Rookie on the Rise

22-year-old firefighter Edgar Escobar may be a rookie in the field of retirement savings, but he already knows more than many his age about playing the long game.

By Laura Mellett

 

At 22, TCDRS member Edgar Escobar may be a rookie in the field of retirement savings. But as a firefighter working in the Cy-Fair suburb outside of Houston with almost two years of TCDRS service time under his belt, he already knows more than many his age about playing the long game.

Some of that training has included learning the benefits of being vested, the power of compounding interest and the wisdom of having a supplemental retirement savings plan such as a Roth IRA.

"The [employer] match is definitely a blessing," he says, describing the TCDRS benefit he is earning and how much he appreciates the fact that Harris County Emergency Services District 9 and the community he serves have his back.

"You take care of us [and] we take care of you all, so it's definitely appreciated," he adds.

 

Deeply committed to his faith, Edgar says he felt called to become a volunteer firefighter when he was just 16. He then went on to get his certifications and make it a full-time career.

Neither of Edgar’s parents were able to save for retirement, so when he heard some of his colleagues talking about their TCDRS benefit, he wanted to learn more. He signed up for an online counseling session with a TCDRS Member Services Representative to learn about his account.

"I had the opportunity to do it, and I have always been the one to try to learn from other people and make the best decisions," Edgar says. "I thought, ‘Let's figure something out to start the ball rolling and set myself up the best way I can.’"

Though it's still a ways off, Edgar hopes he will someday be able to use his retirement not only to take care of himself and his family but to continue to take care of others as well.

"What would I like to do in retirement?” he says. “I would say to be with my family and to travel. And, of course, taking care of other people who are less fortunate and to bless them."

 

Photos courtesy of Edgar Escobar

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