Early Risers.

[TheQ]

Mooring Awl, inner Temple Hare,

1/2 hour followed by 5.5 hours sleep so far, will try for more shortly.

 

There are no post retirement benefits with any of my 3 private pensions, which I believe is common practice in the UK. However of the three pensions:

One started paying out at 60, not claiming it does not increase your pension, unpaid money's just sit there waiting for you.

The other two can be deferred to earn more interest.

I am intending to retire a year early compared with the state pension age of 66 for me, however both these private pensions were arranged when the retirement age was 65 for a male, I could defer them, but won't, I'll need to live on something..

 

I was planning to retire on my birthday in 2022, however the annual bonus is paid out at the end of Feb 2023, I may stay on till then. If you leave before that no part of the annual bonus is paid.

The bonus is at most 5% of a years wage, which affected by  multiplier of 0 to 1, depending of meeting this years profit targets. This years multiplier is 0.85, however the company has decided to pay output with a multiplier of 1 due the the efforts of the staff to recover from lockdowns etc. This is the first it's been 1 or anywhere near it.

3 months extra work in the depths of winter, I don't think will be much of a loss to my retirement plans.

 

And as for plans,

Trailer work, shelf work, dog walk.

The first two are having a minor redesign, we've more smaller books than I thought, I'm working on getting an extra shelf in, on each tower of shelves on this next wall.

On the trailer, it being lighter than I thought, I'm altering the modifications slightly, to give more support for the boat, those supports of course add to the weight.

 

But first..

Time for the snooze button..

 

 

 

 

[chrisf]

Greetings one and all

 

I made it to Stalag Surgery in good time for my injection yesterday morning, though not in such good time as to attract a rebuke from Checkpoint Charlene.  Such things are in far from short supply.  A combination of the intercom and the sound-attenuating properties of my mask meant that I had to give my name three times.  Then the door would not open when I pushed it despite my pushing it when directed.  Eventually the receptionist had to come and open it herself.  Since my last visit a requirement has been introduced for patients to leave a pre-printed slip on the chair which they used so that the right one may be cleaned afterwards.  Other symptoms of OCD are available. 

 

As always, it was a pleasure to converse with Nurse Jane who administered the injection.  I mentioned my painful knees.  Bless her, she remembered that I need to have them in full working order within six months so that I can march two miles through the centre of London.  This is something that I do not think I could do now.  Until a definitive solution is available I shall continue to anoint the knees with ibuprofen gel or Deep Heat.  The process of seeking professional advice could be complicated: who do I ask to see?  Getting to see a GP has its difficulties but if you don't ask you don't get.  I shall reflect, taking good account of such advice as gentle readers may give.  I don't enjoy feeling bio-degradable but I suppose it comes to all of us.

 

Best wishes to all

 

Chris 

Edited March 6, 2021 by chrisf
typo

[jamie92208]

Good moaning from a fox free part of the Charente.  The day went well, our frinds arrived only 25 minutes late, which us good going for Josie. Shecwasconce 2 days late for a ferry.  A good meal was had and the chat afterwards went on till they had to rush off to be able to get to the vineyard/distillery forvessential supplies, before curfew.  

 

Today will start as usual with a video chat with the girls. After that I am being left to my own devices as Beth and a friend are going for a day out, to Aldi.  There us no accounting for taste, but I plan to spend the day in or around the shed. The gate needs to be finished and I need to make a start on clearing some self seeded trees from behind the back wall.

 

Very glad to hear the good news from Polar regions.  

 

Regards to all.

 

Jamie

[polybear]

7 hours ago, Erichill16 said:

Evening All,

Really excellent news from the North Pole, must have come as a great relief.

 

 

Many thanks EH et all - it does indeed; with all this happening just 8 months into my early retirement I did think I'd got a pretty duff deal.  Yet another reason why Bear thinks that banging out and taking early retirement as soon as you can is a good idea.  I suspect that as soon as an individual starts to ponder retirement then perhaps it's a sign that they aren't enjoying the job anymore?

I deliberately stayed away from Googling for information - there's a lot of information out there, and just as much mis-information - as well as downright bullsh1t.  I can't fault the NHS one bit - from initial GP examination, tests, CAT Scan and Endoscopy was a couple of days over a month, and that's with Chrimbo and a pandemic in the middle.  First class 

The only slow bit was waiting for the biopsy results (7 weeks), though I was warned at the endoscopy that they would be slow; Bear suspects that if they'd seen anything iffy on the camera then the results would've been much quicker.

