At the end of 2001, his mother had joint replacement surgery on an ailing leg. Also, the finance industry, in which he was employed, was phasing in mergers and phasing out employees. That's when he decided to take early retirement from his banking job of 20 years and return home to care for his parents.
2001 年底母親腳疾，準備進行人工關節開刀手術，原本任職於銀行的柯得隆，因為金融業吹起購併、裁員風，公司祭出「優退」措施，決定退休、離開工作 20 年的銀行，回家照顧兩老。