05-22-2007, 03:02 PM
I worked for 36 years for a "small" oil company (Shell) and retired in late 1998 at the age of 59. They had a good benefit plan and I had interesting assignments through the years (25 of them in computer automation of oil and gas fields) culminating in 7 years overseas in Oman and the Netherlands. I ended up with a generous pension which is now supplemented by Social Security, health and prescription insurance, and a substantial IRA that earns more than my pension and Social Security combined. We likely would not have been so fortunate if I had "job hopped".