The whole exercise has certainly made Bear re-evaluate things though, including a lesson in realising that it's never too soon to make sure everything is "in order" and not to hoard too much that in reality you'll probably never use anyway.  So certain fellow ER'ers should not be surprised if long-term LDCLS* plans have been brought forward somewhat....

 

*LDCLS - Lemon drizzle Cake Liberation Society.

 

Quote

I’ll go on a bit more with a tale from the old chap across the road. He came to me with a letter posted marked London but the letter purported to come from the manager of a bank in China. The gist was that he had an English man with an account at the bank but he had passed away leaving no aires and the mans name was the same as my neighbours. The letter suggested that my neighbour rings a mobile number and he and the bank manager share the contents of the account. The letter ends ‘don’t tell anyone and nobody gets hurt’. You have to laugh but I could tell the old boy was a bit upset about the whole thing. 

Too much rambling so goodnight.

Robert

 

Bear seems to recall a story from 20+ (or even 30+?) years ago about a (Canadian?) bank employee who was creaming off those fractions of a cent earned in interest on accounts that in reality were too small to pay to the customer, yet were technically no longer the property of the bank.  He'd made a good wedge out of it ($M+ ?) before the bank smelled a rat; the best bit is that ISTR he'd incorporated some part of the program that erased all traces if anyone went sniffing around.  A victimless crime?

Edited March 6, 2021 by polybear

[Barry O]

Ey up!

Glad to hear you have had the green light @polybear.

 

My pensions kicked in at 60, 63 and 63. So, when did I retire..at 63. Took money out of 2nof them (covered my loft room conversion plus a trip overseas) and now.. her indoors has had her pension rise (0.5%) confirmed and her state pension confirmed when she reaches a more mature age...

 

No post retirement add ons from my 3 pensions but didn't have much before I retired.

 

Less stress, less hassel and no more fighting with SAP! Sold house in Barrow which didn't make any profit but it did release money which, after discussing with a man covered by the FCA has been invested. 

 

Major achievements yestersay was to get on with building a large item with bits which move up and down on them. More of that today.

 

Stay safe, hope our missing ERs are ok.

 

Baz

 

[Andrew P]

Whoopie,, Its the Weekend and the Sun is shining, what could be better?

 

Had an hour in the chair so time to take my Blood Pressure, do my ablutions and go for a walk before breakfast.

 

Keep well and stay safe one and all.

[Winslow Boy]

2 hours ago, TheQ said:

Mooring Awl, inner Temple Hare,

1/2 hour followed by 5.5 hours sleep so far, will try for more shortly.

 

There are no post retirement benefits with any of my 3 private pensions, which I believe is common practice in the UK. However of the three pensions:

One started paying out at 60, not claiming it does not increase your pension, unpaid money's just sit there waiting for you.

The other two can be deferred to earn more interest.

I am intending to retire a year early compared with the state pension age of 66 for me, however both these private pensions were arranged when the retirement age was 65 for a male, I could defer them, but won't, I'll need to live on something..

 

I was planning to retire on my birthday in 2022, however the annual bonus is paid out at the end of Feb 2023, I may stay on till then. If you leave before that no part of the annual bonus is paid.

The bonus is at most 5% of a years wage, which affected by  multiplier of 0 to 1, depending of meeting this years profit targets. This years multiplier is 0.85, however the company has decided to pay output with a multiplier of 1 due the the efforts of the staff to recover from lockdowns etc. This is the first it's been 1 or anywhere near it.

3 months extra work in the depths of winter, I don't think will be much of a loss to my retirement plans.

 

And as for plans,

Trailer work, shelf work, dog walk.

The first two are having a minor redesign, we've more smaller books than I thought, I'm working on getting an extra shelf in, on each tower of shelves on this next wall.

On the trailer, it being lighter than I thought, I'm altering the modifications slightly, to give more support for the boat, those supports of course add to the weight.

 

But first..

Time for the snooze button..

 

 

 

 

Arhm... Cough......cough what about the dog walk. That is by far the most important job on the list if you don't mind. I'm being told that i have to bring this to your attention by my own pair of brown eyes who decided at 7.15 this morning that a) she would like to go outside and b) she would like some 'company' at the same time.

[TheQ]

The currently staring at me, brown eyes, choses his own walk, I'm just on escort duties.

I think I need to put my overalls on so he can wander around outside while I work on the trailer...

[Winslow Boy]

2 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

Good moaning from a fox free part of the Charente.  The day went well, our frinds arrived only 25 minutes late, which us good going for Josie. Shecwasconce 2 days late for a ferry.  A good meal was had and the chat afterwards went on till they had to rush off to be able to get to the vineyard/distillery forvessential supplies, before curfew.  

