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Is it common for secretaries to be working until they are in their 90's? Because 96 is really old. I am amazed that she didn't quit earlier. In an era where th
by fmax30 8y ago
Is it common for secretaries to be working until they are in their 90's?
Because 96 is really old. I am amazed that she didn't quit earlier. In an era where the retirement age is around 60-65 and most tech workers plan to retire by their 40's. It is truly astounding to see someone work well into their mid 90's.
Props to the lady for that!
- andrewprock 8y ago"most tech workers plan to retire by their 40's" Most tech workers who plan to retire by their 40s will be working into their 50s.
- loeg 8y agoIt really depends on what you mean by "plan" and how realistic your expectations are. And "most," I guess. Check out the reddit sub FinancialIndependence if you want to discuss or learn. If your income is high enough (tech workers are commonly several standard deviations above median income) and your cost of living / lifestyle expenses low enough (SFBA makes this harder, but may come with more income), it is definitely possible to retire in your 40s.
- emdubs 8y agoSaying something is possible is a far cry from saying it is something "most" are planning.
- loeg 8y agoI didn't say that. I agree that most tech workers are not (realistically, anyway) planning to retire in their 40s. Most in their 20s probably do not have concrete retirement plans. The claim I was responding to is andrewprock's statement: > Most tech workers who plan to retire by their 40s will be working into their 50s. Which makes a specific claim about the specific subset of tech workers who are planning to retire in their 40s.
- imnotadoctor999 8y agoI worked with a developer who was 75 because he didn't know what else to do with his time. Sharp as a whip. He's still coding for a living and will turn 80 soon.
- sempron64 8y agoDoes he have a blog or an interview somewhere? I would love to read that!
- Mtinie 8y ago> an era where the retirement age is around 60-65 and most tech workers plan to retire by their 40's. Those of us in our 40’s—who haven’t yet hit the startup lottery—only wish this was a possibility.
- loeg 8y agoTo pull it off, you have to take high-paying jobs (i.e., not startups) in your 20s, be somewhat frugal, and save a large portion of your salary. The compounding is really significant, but early retirement does not give you a lot of working years for compounding to happen. As they say, the best time to invest is 20 years ago. If you're interested in discussing or learning more about this topic, the subreddit FinancialIndependence focuses on it.
- Mtinie 8y agoI’ll check it out, as I’m interested in context around the types of people who have been successful doing this. Single, married? Kids, no kids?
- xur17 8y agoAnyone can do it, it really comes down to what percentage of your income you can save, but it'll be easier for people with less expenses. Here's a calculator that's been posted on HN before to give you some numbers [0]. Also, it's worth noting that 'retiring' doesn't have to mean not working anymore. To me it means the ability to work on whatever I want without having to worry about income. I'd likely still work on side projects, contribute to open source projects, etc. [0] https://networthify.com/calculator/earlyretirement?income=70000&initialBalance=0&expenses=25200&annualPct=5&withdrawalRate=4 https://networthify.com/calculator/earlyretirement?income=70...
- acdha 8y agoMost of it is just lucky timing. There are a lot of people who do the exact same things but have very different results based on where exactly they fell on the economic cycle. Unless you’re in the very lucky cohort who would have been rich in any case, being set by your 40s requires things like timing the housing and stock markets pretty carefully to get the necessary returns.
- tathougies 8y agoSome people like working. My dad retired a few years back, but recently started working again as a tax preparer. He's always liked doing things with numbers, and he likes talking to people. My uncle (his brother, a few years older) is the same way. He even became state-level comptroller or something for the organization he was working in; just for fun.
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]
- briffle 8y agoAt a previous job, the book-keeper for a local office (a large accounting firm) was 97, and still working hard. And she was hilarious! She started with the company in the typing pool when she was 16.. she tried to retire twice, but got bored. They threw her a good party for her 80th work anniversary...
- colmvp 8y agoWow. 80 years with the same company? That's absolutely insane.
- WalterBright 8y agoRetirement is boring. I plan to work until they carry me out in a box.
- marssaxman 8y agoPlan to retire by their 40s? Where on earth are you hearing that?
- hycaria 8y agoAll the people seeking financial independence ?
- Cthulhu_ 8y agoWhen you see how much people in the tech industry are earning in their 20's, or that there are some people that become millionaires / billionaires before their 30's, you start thinking differently about your future. Why wait until you're a senior citizen to do what you've always wanted? Working your ass off for 10-15 years and still able to do it, then retiring for the rest of your life to do the fun things sounds like an idea. Okay, it's not for me either, but I wouldn't mind the ability to choose to work, instead of depend on it. Take some time off from time to time to work on private projects, take long vacations, that kinda thing.
- intrasight 8y agoYes. That was for me the more fascinating aspect of the story. There are lots of wealthy people. But not too many with that kind of stamina and enthusiasm.