Do you, Doran, hereby take this pension plan 'til Death do you part?
Two different people insulted me regarding my last journal entry. I think that's a record! It's ok tho, it makes things interesting. Some wise person said you don't learn anything if everyone around you agrees with you.

Anywho, today we were presented with our benefits options in new employee orientation. Most of it was the standard fare; pick your medical plan, life insurance etc. Then came the craptacularly complicated and stress-inducing pension plan options! The word of the hour was IRREVOCABLE. Once a pension plan is chosen it is IRREVOCABLE. Your choice to participate or not is irrevocable. That means that if, at a later date you want to join the pension plan, you can't! You must choose now or forever regret it for the next 30 years! You choice of optional employee contribution is irrevocable as is the amount of you optional contribution. I can think of no other life choice with such long term consequences with room to wiggle, negotiate or change your mind. Even with marriage, you can choose a trial separation! It's rather frightening knowing that in your youth, the way you answer a problem (what pension plan to choose) with an ambiguous solution (the optimal choice is as unknowable as the future itself) will have major consequenses on the later quarter of your life (from age 65 unto death).

I'd like to contribute a generous amount to a retirement plan but I just don't have any surplus income right now. Nor do I foresee my income increasing unless I earn another degree or change my personality. My fixed costs for subsistence are just about the same as my income. That's rather depressing since I live with extreme frugality but that's another topic.