T minus 365 days and counting?
Two days ago I had a birthday, not a major milestone or anything, those days have come and gone. This birthday, however, puts me within one year of being eligible to retire. It’s optional, not mandatory (I’m not that old), but the word “option” is scary. It means it’s my choice and there are so many factors affecting that choice.
The biggest factor is my parents – at my age I know I ‘m so lucky to still have them both alive and healthy – but they are down in North Carolina and I don’t get to spend as much time with them as I’d like. U.S. Airways has been getting a lot of my money over the last few years.
The secondary factors are financial – how much would my pension be if I retire next summer, as opposed to waiting a few more years? And how much would I make on the sale of my condo if I sell next summer? I own a small condo on the lake in a small town, and the condo market here seems to be remaining stable, if not going up price-wise, while the housing market is going soft. My plan is to sell the condo when I retire and move to North Carolina, hopefully buying another condo or maybe a small house.
This is probably going to be the biggest decision I’ve ever had to make in my life so far.
What would you do?