 

Today will start as usual with a video chat with the girls. After that I am being left to my own devices as Beth and a friend are going for a day out, to Aldi.  There us no accounting for taste, but I plan to spend the day in or around the shed. The gate needs to be finished and I need to make a start on clearing some self seeded trees from behind the back wall.

 

Very glad to hear the good news from Polar regions.  

 

Regards to all.

 

Jamie

Will these gates  ever be finished or will they be an ongoing project? Or are they a figment of your imagination. Something that you say to your beloved to avoid being closely interrogated about what you have been up to in the shed. 

[Winslow Boy]

2 minutes ago, TheQ said:

The currently staring at me, brown eyes, choses his own walk, I'm just on escort duties.

I think I need to put my overalls on so he can wander around outside while I work on the trailer...

Well just so long as you have your priorities right. Don't want you to get your ' life balance' out of kilter. I'm being told I'm needed again- she can open doors, I've seen her do it, but she just prefers to have someone do it for her. I may be gone some time.

[jamie92208]

20 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

Will these gates  ever be finished or will they be an ongoing project? Or are they a figment of your imagination. Something that you say to your beloved to avoid being closely interrogated about what you have been up to in the shed. 

I've been rumbled it seems, hopefully she win't see your post.

 

Jamie

 

PS there are still 2 cmore gates to do.

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Dry but chilly this morning but not going anywhere at the moment.

2 hours ago, chrisf said:

As always, it was a pleasure to converse with Nurse Jane who administered the injection.  I mentioned my painful knees.  Bless her, she remembered that I need to have them in full working order within six months so that I can march two miles through the centre of London.  This is something that I do not think I could do now.  Until a definitive solution is available I shall continue to anoint the knees with ibuprofen gel or Deep Heat.  The process of seeking professional advice could be complicated: who do I ask to see?  Getting to see a GP has its difficulties but if you don't ask you don't get.  I shall reflect, taking good account of such advice as gentle readers may give.  I don't enjoy feeling bio-degradable but I suppose it comes to all of us.

 

Best wishes to all

 

Chris 

Have you considered getting a walker? You may recall that I had mine when I met you three years ago (Next Wednesday in fact, the 'birthday boy' becomes a teenager!). I have found that taking the weight off of the joints helps a lot.

 

1 hour ago, polybear said:

Bear seems to recall a story from 20+ (or even 30+?) years ago about a (Canadian?) bank employee who was creaming off those fractions of a cent earned in interest on accounts that in reality were too small to pay to the customer, yet were technically no longer the property of the bank.  He'd made a good wedge out of it ($M+ ?) before the bank smelled a rat; the best bit is that ISTR he'd incorporated some part of the program that erased all traces if anyone went sniffing around.  A victimless crime?

Its known as a salami fiddle. It apparently happened  to several banks. The one I heard of was where the customers were listed alphabetically. An employee of the bank opened an account with the name Zwiller and set things up to transfer all the fractions to the last account. Apparently he made thousands over a couple of years and was only found out when someone with the name of Zwolle took out an account and was honest enough to query the money going into their account.

[Sir TophamHatt]

Oh pensions!

 

I'm not even close but it's already complicated since moving companies.

 

Different salaries / length of service from Company 1 meant I got an extra 15 years or so with Company 2.

Now I'm with Company 3, I have the option to merge them together again, but with the difference in salaries, I'd have my 17 years (15 + 2 years with them) reduced to just 6 extra with Company 3!  It looks like if I took a lump sum then I'd lose about £3000 but gain about £1500 on a yearly pension payment.  As I have another lump sum source (Brass, for those that know), then I'm drawn to be merging them anyway.

Quite complicated but at the end of the day, I doubt I'd be losing out on more than £5000 over the course of retirement.

[jonny777]

A dry and sunny morning here in North Somerset. 

 

I thought that the creaming off of tiny percentages from bank transactions was the plot line of a film I saw many years ago, but the fraudster in the film was caught in the end. 

 

Nothing much to do today, as it is a bit early to plant freesia and gladioli bulbs for the summer. Potatoes are sprouting nicely on the utility room window sill, and they may have to be planted in a week or so's time. Tomato seedlings were left a bit later this year due to the cold weather in February, but are now about an inch tall and will need to be transplanted into pots soon. The amaryllis are growing about an inch per day and I am surprised I can't hear them. They seem to grow faster than even rhubarb. 

[Gwiwer]

Morning all

 

Salmon, eggs and capers have been installed. Muggertee 1 has been and gone. I am the only one currntly awake here. 
 

Of pensions I receive my former BR one in monthly installments which commenced at 60. And despite this I am apparently still required to pay into my employer’s scheme and am therefore both receiving and giving ....  Auntie Payroll insists this is correct. 
 

