I retired as editor of this publication a year ago, and although I miss the writers and editors I worked with for many years — and the pleasures (and challenges) of communicating with readers — I was ready to hang up my editing spurs.
I worked a year longer than I’d planned. Working an extra year or two is good advice if you have any doubts about how prepared you are for retirement, either financially or psychologically. My extra year gave me more time to top off my 401(k) and fine-tune my financial plan. Plus, by the time I retired, I was just past my full retirement age (FRA) for Social Security benefits. My wife, Allyson, will continue working at least another five years, which is a major benefit financially and a mixed blessing personally (more on that below).
