I got about 25 years until retirement. I started working for a state. They offer a 401K style retirement and a pension style. Both have good and bad points.

Assuming I would retire full vested after 20+ years, is there a better option or something I am not seeing? Is it sort of a gamble either way?

One big question is if I will stay with the state job or move on some day. From where I sit, I don't know. I would like to think that I will retire with the state but if a private company makes an offer or something comes along some day, I would like to be open to it?

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

If they only offer one or the other and you are committed to sticking it out, take the pension and set up your own 401K.

That is what I would do.



More importantly accept your position as a tool for the rich people to get richer and nothing more. Your emotions are yours and no one else cares about them, if you are not contributing to something or someone else you are not worth anything at all, work until the day you die and be too much of a pussy to opt out so you just have to endure it.


Accept it.


We still have significantly better lives than a lot of people but you absolutely should accept that.

I was thinking about doing the pension and a side retirement investment too, as you said. The pension isn't much considering cost increases and that I cannot work after unlike say cops who retire at 40'sh and can keep working.

Kinda feels like a gamble to be honest.

Defined benefit pension 100%. If you leave you still get the money.

I am thinking about coupling it (if I go that route) with a subsidized 401k type offered for gov employees. The typical pension comes up short from the paycheck amount you retire with and there is a 401k type differed fund that offsets that. it isn't much but only takes a bit out each pay period and makes up the rest when you retire.

I just don't know much about this stuff so really not sure. I worked independent for a very long time so this is new. I took a gov job because the health care is better and my wife and I are aging. I never had retirement planning before.

I guess the gamble is I leave before the investment period and lose out? I cannot say a private sector job wouldn't be attractive years down the road but who is to say?

Pension seems more guaranteed since it is a state offering right? 401k seems more of a gamble based on the last how many years of uncertainty? This aint the 90's anymore.