Mike Causey is on vacation this week and asked several readers, friends and even critics to write guest columns in his absence. Please enjoy today’s offering from long-time reader and IRS retiree Tony Krolik:

It’s been a while since I last sent Mike Causey one of these. I’ve been reading and following the federal doings through my friends still at IRS and this column. It will be four years this August since I left the IRS and I can say that I’m glad I did. I couldn’t work under the constant thought of being so close to retirement and losing so much.

I really think that the idea that feds have it so good is a little stretched. I’ve been doing alright. By no means am I living “the life of Reilly,” but for a guy who worked for 27 years, whose wife did not work, with a pension and Social Security I’ve been able to manage. Of course, I have a small tax consulting business on the side and this has been very helpful in supplemental income.

Now I’m not working eight hours a day seven days a week; I work as needed to service my clients and take care of their problems. So I do have time for fun things my wife and I like to do. Many people I still talk with at IRS say they hear about me “having to work” and they get scared about leaving since they don’t think they have enough. I’m just a homebody and enjoy my family and 12 grandchildren. I support two people on my pension and Social Security. Most of you out there have two incomes so you have double the retirements incomes.

Next, the income will increase some as I am eligible for Medicare and I can find a cheaper supplemental insurance plan through the government. I say the private sector is still better than what feds get for retirement. Those of you aged 50 and older probably, if you stayed at one place, have a pension from your job. It is more so the younger ones my children’s age who are preparing for retirement out of their own pockets.

Don’t get me wrong — I think the president is wrong for picking on feds, but we’re easy targets. But if you’re hanging on because you are worried, you would be surprised what you can do and still enjoy being retired.

Nearly Useless Factoid

By Amelia Brust

Sodium lauryl sulfate, or SLS, is a common ingredient in both household cleaners and cosmetic products such as shampoo. In light of lasting public perceptions of the chemical’s toxicity to humans, the National Institutes of Health published a 2015 report stating the ingredient has not been proven to be carcinogenic, or cancer-causing. That said, you still should probably not drink it or put it in your eyes.

Source: National Institutes of Health

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