worst ponzi scheme, ever!

A few weeks ago a thread about retirement benefits in one of the forums that I haunt caught my eye. As it stands I've got a little over 22 years before that time comes. I never really thought about this before, and figured I would get to it when the time is right. This was a good wake up call as it's something I really should have been thinking about far sooner. Doubly so with me contemplating a career and lifestyle change. I started talking with friends (I grew up with) and learned just how little we collectively understood it. I always thought it was just pay in for as long as you're working and when you're officially old you get it back on a monthly basis til you die. I was basically right, but there's more to it than that. After some lengthy conversations with the parents and some internet research I had learned enough to understand things more clearly. Suffice it to say I've worked long enough to qualify and will be able to collect when I retire. Now whether I collect enough to live off of is dependent on if I continue earning at my current rate until retirement. All that will change because the field I'm looking to get into won't pay near as well as what I do now, so I know this will reduce the monthly SS payout. And as we've all been hearing on the news lately, will SS even be solvent by the time it's my turn to collect?

I just now realized that I've been a lot like those kids who grew up and still believes the tooth fairy exists. I also don't have faith in our administration (past and especially present) to properly resolve this given that they bankrupted SS a decade earlier than predicted. I'm now convinced that my golden years will be spent on a geriatric crime spree to fund my gasoline, rice, and ramen habits!

How Social Security Works'ish

is over

The nice lady at the credit union called me back today. Unfortunately today had also turned out to be supernonstopmeetingfest2012 so I didn't get a chance to call her back until I was on my way home from work.

I got it.

I GOT IT!!!!

This is one of my last major hurdles to jump. No more paying finance charges or a high interest rate! Now I grind out payments until it's gone. Whew!

the waiting

I called the credit union yesterday and told that they would have a decision for me by the end of today. This will go a very long way in helping me pay off that final credit card, if I'm approved.

I really hate this part.