You're so very welcome, Allison. And now that you've gone past version 9.8, there is an even greater wealth of useful things I can pass on to you for problem solving in projects. Some of these are already out there in cyberspace; others are still interred on my SSD waiting for my current dense nervous fog to lift.
We really shouldn't be half as discouraged these days as some are by the reorientation of the makers of what is still the most useful support suite for independent translation work (or teamwork for that matter) to serve corporate interests for which I have so little regard for all the harm they do. I'll speak my bit on that in due course and offer what I hope will be a useful technical survival roadmap for a profession that gave me so much for a quarter century. Maybe by then I'll be able to complete a sentence in that essay without resort to the foulest curses I can muster for all the abusers and destroyers of good people and good communication.
I hear you. And as someone who apparently doesn't have a right to my SS in the US (I'm 10 quarters too 'short'), and will only have the standard pension when I can retire, I wake up with a pit in my stomach every day. Getting hired to do other work at my age is apparently not an option - I want a refund on my MBA! :) Sending good vibes to you. Being forced to give up something we love smarts, to say the least.
Ten quarters? Ouch. I don't understand the relevant laws to know if there is some strategy for making that up, or if the "totalization" feature of some treaty enables you to count some of your time in EU countries to qualify. I can do that apparently to collect a Portuguese pension as well (albeit a rather small one, but enough to cover my pastry habit and fishing tackle).
Although it wasn't a financial necessity, as you might have heard, I returned to work after a fashion because of my concerns that the current antics in Washington D.C. might very well result in the reduction or loss of the modest benefits I had begun receiving after my retirement in May 2024. Not wanting to rebuild a translation clientele that I would inevitably disappoint when I return to full-time househusbandry after the political fog clears, I decided to do something language-adjacent, which has given me unfortunate insights into the damage that will be inflicted on the minds and spirits of translators with the technologies currently being promoted for "productivity". Exposure to this garbage has kindled a rage in me which is barely restrained, and which creates an aversion to touching my personal keyboard which is so strong taht it takes me 2 months to finish a Temu order for some batteries and gardening kit I need. So as you search for options, I would say "take care": there are probably worse fates in store than homelessness and starvation.
Yeah, apparently you have to have contributed for 40 quarters total to be entitled to SS on retirement. I left the US when I was 27. Still thinking about ways to do that from here, but pretty sure there aren't any, barring working for a US gov't institution for 2 1/2 years. I am entitled to Dutch pension, thankfully, which is just barely enough to cover my rent and health insurance premiums. :(
Well, there are US bases not too far away from you, but I think you'd be "local economy" anyway. See if there is an option for voluntary payments into the system. Or if that "totalization" the staff member at the US Consulate in Lisbon explained to me applies in your case (though it wasn't relevant for US-SS in my case because I had over 20 years paying into the system before I left) and which was verified by the Portuguese Segurança Social staff. One quandary created by that is what to do about such "assets" from Germany (totalization can apparently only be applied with records from one country, though now it looks like I might not need to use this option at all), but I'll just go talk to the German consulate one of these days when I'm in the mood. They are generally far easier to deal with that the crazy Americans.
This was useful Kevin – thanks.
Thanks for this Kevin! I finally got up the nerve as the Tech Anti-Christ to upgrade from 9.4 to 11.2. Glad I read this!
You're so very welcome, Allison. And now that you've gone past version 9.8, there is an even greater wealth of useful things I can pass on to you for problem solving in projects. Some of these are already out there in cyberspace; others are still interred on my SSD waiting for my current dense nervous fog to lift.
We really shouldn't be half as discouraged these days as some are by the reorientation of the makers of what is still the most useful support suite for independent translation work (or teamwork for that matter) to serve corporate interests for which I have so little regard for all the harm they do. I'll speak my bit on that in due course and offer what I hope will be a useful technical survival roadmap for a profession that gave me so much for a quarter century. Maybe by then I'll be able to complete a sentence in that essay without resort to the foulest curses I can muster for all the abusers and destroyers of good people and good communication.
I hear you. And as someone who apparently doesn't have a right to my SS in the US (I'm 10 quarters too 'short'), and will only have the standard pension when I can retire, I wake up with a pit in my stomach every day. Getting hired to do other work at my age is apparently not an option - I want a refund on my MBA! :) Sending good vibes to you. Being forced to give up something we love smarts, to say the least.
Ten quarters? Ouch. I don't understand the relevant laws to know if there is some strategy for making that up, or if the "totalization" feature of some treaty enables you to count some of your time in EU countries to qualify. I can do that apparently to collect a Portuguese pension as well (albeit a rather small one, but enough to cover my pastry habit and fishing tackle).
Although it wasn't a financial necessity, as you might have heard, I returned to work after a fashion because of my concerns that the current antics in Washington D.C. might very well result in the reduction or loss of the modest benefits I had begun receiving after my retirement in May 2024. Not wanting to rebuild a translation clientele that I would inevitably disappoint when I return to full-time househusbandry after the political fog clears, I decided to do something language-adjacent, which has given me unfortunate insights into the damage that will be inflicted on the minds and spirits of translators with the technologies currently being promoted for "productivity". Exposure to this garbage has kindled a rage in me which is barely restrained, and which creates an aversion to touching my personal keyboard which is so strong taht it takes me 2 months to finish a Temu order for some batteries and gardening kit I need. So as you search for options, I would say "take care": there are probably worse fates in store than homelessness and starvation.
Yeah, apparently you have to have contributed for 40 quarters total to be entitled to SS on retirement. I left the US when I was 27. Still thinking about ways to do that from here, but pretty sure there aren't any, barring working for a US gov't institution for 2 1/2 years. I am entitled to Dutch pension, thankfully, which is just barely enough to cover my rent and health insurance premiums. :(
Keep fighting the good fight! <3
Well, there are US bases not too far away from you, but I think you'd be "local economy" anyway. See if there is an option for voluntary payments into the system. Or if that "totalization" the staff member at the US Consulate in Lisbon explained to me applies in your case (though it wasn't relevant for US-SS in my case because I had over 20 years paying into the system before I left) and which was verified by the Portuguese Segurança Social staff. One quandary created by that is what to do about such "assets" from Germany (totalization can apparently only be applied with records from one country, though now it looks like I might not need to use this option at all), but I'll just go talk to the German consulate one of these days when I'm in the mood. They are generally far easier to deal with that the crazy Americans.
Yeah, I check those bases often - there has been talk of closing them, or parts of them, so who knows.
I will look into the totalization aspect, thanks! :)