I’m just seven weeks away from completing my 65th year here.
Despite changes in law and tradition achieving that age is still a special event in this society- beyond all the personal reasons mentioned in this post.
We are no longer eligible for “full retirement benefits” from Social Security at that age. For folks born around the same time as me that magic age (or TMA) is 66 years and 8 months; March 2025 in my case. The chart here shows how TMA is currently calculated.
For a variety of personal reasons I did file for reduced benefits early; at age 62 years and 5 months. The amount of my benefit will not change once I reach TMA; how any additional employment income is treated changes significantly at that point. Income from working over a certain amount (US$21,240 for 2023) would reduce my monthly benefit until the magic age is reached. Not that I’m anywhere near earning such large amounts.
The Canadian Pension Plan (CPP) still calculates 65 as the “standard retirement age” while decreasing the monthly benefit for each year before, or increasing them for each year after that age, benefits are first received (up to 5 years either way).
It is my intention, as of now, to not file for my earned CPP benefits until I move back, and that is not going to happen before March of 2025. One factor for setting that date is that self-employment income of any amount while living outside the USA before TMA is reached is a problem. And it’s still a question whether I’ll be ready to move my household that quickly.
Here in Ohio I became a recipient of the Golden Buckeye discount card when I turned 60. Some businesses offer ‘Senior Citizen’ discounts starting at age 55, and that age is often the dividing line (or starting point?) to reside in a ‘Retirement Community’.
Meanwhile, the US Government recognizes that many employers view folks even younger than these ages as ‘too old’ to invest in: “The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) forbids age discrimination against people who are age 40 or older (source: U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission).
In the United States eligibility for Medicare, the governmental medical insurance programme, begins at age 65. And so that is the only “real” impact of my birthday this summer. But a milestone none the less. And if you should want to send me a birthday present to celebrate, I do have some gift ideas on the Supporting Me page.
But in truth, the gift I am most anxious to receive is support in turning my fevered dream of Family of Lovers into reality. Whether financial support for a professional consult with a lawyer specializing in Intellectual Property Rights, or a personal referral to someone active in the Music Industry that can move this project forward, I will not rest (nor stop talking about the project) until Paul and Ron are properly recognized for their groundbreaking work spreading pride and love to queer folk across North America (and beyond).
