On Wednesday, September 26, 2018 at 2:48:16 PM UTC-4, wrote:
On Wed, 26 Sep 2018 14:33:10 -0400, Ralph Mowery
wrote:

In article ,
says...

It is mostly about the money not that the kids are smarter.
Older employees generally have better benefit packages, make more
money and are willing to put up with less bull**** than a kid who is
slave to a student loan they are struggling to pay down.
This has been going on for about 3 decades. Some of the "kids" they
were hiring to get rid of geezers like me are being kicked to the curb
now.
Back when I was being pushed they had an over funded pension plan to
sweeten the deal with a nice package they could offer. I got a full
pension at 49. That was a win-win for both of us. They got me off the
payroll and that improved their bottom line. I got to retire early
instead of just being laid off. These days the deal is not as sweet
since defined pension plans left about the same time I did and I am
not sure what they have to offer now.



That was the way it was at the company I worked for. I could have
retired at 55 with about 80% of my pay and most of the medical insurance
for me and the wife paid for.

The company got bought out several times. The eairly retirement went
out and no insurance after leaving. The pension fund was over funded to
start with and later raided .

The newer employees did not get any pension and less vacation time. The
older ones had the pension froze and would have to wait to alteast they
were 62 instead of 55.

The last time we got bought out worked out fairly well for the older
ones. We got to apply for the pension at a reduced rate and still kept
on working. Doing some calculating similar to the Social Security way,
it would take us to around 78 years old to break even and get more money
out of the retirement fund. Doubt that many of us will be around at
that age and if so, would not need the extra $ 500 a month anyway.
We could have lots more fun with over 1500 a month extra at 56 to 78
years old. Even invested in a mutual fund we would have had more money.



One thing you find out right away is the only thing that is guaranteed
is your core pension benefit. Everything else is a love letter in the
sand. My "free" health insurance disappeared right away. Those COLAs
they promises never happened either. Guys who got out when I did, do
get a little stipend to help offset the Medicare part B but that went
away for people leaving the next year. It too is not guaranteed but
they still honor it now.

I've never worked at a company large enough to offer a defined-benefit
pension. Nor has my husband (except he was at General Dynamics after
they stopped offering one). I've always known we'd have to depend on
our own savings (including our 401Ks). He's always had company
matching for what he's put into his, but my company is too small and
too poor.

Cindy Hamilton