I'm Retiring Before 60; Will I Lose my Railroad Retirement Current Connection?

Welcome back to another edition of the Highball Advisors Railroad Retirement Mailbag. I’m John McNamara of Highball Advisors, and today’s question comes from Brian O., who writes:

"I have 34 years of service and was thinking about retiring at 58 and a half. Do I lose my current connection?"

First off—congratulations on 34 years of service! That’s a tremendous milestone and gives you a lot of flexibility in retirement planning.

Now, once you’ve reached 30 years of service, your current connection is generally secure—unless you take a W-2 job outside the railroad industry before starting your annuity. That’s the key risk here.

And it’s a big one—because if you lose that connection, you could be giving up a very valuable survivor annuity, especially if you’re married. That benefit is worth protecting, so think carefully before accepting any non-railroad employment.

I’d recommend watching my videos “Should I Work in Railroad Retirement?”and  "Do I Need a Current Connection to Receive Railroad Retirement Benefits?"to walk through all the considerations and checkpoints before making that decision.

As always, I hope you found this helpful. Feel free to send in your questions—I’ll keep making videos to help guide you through retirement.

Until next time, stay safe, stay on track, and take care. So long, everybody!

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Disclaimer: This article is provided for general information and illustration purposes only. Nothing contained in the material constitutes tax advice, a recommendation for purchase or sale of any security, or investment advisory services. Highball Advisors encourages you to consult a financial planner, accountant, and/or legal counsel for advice specific to your situation. Reproduction of this material is prohibited without written permission from Highball Advisors, and all rights are reserved from Highball Advisors, and all rights are reserved.