options

Healthsuper offer me a free financial consultation in honour of my turning 60. I stand at the glass wall on the nineteenth floor of a city building and take in the rather grand view from their reception area. The consultant appointed to consult with me is in the building but no longer consulting because he has resigned. A Scot named Richard greets me instead.

He’s a friendly personable bloke and we get on well. His questions me first on behalf of Glenn, the consultant I was to meet: he wants to know about my bikes, mentioned among my meagre assets in the preliminary questionnaire I previously posted to them. Richard departs briefly to report to his soon-to-be-former colleague and brings back a favourable report.

Then we get to the less serious stuff. He offers suggestions and options but no advice. I can pay about a grand for that but he advises against it. We establish that I’m not keen to work just for the sake of working. One option is a transition to retirement pension whereby I sacrifice $10k per annum of my now tax-free super and receive a fortnightly payment.

  

He also informs me that if I do a certain amount of voluntary work, Centrelink will pay me income support without requiring me to look for work. These options combined appeal greatly.

All this happens back in December and prompts me to enquire about volunteer work with AMES as an English tutor for migrants, and supervising young drivers in the L2P program for disadvantaged kids trying to complete their 120 hours mandatory driving practice before taking the licence test.

This afternoon a young woman from a neighbouring council responds to the message I left just after Christmas about the L2P program. I tell her that I mentored a young driver in this program while living and working in Bendigo, and that it was my job to be the regional expert on mentoring. I might have left the job but I haven’t given it up yet.

She emails me an application form.

Rock on.