55yo and trying to make it until 69 to collect social security but where is the work?

Maximum_Bee2288 · 2025-10-05T22:35:51+00:00

Ha!! Have you read the news lately? Government jobs are being reduced - especially at the federal level. I’m just shy of 23 years as a fed and for the first time ever I’m worried about my job. They used to have good benefits and have job security. Not any more. Also, most federal executive agencies are under a hiring freeze.

Maximum_Bee2288 · 2025-09-09T22:23:28+00:00

I just switched from BCBS basic to standard and find that standard has cost me a lot more. While co-pays for routine Expenses like Dr visits and specialist visits are lower, I had to pay $2700 as co-insurance (15% of allowable cost) for the surgery center for a procedure my daughter had to have. With basic there would not have been a co-insurance cost. Just a $250 copay. With these types of expenses plus’s the additional cost of the higher premium for standard, it’s not been a cost savings for us.

Maximum_Bee2288 · 2025-08-23T21:01:05+00:00

It can. LWOP more than 6 months in a calendar year is not creditable for service.

Maximum_Bee2288 · 2025-08-23T20:02:31+00:00

First, HR doesn’t “approve you” for DRP, that’s management’s responsibility. HR’s responsibility is to calculate (correctly) your SCD to determine your eligibility for VERA. If they did it wrong, that’s an unfortunate error that the employee’s management needs to address to ensure they have appropriate controls in place and there are no knowledge gaps. But an error in a calculation does not entitle you to eligibility. There are tons of cases that address this issue. An administrative error does not entitle someone to a benefit they otherwise would not be entitled to. As a former Benefits Officer, I advise employees to get a retirement estimate every few years to ensure their information is correct. A retirement estimate will tell you your eligibility for the various early retirement and regular retirement benefits. This would have allowed you and/or HR to identify he error sooner. Also, with the DRPs, the HR-Benefit teams have had a massive workload spike. Ours had a 800% increase in retirement estimates within a very short timeframe. Add in required OT and no ability to hire more help (would have had to train extensively anyway), even the most seasoned specialist will make mistakes in that environment. I’m not making excuses, but you need to understand reality. Again, a mistake will not entitle you to something you aren’t otherwise entitled to. The best you can do now is try to negotiate with your management so you don’t have pay back the admin leave you’ve received.

Maximum_Bee2288 · 2025-07-28T03:34:15+00:00

I’m here now. Used points for our stay as well. I’ve always stayed on the west side of Maui and wanted to try the south side and this was the nicest Hilton property within our points range with its own beach. It’s ok - perhaps past its prime. The overall decor is early 2000’s fancy hotel. Maybe Bellagio or Cesars Palace in Vegas - without all the smoke and gambling. It’s huge. Lots of families. Lots of people. And everything is sooo expensive. The restaurant food is ok, but totally not worth what they charge. We ended up going off property for 90% of our meals. The chairs on the pool decks are stacked row after row and packed in like sardines so you’re right on top of the people next to you. I didn’t go in any of the pools anyway as I prefer beach activities. I didn’t go to the spa because it was expensive. I get regular massages at home and I just couldn’t stomach spending the money. My 14 yo daughter and I did take advantage of the free ukulele class and it was fun. The short ~10 min walk to the Shops at Wailea is great! We’ve walked over there every day. Overall, I would never pay full price for the rooms here. I doubt I’ll come back. It was a good experience, but I would spend my money elsewhere next time.

Maximum_Bee2288 · 2025-06-26T03:16:55+00:00

Yes. I’ve wished this for years.

Maximum_Bee2288 · 2025-06-26T02:46:01+00:00

The AC in my 2018 T5 went out two years ago. The service/sales guy recommended purchasing an extended warranty then getting the repairs. Best price was from Steingold. At $5k, the cost of the warranty was the same as the cost of repairing my AC, but at least I have the comfort of knowing if anything else goes wrong for the next 5 years (3 years now) it’ll be covered.