My two Australian funds start paying at 67 unless I defer. If I am still working at that age, as I hope to be, I shall defer until my planned retirement age of 70. Otherwise I shall end up losing their value in tax payments due to the aggregated taxable income. The UK and employer’s schemes also kick in at 67 unless deferred. 

And now ..... coffee. Cornish coffee in the cafétiere. Because I can. 

 

[PhilJ W]

1 hour ago, jonny777 said:

A dry and sunny morning here in North Somerset. 

 

I thought that the creaming off of tiny percentages from bank transactions was the plot line of a film I saw many years ago, but the fraudster in the film was caught in the end. 

 

Apparently *salami schemes were quite common in the eighties. It was only when a couple were discovered that the banks checked and found dozens of them. There wasn't many prosecutions, most of the banks just dismissed the culprit and pocketed the money themselves. *So called because salami comes in very thin slices. IIRC the film about it was based on fact.

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

Yet another dull but cool and dry start to the day. The plan for today is to set up the turntable and test track and test it all. Hopefully it will all work as hoped, they both work well separately. 

 

Stay safe, stay sane, enjoy whatever you have planned for the day, back later. 

 

Brian 

[Tony_S]

Hello.

It was sunny South Essex for a short  while this morning but it seems to have settled into “cloudy” now.

I don’t think much is happening today beyond consuming meals. With all the antibiotics (for toothache) and now on the second week (dose doubled yesterday) of metformin I don’t exactly feel lively. Aditi is about to go and do some gardening. She extracted the roots from a very dead plum tree yesterday. As well as the spring flowers the rhubarb is erupting. This was a surprise as I didn’t remember Aditi having moved it last year.  Aditi’s aunt in Delhi has been sending us lots of photos of her winter flowers. They are all things that would be summer flowers here.  I shall ask what she grows in the summer, though before Covid they used to go somewhere cooler in the summer. 

Tony

[Erichill16]

Morning All,

clear, fine and not cold outside. Ideal gardening weather but SWMBO is again trimming her hair so I’m here giving advice. So long as I don’t miss the match at 3.00pm I’m not that bothered.

Chrisf, I think your best option it to persist with your attempts to see your gp. As it’s bilateral and of long standing it isn’t going to resolve itself. There’s no harm in using the preparation you’ve mentioned and you can take paracetamol as well, providing of course you not already taking it. The gp has so many options available including surgery and even steroid injections but only he can decide. Sorry I can’t be of any more help.

Robert

[polybear]

Bear spent a fun morning priming/sealing the kitchen walls with some gloop that Bear suspects is basically PVA (thinned IAW the instructions), suitably marked up in price by the wallpaper/paste manufacturer.  Bear had previously spent time carefully marking where the wall tiles are to go, since PVA behind wall tiles is a no-no.  All done, apart from a small area just outside the bathroom door - this'll be done once painting of the bathroom door frame is complete, another session of which is planned for this afternoon.

According to Bear's Calender function on the Laptop Email thingummy, today is....Saturday.

And that means.......

Chip Shop din dins day!! 

Bear now has a pressing appointment with a Saveloy, Chip Roll and Beans.  I may be some time.....

[tigerburnie]

Afternoon all, frost has now gone and sun is beaming. I've noticed another weird phenomena, my legs must be getting longer as I struggle to reach my toe nails with the clippers...........most odd.

[PhilJ W]

4 minutes ago, tigerburnie said:

Afternoon all, frost has now gone and sun is beaming. I've noticed another weird phenomena, my legs must be getting longer as I struggle to reach my toe nails with the clippers...........most odd.

I've got the same problem.

[Coombe Barton]

Tonne of logs.

Moving from front to woodshed.

 

3/4 done.

 

I'm not getting any younger.

 

 

[Erichill16]

11 minutes ago, polybear said:..

Chip Shop din dins day!! 

Bear now has a pressing appointment with a Saveloy, Chip Roll and Beans.  I may be some time.....

Have heard you go on about saveloy before and thought it was a kind of fishcake/slice. I’ve looked it up on Wikipedia and now I know. You learn something (useless) every day.

[Tony_S]

I wonder if the GP surgeries where it was difficult to get an appointment before the Covid pandemic are still the difficult ones. I phoned our GP practice yesterday morning, explained that my dentist wanted to know if I could stop the anti platelet medication to facilitate an extraction. The receptionist said I should discuss it with a doctor and booked a 15 minute telephone appointment to discuss it with a GP that afternoon. I was phoned at the booked time and everything I needed to know was said.