European Pensions

[senator]

To Lastname Z:

Yeah, I could collect a pension in the U.S., get the health insurance, later Medicare and social security if I decide to stay here.

A buddy of mine who retired from Boston Public Schools after 30 years @80% is getting over $82,000 USD a year! But he had to stay in the U.S. for 30 years. Not worth it to me.

If I take the pension now, it would be about $12,000 USD plus health insurance continuance and later social security. The safe and sure play is to just do 10 more years in the U.S. Or get the U.S. pension and go back and teach 10 years in Asia again - or 5 in Saudi and 5 in Asia - and that will bring my own portfolio up to the more than enough level.

To Thames Pirate;

Can you tell me what country you are in and what your pension would be after 10 years (or 15 or 20 or...)? Any specifics are what I am looking for.

Thanks all.

[joe30]

@Lastname_Z

Retire in the UK? Why would you wish such a thing on someone? *shudder*

[senator]

Hey, Joe,

That was U.S. not U.K.

And because of your bs Thames Pirate probably won't answer my questions about her country and pension.

[Thames Pirate]

I am not scared off by offensive people--it takes a lot more than that. I just had a family emergency. Senator, I am not posting my country on here, but I can say that it is a mix of state and private pension plans at our school and that the contributions are split between school and teacher. In our country you are vested after five years. If you are here fewer than five, you can get your state contributions (but not the school's) paid out to reinvest privately. For the private plans, you have some options to work with the school in terms of how that is invested. Does that help? Additionally, being vested generally includes all EU years--so while the country only has to pay out for the years you were in that country, they do have to pay out if you were in Europe for more than the country's minimum (so if you were 3 years in France, 4 in Spain, and 4 in Germany you would get paid out your 3-4-4 pension assuming that none have a requirement longer than 10 years to be vested). So while annoying to be collecting nickel and dime pensions from lots of places, it IS still something, and it does add up.

One thing to consider is how those pension contributions and pensions are taxed in your passport country and how collecting at age 60 in country A can affect your ability to collect in country B, where the retirement age is 65. Make sure you know before you collect!

Your best bet in Europe would be to find a first tier type IS with a solid HR department. These pay better AND often have HR professionals to help you either navigate the system or point you to someone who can help. Additionally, the better pay will help you invest privately because you should never count on any country's pension plan. A good paycheck can help with that. No, you wont save as much coin as you will in a lot of other places, but if you invest wisely, particularly if the school helps you do so, you can retire.

Oz, your own definition does not include a certain look (prettiness is subjective).

I don't think you should be allowed to teach if you cannot respect your students as human beings. Since you obviously cannot respect your female students as such, chilagringa called your teaching scary. I would have to agree, and if you were not enjoying the anonymity of the internet, I would be quick to tell the parents of every female (and male) student in your class what you believe about women. Most parents want a teacher who will respect their daughters or who will teach their sons to do the same. You are not that person.

And now, I am off for a workout. This means I am not delicate, btw. Please stop spreading the mistaken belief that thin=feminine since it doesn't fit your provided definition nor that of any other major dictionary. Delude yourself if you want, though. Someday you will be the creepy old dude, and those "feminine" women will no longer be interested in you.

[s0830887]

For the love of God, please stop the bickering. It's unbelievably petty from all sides and does absolutely nothing to advance the conversation. Can we please try to act like teachers, not high schoolers?

[chilagringa]

This is a web forum - the place bickerers' dreams are made of!

Thames, what's the age demographic like of teachers at your school? Does it tend to hire older teachers nearer requirement, or do people start young and just never leave?

[Thames Pirate]

The full range. We have teachers early in their careers (in their 20s), older teachers who have bounced around the globe for decades, people who have been here forever, people who are planning to stay, people who plan to move on after a few years . . . .

The school has a bunch of holdouts who have been here forever--stuffy types who are entitled and protected by labor laws. However, the newer hires are the opposite--dynamic, creative, professional, dedicated, and meticulous. So the demographic is evolving as well as varied.

[fine dude]

Wait for a couple of years. Your meticulous new hires will soon metamorphose into stuffy types. There is something inherently wrong with permanency in employment in Europe. People just stop reinventing themselves and dust off their decade-old lesson plans on a daily basis. With all the refugee influx and chronic financial malaise in Italy and Spain, we can't even be sure if the EU governments will still be able to pay those pensions 30 years down the line.

[Thames Pirate]

While that is certainly possible, there was a culture of stuffy types before the current director. The newer staff--hired within the last the few years--is a bit more of the light turnover (every 5 years) types. There will always be some stuffies, but the culture of stuffy is gradually being phased out. There is nothing wrong with reusing lesson plans as long as they are working and constantly being updated.

I agree one should not count on state pensions--from ANY country. We are planning independently, both in our home country (US) and other places we live.

[OzGrad]

@ TP

"The lady doth protest too much, methinks"

[Thames Pirate]

Seriously, there is nothing I can say that will convince you that I am not fat. However, what is sad is that you think what I weigh matters more than my kindness, my intellect, my talents, or anything else I can contribute.

[joe30]

@OzGrad

"The lady doth protest too much, methinks"

Agreed.