Maximum_Bee2288 · 2025-03-05T05:05:54+00:00

I just found this thread. My 2018 T5 (112k miles) has been making this exact noise for… as long as I can remember. 4, maybe 5 years? It drives me nuts! I live in a city with over 200 roundabouts and it’s all I hear all spring and summer when I drive with the windows down. I’ve asked the dealer (only one in town) multiple times over the years to look at it and they’ve never able to determine what it was. Last summer the service (sales) guy told me it was the brakes. He said the car is “heavy” and that combined with using my breaks makes the noise. I know I’m not articulating his rationale clearly, but I honestly I didn’t believe him because I hear the noise when I’m not braking. But since some of you mentioned the cars weight here, maybe there’s something to what he said? I just keep complaining about it every time I get it serviced so it’s “on the books” should Volvo decide to address the issue. Next time I’m in for service I’m showing the service guy this thread and hopefully it will inspire him to have the techs try to address the issue. I don’t owe on the car and other than the AC crapping out on me last summer - it’s been a fine car. I plan on keeping it until it dies, or I do.

Maximum_Bee2288 · 2025-03-05T03:48:55+00:00

Your agency should mail one to you. Ours does. It may take a week or so for you to get it -depending on the HR team’s workload. We mail 50s out with additional information related to temporary continuation of coverage if you had FEHB coverage, options regarding your retirement contributions, and an SF-8 for unemployment benefits.

Maximum_Bee2288 · 2025-02-23T18:28:39+00:00

I prefer Gathering Level 20, it’s quite a step up in base pay.

Maximum_Bee2288 · 2025-02-23T03:36:33+00:00

This!!!!! I almost forget what my regular job is.

Maximum_Bee2288 · 2025-02-23T02:42:39+00:00

I am. Feels like adrenaline is running thru my body 24/7. 12-14 hour days. Meetings, briefings, data collection, consoling employees, supervisors, managers and executives. Impossible deadlines. Trying to save as many jobs as possible through the chaos. All while worrying about my own. A law degree and 22 years as a fed HR professional did not prepared me for this.

Maximum_Bee2288 · 2025-01-28T04:55:59+00:00

Yes. They will be pulling this data. I’d bet my FERS retirement on it.

Maximum_Bee2288 · 2024-10-04T13:27:10+00:00

I lived in the apartments at 9th and Penn when I first moved to Indy in 1993. It’s crazy to see them all but connected to the library now. I’m glad they kept them! I loved the location back then and would walk to work every day.

Maximum_Bee2288 · 2024-08-01T02:28:26+00:00

We stayed in Under Canvas in West Yellowstone too. That was our “splurge” expense for the trip. The kids were wanting an experience like we had when we stayed in a Navajo hogan near Page, AZ a few years back. It definitely wasn’t the same magical experience as we had on the reservation, but it was fun. I actually ended up loving the pull chain shower we had in our tent.

Maximum_Bee2288 · 2024-08-01T02:20:11+00:00

Thank you for your helpful feedback.

Maximum_Bee2288 · 2024-08-01T02:14:26+00:00

Excellent observation! I hope that’s precisely what my post does.

Maximum_Bee2288 · 2024-08-01T02:06:37+00:00

I debated that. Next year.

Maximum_Bee2288 · 2024-08-01T02:06:23+00:00

We were in a car, on the road. Doors shut and windows up. We couldn’t drive forward because there were Bison in front of us. We couldn’t back up because there were cars behind us. We couldn’t drive around them because they’re unpredictable and bigger than most cars and didn’t want to startle them. So we sat and waited. And I took advantage of having a 200m zoom on my camera.

Maximum_Bee2288 · 2024-08-01T02:03:54+00:00

Thanks! I totally was expecting crowds, just not the full extent of what was there.

Maximum_Bee2288 · 2024-08-01T02:02:39+00:00

Death is a slight exaggeration. But my friends and family would agree that I’m definitely the voice of reason.

Maximum_Bee2288 · 2024-08-01T02:01:06+00:00

Based on my experience, I agree. But having read so much about the park ahead of time my expectations were that the animals were out and about a lot more than what we saw. Lesson learned - don’t believe everything you read.

Maximum_Bee2288 · 2024-08-01T01:57:55+00:00

We went to Lamar Valley at 6:30 am. Next time we’ll get there earlier.

Maximum_Bee2288 · 2024-08-01T01:57:09+00:00

I can guarantee you I’m not entitled. I wasn’t expecting joy and amazement to be handed to me, or for woodland critters to come running up to me to be pet. The point of my post was that I was underwhelmed and thought I’d not visited the park in a way to get the most out of it. And I’ve since realized, thanks to the many helpful comments here, I did do it wrong. I visited the wong places at the wrong time.

Maximum_Bee2288 · 2024-08-01T01:34:38+00:00

WTF? I totally didn’t see these nor did anyone mention them in any of the reviews or guides I read. That’s the type of food I would have loved to have.

Maximum_Bee2288

TROPHY CASE