Well, it's all done!

alfadriver said:

Adrian_Thompson (Forum Supporter) said:

Congratulations.  Good news for you that you got 30 years in so you get the excellent pension.  I spent 25 years in and around Ford, but because it was Agency -> Visteon -> Ford direct I get zero.  Glad you left on your own terms.  I've been hearing from others who were walked out over the last few days.  Pity Ford they've chosen a series of completely berkeleying hopeless leaders after the excellent Alan Mulally.  They are way past shedding the dead weight, and now losing some very good people.

Over the last few days, I've found out how many friends were forced to retire- most of which were ok, some not.  But at least the one should very easily find a job in her field- super gifted engineer.  

I had to take the lump sum, and then hope that the health care benefits continue, as it sure doesn't look like the leaders have any idea how to run a company.  

Alan lit a flame under the company that I was able to ride on for many years.  But the easy vision from 5 years ago to prepare for this and next year didn't happen- and now it's an emergency.  Really sad.  And it was hard to see friends at work today who really have no idea what's going to happen in the next years- some of which are the ones they *need* to fully vest the pension.

Finishing on my terms does matter a lot.  

I had a coworker whose job was getting moved to another state... And he was divorced, with kids. He couldn't move. He could get another job at another company, but needed like 2 more years to keep his pension big enough. He went from a senior manager to working in a call center, just to keep the pension fully vested. Obviously that didn't last long, he found something better in the company... But it was still rather eye opening. 

congrats, and enjoy the well earned break!

Congratulations on wrapping up a corporate career on your terms!

So, congrats and all that.

Is the stock headed up or down?  Buy more, hold, or sell?

Congratulations! I know so many people who were either forced out or hastily took a buyout with no real follow up plan, it's nice to hear about someone able to plan and execute their exit on their own terms. Enjoy your retirement!

Best wishes for a great retirement! And whatever is next! 

That planned one year of time off will go very quickly!

Congrats!  And I have also greatly enjoyed your posts with somewhat "inside" information.  

Enjoy your retirement! If all goes well, about 8 more years for me.

You started just about a year before I did. I was hired in May of 1993 (and I first met you about 4 years later at an AROC autocross), and if I hadn't been part of the Visteon spinoff in 2000, I'd still have a pension, too. But alas, going through that whole thing, then ACH, then back to Ford, all made it a lot easier to walk away when I did in 2008. I still have a lot of friends there, and one of them just got caught in the latest round of cuts. I certainly remember a lot of days like that, and it was no fun at all.

Regardless, while I have expanded my automotive horizons some, I will always bleed Ford blue to some extent. It is a shame to see some of the missteps they've been making lately, though I do think their overall strategy is as good as anyone's. Predicting the future is not easy, after all. But I've been watching this industry for basically my whole life, and the whole thing is so cyclical and up-and-down, it's really hard to know where any of these companies will stand in 5 years. Honestly, that's a big reason I wanted out. The Large German Conglomerate is pretty stable by comparison.

Anyhow, cheers to you, my friend! Enjoy retirement. It's at least a good 10 years away for me.

In reply to alfadriver :

Congrats, Alfa!

1988RedT2 said:

So, congrats and all that.

 

Is the stock headed up or down?  Buy more, hold, or sell?

If I could figure out our shareholders...  seemed like every good quarter meant a dip, and bad ones that led to cuts meant a bump.  The only consistent down turn was Jack Nasser- he almost bankrupted the company back in '07.

Congrats! Enjoy it!

Congratulations! Enjoy retirement. 

Congrats, alfa!  That's a good run and an excellent exit.  I wish you all the best for next year, and for whatever you decide after that.

Cheers!

Congratulations Alfa, especially for being able to retire on your terms.  30 plus years is an amazing run in the corporate world.

Congratulations.  That is pretty much how my career ended.  Fortunately I was 65 and took the hint and didn't even consider looking for another job.   The difference is that my wife is still babysitting for a friend granddaughter so no travel yet.    

Congratulations! Now enjoy your well-deserved retirement!

Congratulations alfadriver!!

Congrats!

You deserve it after 40 years!

now is time to enjoy!

In reply to preach (dudeist priest) :

It was actually only 30.  

Maybe 5 or so years ago, our pensions got capped at 35 max- and a few friends retired immediately after that announcement.  But over the past few years, they were asking anyone who was fully vested to retire.

Mine was planned for many years, but as it turned out, had I not planned for it, the end would have been last Friday anyway.  So it all worked out.

Given how much I was given for my pension, I can very much see the big deal about getting us off the books.  Still, I don't think many of those people forced to retire Friday deserved that treatment.

I was thinking this morning that it really wont sink in until week 3, as more than once in my career we took a 2 week vacation- just once did we stretch it to three when it spanned a new year.  So having Monday off on that third week will be pretty new to me.

Thanks, all, for the well wishes!  For the youngsters, I encourage you to plan ahead as much as you possibly can.  Hopefully, the older ones have been planning this as long as they can.  The day will come, and once it gets there, you have the time and resources to do things you've always wanted to do.  (or learned you wanted to do it recently)

Congrats! Retired is what I want to be when I grow up.

Gearheadotaku (Forum Supporter) said:

Congrats! Retired is what I want to be when I grow up.

I want to be retired before I grow up so I have more time to enjoy it!

Congrats, Alfadriver!

Congratulations!
 

After bouncing around for the first 10 years, I have managed to stay at one company for 11 years, now.  I am not sure I could make it 19 more. Kudos to you for surviving corporate ridiculousness for so long. 
 

4/29, huh? Good day to sign off, boss.

Congratulations! 
Great timing! April 29 was my last day too. I retired after 42 years. It'll take a while for this to sink in. 
 

Cheers, Paul 

I have this theory about Sunday night:

50% of the population is depressed as they have to go to work on Monday and their weekend flew by.  The unemployed fall in this group.  No job is depressing cause of no money.

25% of the population is depressed as they have to go to school on Monday and their homework and/or report/project didn't get finished.

The 25% balance is happy because they are either under school age, retired or a barber.