I'm contributing to a 401(k) and a IRA but what do I do with those previous accounts? I taught for 5.5 years and I believe the TRS account is vested if that makes a difference.

boboguitar said:

---

I'm contributing to a 401(k) and a IRA but what do I do with those previous accounts? I taught for 5.5 years and I believe the TRS account is vested if that makes a difference.

---

IIRC, I moved my wife's account into a vanguard rollover IRA to consolidate our finances into less institutions. Not sure if that is what you are looking for.

dubi said:

---

I imagine it is not very much money, so you might leave it there just in case your ever end up back into TRS.

---

This. I work for an ISD and have talked to a couple of people that came back (on the admin staff side) that wished they had left it in place.

OP didn't say the reason for not in TRS anymore.

We moved 1000 miles away from Houston, so finally after 5 years, I'm taking my wife's TRS money and putting into fidelity rollover.

Sorry, I completely left the field about 1.5 years ago.

I'm in IT now and don't see myself going back. It would be a massive paycut, worse hours, worse benefits. I'm not sure I'd do that to my family.

boboguitar said:

---

Sorry, I completely left the field about 1.5 years ago.

I'm in IT now and don't see myself going back. It would be a massive paycut, worse hours, worse benefits. I'm not sure I'd do that to my family.

---

Having 3 months off a year would be worse than your current schedule?

Must have some pretty sweet hours.

62strat said:

---

boboguitar said:

---

Sorry, I completely left the field about 1.5 years ago.

I'm in IT now and don't see myself going back. It would be a massive paycut, worse hours, worse benefits. I'm not sure I'd do that to my family.

---

Having 3 months off a year would be worse than your current schedule?

Must have some pretty sweet hours.

---

Yeah, I work from home, some days I work 12-15 hours and some days I work 2-3.

If I have to pick up a sick kid, I can immediately leave and do that and they can stay home with me until they are allowed back. None of that I can do as a teacher.

I'll easily work during the summer for doubling my teacher salary and having super flexible work hours.

lunchbox said:

---

dubi said:

---

I imagine it is not very much money, so you might leave it there just in case your ever end up back into TRS.

---

This. I work for an ISD and have talked to a couple of people that came back (on the admin staff side) that wished they had left it in place.

---

Double this. My wife left her teaching job to be a stay at home mom and took the $5,000 or $6,000 in her TRS account. Eventually went back to teaching. A couple of August's ago, we bought back those years for somewhere around $30,000. But it greatly increased her retirement payout and allowed her to retire earlier. Still would have been better had we just left it there.

boboguitar said:

---

62strat said:

---

boboguitar said:

---

Sorry, I completely left the field about 1.5 years ago.

I'm in IT now and don't see myself going back. It would be a massive paycut, worse hours, worse benefits. I'm not sure I'd do that to my family.

---

Having 3 months off a year would be worse than your current schedule?

Must have some pretty sweet hours.

---

Yeah, I work from home, some days I work 12-15 hours and some days I work 2-3.

If I have to pick up a sick kid, I can immediately leave and do that and they can stay home with me until they are allowed back. None of that I can do as a teacher.

I'll easily work during the summer for doubling my teacher salary and having super flexible work hours.

---

Makes sense. I guess I was thinking more of my wife's decision to go back in education after leaving for 3 years, but she is a counselor. She has much more flexibility than a teacher, and pay is more. She can stay at home with a sick kid and work from her laptop, most of the time.. of course she has meetings with parents and kids, but those can be moved around.

She hasn't regretted going back one bit; especially here in about 5 weeks.

Working 7-3, 180 days a year is tough to beat no matter how you slice it.

Teachers complain about pay, but you get paid until the day you die, which could easily be ~30 years after you retire. That essentially means you made almost double the salary while you worked. Seems that is often left out.

depending on how much is in TRS, I would tend to leave it there... the 403b can be rolled into the IRA