I got my first...

[Omaha Steve]

Pension check this morning.

[femmocrat]

1. :woohoo:

Congratulations!

[niyad]

2. yayyy for you!! what a way to end/start the year!!

[SheilaT]

3. Nice.

I got my first one a year or so ago, but it was from a company I had worked for in the 1970's, and I was still working when I started collecting the pension. Plus, it's a very small amount (under $200/month) and so while it's useful, I'd be okay even if it didn't exist.

Next up, Social Security when I turn 70.

[GummyBearz]

4. Lucky guy

I'm 32 and probably never will get one. Even though I have 10 years and counting at the same company, which does provide a pension, I have my doubts about whether or not I will ever see a penny of it.

The first steps were taken a few years back when they eliminated the pension plan for new hires. Some of our other large competitors have recently reneged on the pension plans that their retirees were counting on... I still have 30 years to work and the recent trends indicate I wont have a pension to collect by then :/

[daleanime]

7. Which is why improving SS is so important.

[GummyBearz]

9. SS...

My grandparents live on SS. Its about enough so that they can afford a double wide trailer in the boondocks... I want to enjoy my retirement a bit more than that

[daleanime]

10. Which is why I said....

Improve. The lowest rates are far too low.

[GummyBearz]

12. Yea

I agree with you 100%. But just like the pension thing I don't see it happening. Politicians just don't care these days :/

[former9thward]

16. Most politicians at the federal level are millionaires or close to it.

They don't care about SS because they know they will not have to depend on it.

[erronis]

20. As mentioned before, congress doesn't care about the little people

because They have Theirs.

Maybe it used to be that farmers and carpenters and clerks were elected to serve representing their district or state and received a stipend to offset their wages. There were obviously some well-to-do farmers and merchants that were part of the early congressional delegates but the stipend was probably not enough to match their former incomes.

Nowadays, the stipend has ballooned into a wealth of benefits including handouts from friends and corporations. Nowadays it seems like people go into "representing their district" in order to make themselves wealthy.

Nowadays, you don't get into the running unless your personal net worth (or pledged donations) is above $1MM. You don't even compete unless you can sell your soul for a whole bunch more. There is no more honor among these critters like DeExterminatorLay or Boehner or pick-your-man.

I wish that the democratic/progressive candidates did not need to stoop to picking up spare change/$s off the sidewalk to be a successful candidate.

Just to go off on a tangent:
How about every public office holder has to put their net worth into an escrow account that would be indexed to the economy? At the end of their office-holding, they can retrieve this net worth based on what they've done for their region/country.

[upaloopa]

5. Mine starts in 16 months.

I am lucky to have found a job that has a pension.
Younger people will have it rougher than we will if things don't turn around.
The country needs to bring back jobs from over seas and workers need to organize.
We need to stop deals like NAFTA and TPP.
I believe we are headed to time when people only work for today's sustenance and to prop up the 1%.
Young people need to take their destinies in their hands and turn things around.

[TexasProgresive]

6. Good for you, Steve

I just e applied for SS and Medicare to begin in March when I hope to start receiving pension checks as well. I've been on vacation for the end of the year, I have to work Jan 2 and will be back on vacation and work that last 8 business days of February.

[sheshe2]

8. Congratulations Steve~

Ring in the New Year Tonight!

Best~ she

[Playinghardball]

11. Don't spend it all in one place, Steve...

LOL

[Gothmog]

13. Congrats

[DocMac]

14. Cool

Let's dance:

[calimary]

15. Congrats!!! That's fabulous!

You deserve it, and you earned it.

[Enthusiast]

17. Congratulations!

[marble falls]

18. Wasn't it grand?!?!?!

[marym625]

19. YAY!!!!!!!!!

Something I will never have. Going to be working until I drop.

If anyone that has money, security wants to get married and take care of me....

Should have done that when I was young and hot

[LiberalEsto]

21. Congratulations!

I've been getting small Social Security checks since turning 62 this past spring. But because I worked part time for many years while raising kids, I never qualified for a pension. At least my husband will.

[roody]

22. Fun!!!