, you will lose unless a relative dies and gives you money. I've seen tyhis happen alot. Don't make excuses, its your life. Social Security may go bankrupt soon. Only viable options that have been discussed are raising taxes to cover it and that would be a huge hike, very unpopular. Do it now and rep the benefits later. It may be tough but at least you have earning power and health on your side now. It may not be easy but it will be a heck of a lot easier than having to choose that trailer in backwoods Arkansas to be able to live when you are 65 an working selling moonshine. As far as investments go, my advice is to diversify. Don't place all your eggs in one basket. some ideas could be a combination of stocks, bonds, mutual funds, etc. Your age and risk tolerance are big factors on your investment choices. enjoy