nasa1974's retirement story

[nasa1974]

Buster, Kaufmanrider, Thanks. I think the biggest reason I am looking at rolling over to an IRA is that I don't have to watch the market on a day to day basis. Also if I have a little money left over I can toss it into the IRA were I wouldn't have that option in TSP. Being CSRS I don't look at my TSP as being a requirement of my retirement package. So I can be a little more agressive if I want to. I hope to keep my information as current as possible to allow others to make choices.

 

[nasa1974]

Got a phone call yesterday from my HR person. Real nice lady. Anyway, she says that my retirement papers arrived and everything looked good, buuuuttttt! It's like, Oh! Great! where did I screw up or what did I forget to mail. Nothing so dramatic. She tells me that OPM has just changed Form SF2818, Continuation of Life Insurance Coverage (FEGLI). The new form only requires one signature instead of the four signatures on the old form. Of course NSSC can't use the old form that I just sent them and I have to download the new form, fill it out, print it and mail it to them as soon as possible. Let the games begin.


41 calendar days.

 

[Steel_Magnolia]

... I think the biggest reason I am looking at rolling over to an IRA is that I don't have to watch the market on a day to day basis. Also if I have a little money left over I can toss it into the IRA were I wouldn't have that option in TSP. Being CSRS I don't look at my TSP as being a requirement of my retirement package. So I can be a little more agressive if I want to....

I just saw that you're pulling the pin. Congrats! The worst retired day you have will be as good as your best day working. [wink]

I pulled my TSP $ out and put it into an IRA. I really miss having the option of the G Fund but being able to use stops and all the other advantages are great! The only time I regretted the choice was when I figured out my taxes. Yuck.

Good luck and I hope your paperwork goes through speedily!

 

[nasa1974]

I just saw that you're pulling the pin. Congrats! The worst retired day you have will be as good as your best day working. [wink]

I pulled my TSP $ out and put it into an IRA. I really miss having the option of the G Fund but being able to use stops and all the other advantages are great! The only time I regretted the choice was when I figured out my taxes. Yuck.

Good luck and I hope your paperwork goes through speedily!

Thanks Ann.

 

[Birchtree]

At this point in the economic cycle you can't go wrong buying dividend paying banks - they are purrfect for a Roth IRA. Review my thread #13643 for a step ahead. Make out your list and then buy them on a dollar cost averaging basis and with dividends on reinvestment you can walk away and rest assured that there will be growth.

 

[nasa1974]

At this point in the economic cycle you can't go wrong buying dividend paying banks - they are purrfect for a Roth IRA. Review my thread #13643 for a step ahead. Make out your list and then buy them on a dollar cost averaging basis and with dividends on reinvestment you can walk away and rest assured that there will be growth.

Thanks Birch. May look into getting some individual stocks as well. Sure wish I would have bought 1,000 shares of Apple in the 90's.

 

[nasa1974]

Just got an E-mail from one of the HR Specialists here at Glenn.

Hi Martin-

The NSSC notified me that you will be retiring effective 5/3/12. Attached is the Employee Separation Clearance Form, NASA C-432a, for you to obtain clearance from the applicable offices listed on the form.

This should be fun. Possible 19 signatures needed from Financial, Property, Legal and Security.

 

[Kaufmanrider]

Just got an E-mail from one of the HR Specialists here at Glenn.

Hi Martin-

The NSSC notified me that you will be retiring effective 5/3/12. Attached is the Employee Separation Clearance Form, NASA C-432a, for you to obtain clearance from the applicable offices listed on the form.

This should be fun. Possible 19 signatures needed from Financial, Property, Legal and Security.

And if someone doesn't sign

 

[nasa1974]

And if someone doesn't sign

I'm not aware of someone not getting a signature. Basically they are checking to make sure you have turned in your keys, you got your legal briefing, you don't have a Library book still out there some where. Actually I have three books still checked out that I can't find. So I have to write a memo saying I can't find them and have my supervisor sign it. Hope there isn't a fine, 2 of them were signed out in 1976. If you still have some government equipment signed out in your name it has to be turned in, etc.

 

[nnuut]

Just got an E-mail from one of the HR Specialists here at Glenn.

Hi Martin-

The NSSC notified me that you will be retiring effective 5/3/12. Attached is the Employee Separation Clearance Form, NASA C-432a, for you to obtain clearance from the applicable offices listed on the form.

This should be fun. Possible 19 signatures needed from Financial, Property, Legal and Security.

That was a Royal Pain!

 

[Steel_Magnolia]

.... Sure wish I would have bought 1,000 shares of Apple in the 90's.

Yeah, you and me and the rest of the world. [wink] But I've held AAPL since I got my IRA and it's treated me very well on average. I was a little nervous when Steve Jobs left the helm but it seems to just keep on chugging.

 

[nasa1974]

Well this week I have to work on my Employee Separation Clearance Form, get more information on what I can do with my TSP account over the next couple of months and continue deleting items from my computer. I read an article on Social Security this morning and I am going to have to educate myself a little more on that subject. At least I have two years to work at it.

