Can’t speak for larger companies but our company has the option to take leave without pay if looking after a very sick family member. I haven’t heard anything about a career break being offered.
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That’s a good idea! I’m big into churning cards but haven’t in a while. I could probably make up $400-600 over 2 cards.
No, I don’t think so. I’ve never heard of that, but that doesn’t mean something couldn’t be arranged with the right understanding staff.
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I spent $2,000 on a card and am waiting later this month to choose $500 in gift cards. I’m also in the middle of spending $3,000 on a card so that I get enough frequent flyer miles for another Europe trip. I think I’ve got 3-5 Europe trips in the bank going to spend one later this month.
I’ve heard of people going on unpaid hiatus, but it’s rare IME.
My company offers a paid six week sabbatical after six years of service and it’s the first time I’ve heard of anything like this in the US. Paid or unpaid.
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My mortgage is $1,009 that must sound like peanuts.
Nothing like having a recent job offer to assess how I feel about my current job. I become rule of 55 eligible January 2026 but I will probably wait until mid-April to hand in my notice, too many goodies to collect during 1st quarter. So I think the official date barring any 20% stock market decline will be April/May 2026 (at age 54.6). I could ask to work part time after that but I don’t know if I’ll have a bad case of senioritis and just want to leave.
My dad got laid off around this age working as an electrical engineer for Westinghouse. He found a couple of engineering stints later but was a saver and didn’t really work after 55 and I have to say like father like son on that one (apart from some math tutoring/teaching)
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My dad took a career sabbatical after many years at a large bank, but that was a special case and when he went back (early in the end) it was in a new role.
There’s definitely no mechanism for an actuarial manager to just take 6 months off with the exception of a woman going on maternity leave and combining company leave, short term disability, PTO, etc.
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That’s a heck of a plan! I know you’re in a lower COL area (as am I), if you’ve lived there very long it’s not surprising the mortgage is that low. Mine is only as high as it is because we did a 15Y fixed, and that includes escrow and property taxes here are pretty steep.
they do not for the most part.
brother’s old company had a 10yr thing where you had to take 10 weeks off i think (sabbatical they called it). it was great for him and kept him there for sure in yrs 8,9,10.
ive worked at several large companies and none have such a thing
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My taxes and insurance which I don’t escrow are probably $500-$550/mo…
Mine are like $750/mo or so, tax and insurance. Closes the gap a bit. At any rate, retirement by 55, not bad! Hope everything works according to plan and the market doesn’t crash.
Update at 6 months:
1. Put in £30k into Education fund On track
2. Put £60k into Pension (maxes out annual now) On track
3. Start saving liquid a bit (currently zero deposits)
(Not a big fan of cash because you are losing 10% of the value per year. I usually do have money in liquid money market funds). Given current liquidity problems in the wider economy I do think I need to have a bit of cash around. Not on track
4. Burning a lot of funds on travel (£40k/year). Going to see if I can bring this down a bit as prices have gone through the roof in Europe. Happy if I can reduce that to £30k/year. Will aim for this, but its tough to convince the wife that we don’t need to travel that much (little one is older now (3) so she does more activities. Travel is not really boosting her development much more at this point). Definitely not on track
Currently flying back & forth to Brazil from UK plus lots of other Europe & UK trips. Spending far too much here given prices in Europe and flights prices. I don’t see myself meeting the goal I outlined this year. Just too much going on.
It’s starting:
US junk loan defaults surge as higher interest rates start to bite - https://on.ft.com/43TMnqC via @FT
There will be a lag as the defaults at sub-IG credit start combining with IG credit impacts. Credit Spread dispersion is starting to move as well.
I have zero bank stocks in my PF now. Also looks like the recession will start a bit sooner than expected (2024).
If any of you guys still have any investments in commercial real estate I would take it out asap.
Large commercial borrowers are now starting to walk away fron their credit obligations.
One goes down, then two, then dozens. Its really going to hurt.
Defaults raise alarm over stability of San Francisco’s commercial property - https://on.ft.com/3CzFvTr via @FT
I don’t doubt at all that there will be some disruption and I wouldn’t want to be heavily invested in marginal office space or marginal retail but I don’t think most of these leases are going anywhere.
UK/Scotland trip booked 4/27 - 5/7. My friend (and 2nd favorite bridge partner) has never been in the UK but has been to other European countries before.
After arriving at 7am on the 28th:
Days 1-2 in London. My friend is interested in Sherlock Holmes so that will be new but he also likes WW2 so I’ll be at the Churchill War Rooms again.
Day 3 Train to Milton Keynes to see Bletchley Park (codebreaking) which appears to eat up at least a 1/2 day. The rest of the day will be taking a train to Edinburgh.
Day 4-5 Edinburgh
Day 6 Glasgow
Day 7 Drive to Loch Lomond & Iona
Day 8 Drive to Isle of Skye
Day 9 Drive to Loch Ness & Inverness
Day 10 Fly home
Oh and an evening bridge game at London or Edinburgh (or both)
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I see a few issues with your itinerary.
Day 8:
Loch Lomond to Isle of Skye is 4hrs of solid net driving.
And that only gets you to the Island. Not sure what you want to explore there but you will likely be driving even more once there.
Minimum 3 whole days to see a bit if Skye. Otherwise it will mostly be through the windshield.
Day 9:
This is back-tracking given your proposed Day 8.
What day are you planning on renting a car?
There will be a lot of just-driving yes, which I enjoy.
I don’t have the luxury of staying over there for weeks on end.
Here’s the route except we’re also crossing to the isle of Mull and Iona but Google maps didn’t think cars could cross that much water. Also I’m going to swing by Loch Ness which is south of Inverness.
Edinburgh to Stirling
to just north of the Isle of Mull
to the Isle of Skye, and
finally to Inverness airport