Maryland Retired School
Personnel Association

1945 - 2008

 Believe:  Members Make The Difference   

 


READY .......SET.......RETIRE!

Many think of the day they will retire with great anticipation and, very often, some anxiety.  Understandable.  The thought of being your own boss and not having to adhere to a schedule is exciting.  On the other hand, uncertainty about the future is scary.  There are so many options for retirees, including going to school, a new career, volunteering, and traveling.  Preparing and planning for the future will give you a sense of control and will allow you and your family to enjoy a secure retirement.

The Maryland Retired School Personnel Association Pre-Retirement Committee assists local associations and local Boards of Education in implementing retirement planning activities for all active school system personnel.  The Association also works with the Maryland State Retirement Agency assisting with pre-retirement seminars.

Retirement Planning Checklist:

What are Your Sources of Income?     Budget for Retirement
Retirement/Pension Plan
Social Security
Your Assets
Your Investments
Employment (Full/Part-time)

 

What are Your Health Insurance Options? Long Term Care**
Medicare Supplement
Dental**
Vision plan**
Hearing Instrument Plan**

 

What are Your Retirement Plans? Quality of life in retirement
Maintaining healthy life style
Having regular checkups (medical/dental)
Maintaining good mental health
Health Insurance/Prescription Drug Plan

 

What are your Legal Concerns? Wills, estate plans & trusts**
Advance Directives for Health Care**
Power of Attorney**
Health Care Power of Attorney**

 

Use of time in retirement New career/part-time work
Hobbies, Volunteer Work, Continuing Education
Time for family and friends
Time to Travel**
Time for all the "other things" you have wanted to do

 

Housing Options Relocating or downsizing
Independent Living - Assisted Living 
Skilled Nursing Care
Living with a Family Member

** Available to MRSPA Members - (Review Member Benefits Page)

Organizations that can provide helpful retirement information:

Local Board of Education - You may contact the retirement coordinator who will assist you in planning for retirement. 
State Retirement & Pension System of MD, 120 East Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD  21202 1-410-625-5555, 1-800-492-5909, email - sra@sra.state.md.us or by visiting the web site at www.sra.state.md.us.
Social Security Administration, Office of Public Inquiries, Windsor Park Building 6401 Security Blvd., Baltimore, MD  21235 - 1-800-772-1213, Hard of Hearing - 1-800-325-0778,  or by visiting the web site at  www.ssa.gov.
AARP - Find a job:  Are you looking for an employer that values older workers?  AARP has identified employers who are looking for you.
Maryland Department of Aging - www.mdoa.state.md.us
 

 

As you are charting a new course, the MRSPA Pre-Retirement Committee encourages you to select a book to read or visit a recommended website.   For a PDF printable copy of the below listing click here.

RETIREMENT RESOURCES (including content summary of books available for use in presenting a pre-retirement and/or retirement workshop).

Maryland Retired School Personnel Association – www.mrspa.org – Planning for Retirement/Community Service Opportunities

Job Opportunities located in Members Only Section

AARP/NRTA: AARP’s Educator Community www.aarp.org – Careers

Bolles, Richard N. What Color is Your Parachute? Berkley, California: Ten Speed Press, 2005.  www.jobhuntersbible.com  

Boynton, Sandra.  Yay, You! : Moving Out, Moving Up, Moving On.  Simon and Schuster, New York, New York, 2001.

        ●      In rhyme, outlines some of the possibilities that life has to offer, from the adventurous to the tranquil 

Freudenheim, Ellen The Baby Boomers’ Guide to Good Work

Met Life and Civic Ventures, 2005  Available online at www.civicventures.org

        ●      Provides an introduction to “Jobs That Make A Difference” and a listing of resources regarding these jobs.  

Kellerman, Pat Skilling, M.A.  Starting Over: Reinventing Life After 60

Xlibris Publishing – 1.888.795.4274

        ●      Ways to start a new career

        ●      Varieties of opportunities await the retired

                ◦       carving

                ◦       take a class

                ◦       repair computers

                ◦       open a museum

                ◦       spruce up the town

                ◦       start writing

                ◦       consult in developing countries

        ●      Steps to figuring out what to do

                ◦       find a passion

                ◦       give to others

                ◦       develop new friendships

                ◦       begin now! 

Roadburg, Alan, Ph.D. Life After Teaching: Road Map to Retirement Happiness

UTD Library Publications, Thornhill, Ontario 2005

        ●      Written to be a thought-provoking and educational tool for retirement planning, financial planning, self-help and life-style support that the author hopes will enable readers to “find life after work that you consider worthwhile and enjoyable”. 

Sedlar, Jeri and Rick Miners.  Don’t Retire, Rewire!  Indianapolis, Indiana: Alpha Books, 2003

        ●      Know what drives you, be it interest, desires, work, passions

        ●      Start a new career

        ●      Work on what brings and keeps good health

        ●      Blend work life with personal life in retirement

        ●      Gradually shift gears from working for a company to other ways of being productive, i.e.

                ◦       work for wages

                ◦       work for fee

                ◦       work for me

                ◦       work for free

        ●      Develop new interests and activities

        ●      Fill blanks when work stops

        ●      Create your own vision

        ●      Know your skills

        ●      Develop new skills

        ●      Develop an action plan

        ●      Develop new drivers

        ●      Keep or gain an upbeat, positive attitude 

Stone, Marika and Howard.  Too Young to Retire: 101 Ways to Start the Rest of Your Life.  New York, New York: Penguin Group, 2002

        ●      Suggestions for what to include in retirement plans

        ●      Ways to keep healthy

        ●      100 and 1 ageless activities

        ●      Guide to tackling the practical details of everyday finances

        ●      Restructure your priorities around what’s more important like family, service

        ●      Keep learning

        ●      Take risks

        ●      Be open to new opportunities

        ●      Go after your dreams

        ●      Act on the passion within you 

Trafford, Abigail.  My Time: Making the Most of The Bonus Decades After Fifty.  New York, New York: Basic Books, 2004

        ●      Seeking purpose in life after retirement

        ●      What are the basic units to life in retirement?

        ●      Ideas for satisfying one’s needs and desires

        ●      Confronting loss

        ●      Preventing loss of physical strength and short term memory 

Schlossberg, Nancy K. Retire Smart, Retire Happy: Finding Your True Path in Life.   www.transitionguide.com  Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association, 2004

        ●      Guidance on psychological and emotional adjustments in retirement

        ●      Tips on coping

        ●      Important to keep contact with friends

        ●      Ways to finding new friends to fill the void left by leaving those at the former workplace

        ●      When retired, you are suddenly on your own

        ●      Transition tips to retirement

                ◦       Look inward

                ◦       Do what makes you feel appreciated, recognized, and that you matter

                ◦       Spirituality – what has meaning to you

                ◦       Replace relationships you had at work

                ◦       Keep a time diary

                ◦       Build physical activity into your life

                ◦       Keep track of finances.  Take an ‘internal audit’.

Retirement Transition Packet - www.transitionguide.com


 

 

MRSPA is the only organization in Maryland that works exclusively for retired school employees. If you are an active school employee you are eligible to join the Association as an associate member.  Please contact us with any questions or concerns you may have - 410-551-1517 or 1-877-625-6782. You may also reach us by email at mrspa@mrspa.org.  

MRSPA home | Social Security | Maryland State Retirement Agency | AARP |
United Seniors of MarylandMD Department of Aging

Please send comments or questions about this web site to mrspa@mrspa.org
Copyright © 2001 [Maryland Retired School Personnel Association]. All rights reserved.
Revised: March 25, 2008