 

[not_too_shabby]

I'm always reading how it's best to retire around the end of the year or the beginning of the next. Did you consider the pros and cons of this?

 

[nasa1974]

I'm always reading how it's best to retire around the end of the year or the beginning of the next. Did you consider the pros and cons of this?

Looking at retiring at the end of 2012, actually the 1st, 2nd or 3rd of January 2013 (I'm CSRS) wasn't an option. October 21, 2012 would have given me 42 years government service without using my sick leave. I just felt it would complicate things if I retired at the beginning of January 2013. My understanding is that once you reach 42 years you stop paying into your retirement and that money actually goes into a special account.
The advantage of retiring at the end of the year is that you can save up all your annual leave and receive a lump sum for it. An example for me is that I can maintain 240 hours of AL on the books and if I add the 208 hours for 2012 I could have received a lump sum payment for 648 hours of AL. For me waiting until the end of the year just wasn't appealing.
Also retiring at the end of the year, say 2012 as an example you receive another full year of pay. Then if you have all that AL saved up you could increase your overall income for 2013 and you might have to pay more taxes.
Again for me it wasn't an option but that doesn't say it is a bad idea for someone else.

 

[nasa1974]

Well, I got most of the signatures I need on my "Employee Seperation Clearance Form". All I have left are Medical Services and Security. I have an appointment next week with Medical Services to go over my records, the jacket is about 4' think. Security will be my last day or two to turn in my badge and keys.

 

[nnuut]

Well, I got most of the signatures I need on my "Employee Seperation Clearance Form". All I have left are Medical Services and Security. I have an appointment next week with Medical Services to go over my records, the jacket is about 4' think. Security will be my last day or two to turn in my badge and keys.

WOW! Yer gettin' really SHORT!

 

[nasa1974]

I got this E-mail the other day.

Hello MARTIN,
You are invited to complete the NASA Exit Survey. Information you provide through this survey will help the Agency learn more about what it does well and what areas can be improved upon for the next generation.


I thought these two questions were interesting. Depending on how you answered the first question then sent you to the next.


1. We've found that people leave organizations for different reasons. Please select from the list below the factor(s) that contributed to your reason to leave your current position. (Choose all that apply)
{Choose all that apply}
( ) A. Nature of work
( ) B. Management
( ) C. Career advancement/development
( ) D. Compensation/Benefits/Performance Recognition
( ) E. NASA's culture/environment
( ) F. Personal reasons
( ) G. Work/life balance
( ) H. Career change
(*) I. Retirement
( ) J. Other (BRAC, buyout, etc. Please specify) [ ]


Interesting choices don't you think? I'm leaving my position because of "Performance Recognition" , REALLY!!!


1.I.1. Please select your type of retirement. (Choose one)
{Choose one}
( ) Retirement/Optional (RIF Period)
( ) Retirement/Discontinued Service (RIF Period)
( ) Retirement Disability
( ) Retirement Mandatory
( ) Retirement/Optional (NON RIF Period)
( ) Retirement/Discontinued Service
(*) Other (NON RIF Period)

WOW!! Most of these choices are positive. How old do you have to be to fall under "Retirement Mandatory"? Dude, get a life.

 

[Steel_Magnolia]

Interesting, nasa, my friend. I wish the National Park Service had an exit survey! But I wonder how much attention is paid to the information that could be gleaned from these things anyway. Or am I just being cynical? Does anyone have even anecdotal evidence that these things are read and acted on?

 

[nasa1974]

Interesting, nasa, my friend. I wish the National Park Service had an exit survey! But I wonder how much attention is paid to the information that could be gleaned from these things anyway. Or am I just being cynical? Does anyone have even anecdotal evidence that these things are read and acted on?

It does make you wonder with the choices available is there someone in the back room laughing like crazy. Hey, Harry look how they answered this one.

 

[Stoplight]

Man, y'all ARE cynical...but it was good for a laugh !

My sense is that all the Agencies I've worked for recently DO care about the results they get from these type surveys. My Agency takes one every year, to gauge the mood of all the employees, and they publish the results.

Now, I'm not so naive to think it makes a major difference, or it's not just some box a super-grade person checks off for their performance appraisal...heck, when they publish the results, they even put a disclaimer about what they can and can't do to change things ! You have to admit, though...the Fed system is NOT condusive to flexible management practices !

My example to use is the issue of "teleworking"...many employees in our survey always say they want that option...depending on who is in charge, management tries to expand the program, and make it available to as many as possible...but let's face it...many of the jobs we do as Feds don't lend themselves to working from home ! I don't want one of this Board's air traffic controllers guiding my flight in to Atlanta from their old CompuAdd desktop computer ...and my mail person HAS to come by my house ! In my case, how can I keep track of what my Contractor is building that day, or handle it when he digs up a water line that nobody knew was there, if I'm sitting at home in my jammies ? Yes, there are many opportunities for changing the way we do business, but there are some real "realities" that affect those decisions, too...

Geez...I sound like a real management "tool", don't I ?

Stoplight...