take congress, the admin, government employees, the military, and so many more who are living off our government while denying everyone the same
<snip> Doug Nordman
Age: 46
Retirement Age: 41
Residence: Mililani, Hawaii
Career: Officer, U.S. Navy
"After 20 years of active service in the military, you can retire with a pension worth about half your final basic pay. I've read that more than 85 percent of officers who retire start a second career. I went through all the assessments, which said I should be a nuclear engineer or a midlevel manager. That was pretty much what I was doing.
"I was griping about it to my dad, and he asked, 'Didn't you save anything over the last 20 years?' I had never thought of that before. So in June 2002, after my 20 years were up, I retired.
"My wife and I have always tracked our expenses and lived below our means. We were able to figure out what our expenses would be, and we have a portfolio large enough to sustain us through the remainder of our lives. Part of that is in a Thrift Savings Plan, which is like a 401(k) for government and military employees. I also receive $36,000 a year from my pension, which covers our mortgage, groceries and most other expenses.
"My wife, who was also in the Navy, is in the reserves, and that can pay as much as $15,000 a year, though usually it is much less. Health care and inflation are solved by the military. The pension comes with a cost-of-living adjustment, and you get cheap health insurance - $460 a year covers the family.
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http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/fortune/0706/gallery.retire50.fortune/5.html