As for titles, think about it like this. The level of your character will change, but the title that can be attained by retiring at that level will not, or it will increase. That is, people who were level 36 could retire and get the title Master. Now, they are either level 32 or level 33, and can retire to get Master, or Grandmaster, respectively. This way, someone who was, like you, close to getting the next title would not be robbed of their progress, and would instead be as close or closer to receiving the title.