thanks, and yes, a pittance of a pension and regular checkups keep us on budget and head off any problems — best decision i ever made (financial or otherwise) was serving our country doing search - and - rescue, oil and chemical spill remediation, etc. (you can guess the branch of service)-- along the way, frugal living, along with dollar - cost averaging, asset allocation, and diversification allowed us to retire early — Vanguard has been very good over the years, despite the Dot Bomb, 2002, and the recession (where we actually came out better with a modest but bargain retirement home purchase)... it's not easy building additional «legs» on a retirement
platform, but now that we're here, cash, real estate, investments and insurance products, along with a
small pension all help to avoid any real dependence on social security (we won't even need it at full retirement age)-- however, like nearly everybody, we're headed for Medicare in several years,
albeit with a nice supplemental and pharmacy benefits — but our main concern is staying fit, active, and healthy!
Still, the company is adamant that over time, new systems such as an air traffic control
platform for drones will pave the way for wider commercial use of autonomous flying machines, giving it yet another way of taking ordered goods —
albeit relatively
small ones — to waiting customers.