Reviews (9)

Best book on IRA investing I've read
Just finished Pat Rice's book IRA WEALTH. I've been in investment real estate for 42 years and know Pat Rice. This book is easy to read, easy to understand. No investments are 100% guaranteed, but in this period of low interest rates, the yields that Pat can secure are authentic and just, given the various scenarios he works out.
Real estate is very unlikely to be wiped out, like various stocks in the stock market, or even groups of stocks in mutual funds. Also, you can trust the accounting. Diversify, which is what Pat is saying in here, don't put it all in one real estate loan or one stock deal. To know that you CAN invest in real estate is a great comfort not to mention the higher yield.

Not Worth Reading
I first hear about alternative IRA investments through a real estate class I took to become a broker. I picked up this book because I wanted to learn more about the subject. As I have read extensively in the subject of investments, the fact that I didn't learn much from this book doesn't necessary mean it's not a good read for some people.

My problem with this book is that it holds real estate investments in IRA (specifically Roth IRA) out to be one-size fits all solution to retirement riches for everyone. It claims a minimum 12% annual return with zero chance of going wrong. It claims RE IRAs has a lower cost (including fees to trustee, financial advisor, attorney, accountant, and real estate broker) compared to brokerage IRAs which supposedly cost 3-6% a year. As with all comparison the author makes in this book, real estate IRA is better in all respects to everything else.

Most Americans have high percentage of their net worth tied up in their residence; does it make sense from a diversification point of view to put their IRA in real estate as well? Is a loan to someone who couldn't get a loan from the banks really an investment with zero chance of going wrong?

The author claims to have many years of experience, which I wish could have translated to more examples of what could go wrong so the reader can learn from others' mistakes. I learn absolutely nothing from scenarios after scenarios of perfectly constructed examples that produces double or triple digit returns.

There are several calculation errors and mistaken use of financial terms but in general the book is easy to read. My favorite quote from the book, which comes after a paragraph describing which relatives are not prohibited from transacting with your IRA: "For some of you, this information alone is worth the price of this book."

I think I will be going back to my local book store.

Examining both low-risk and high-return real estate ventures
IRA Wealth: Revolutionary Strategies For Real Estate Investment is the collaborative effort of Patrick W. Rice (investment columnist and the owner of IRA Resource Associates -- offering expertise in investment real estate for self-directed retirement accounts) and Jennifer Dirks (personal finance and real estate issues staff, and winner of the U.S. Small Business Administration's 2002 "Journalist of the Year award for the Pacific Northwest), diverges sharply from the common understanding that IRA holdings can only be invested in stocks and certificates of deposit. In response to the decline of the stock market, IRA Wealth presents real estate as a profitable and worthy investment venture, and one that is perfectly legal to hold in any personal IRA account. Examining both low-risk and high-return real estate ventures, IRA Wealth is a superbly presented, "reader friendly", informational presentation for anyone seeking to diversify their IRA account holdings into property as a hedge against the volatility of the stock and bond markets.

Opened my mind to new ideas
IRA Wealth provides a series of alternatives to the traditional IRA Stock Market investment opportunities. The book is organized to first dispel the myth that investing in real estate with your IRA is illegal and second to explain how to structure your IRA investments with a "self-directed" IRA. The following chapters identify IRA real estate investments based on the level of risk associated with that particular type of real estate investment. The final chapters discuss some of the nuances of liquidating your real estate investments upon the time of your mandatory IRA distributions. Finally, IRA Wealth provides several appendices to help you start your own due diligence with regard to IRA investing in real estate.
Overall, I enjoyed reading IRA Wealth and found that it opened my mind to new ideas on IRA investments. Most of us have probably felt the sting of lackluster stock market returns during the past few years. So the prospect of low to moderate risk real estate investments is clearly of interest. I found the organization of the book to be well thought-out and comprehensive. If you have already read several books on real estate investing, you will realize that several investment methods continue to pop-up. IRA Wealth takes those methods and ties them to your IRA.
Regardless of your level of experience with regard to real estate investing, I believe you will find IRA Wealth a worthwhile read and well worth your time.

Easy and inspirational read
I have just begun to read your book and it is perfect timing as my husband and I have a sum saved in our IRA. We plan to read the book together and investigate the investment strategies suggested. Thank you. The book is an easy and inspirational read on a complex subject. ... Read more

Book Description

This paperback edition of The Coming Generational Storm has been revised and updated and includes a new foreword by the authors.

In 2030, as 77 million baby boomers hobble into old age, walkers will outnumber strollers; there will be twice as many retirees as there are today but only 18 percent more workers. How will Social Security and Medicare function with fewer working taxpayers to support these programs? According to Laurence Kotlikoff and Scott Burns, if our government continues on the course it has set, we'll see skyrocketing tax rates, drastically lower retirement and health benefits, high inflation, a rapidly depreciating dollar, unemployment, and political instability. The government has lost its compass, say Kotlikoff and Burns, and the Bush administration's spending and tax policies have charted a course straight into the coming generational storm.

Kotlikoff and Burns take us on a guided tour of our generational imbalance: There's the "fiscal child abuse" that will double the taxes paid by the next generation. There's also the "deficit delusion" of the under-reported national debt. And none of this, they say, will be solved by any of the popularly touted remedies: cutting taxes, technological progress, immigration, foreign investment, or the elimination of wasteful government spending. Kotlikoff and Burns propose bold new policies, including meaningful reforms of Social Security and Medicare, that are simple, straightforward, and geared to attract support from both political parties. ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Good on an usolveable problem
According to official numbers, the present value of future deficits on the federal budget is somewhere like USD 50 trillion, or five times annual GDP. That might sound like to much to be true, but it is. The effect of low fertility in the 30s, super high in the 40s and 50s and declining thereafter, combined with rising expecting living ages, will be that in 25 years from now, the number of retirees in America will double. This book is about some of the consequences this will have on the federal budgets, and what you as a taxpayer should do to meet it.

The economics professor Larry Kotlikoff and journalist Scott Burns are discussing the one of the most important forces that will change the Western societies during the next 50 years: the tidal wave of retired persons. They are pointing to a lot of proposed fixes which wont work: rapid productivity growth (drives up liabilities as well), selling assets (pensions are streaming) and capital deepening (capital is going to young nations) among others. They also say that delayed pension age isn't going to work either because it will lead to less private savings. Most experts in most countries, including governments, are relying mostly on delaying pension age, a measure that most surely is going to be implemented and work.

The biggest flaw of the book is not addressing the difference between Medicare, which is far from balanced, and Social Security, which is close. Straight out advertisement for their own personal finance software is no quality mark either.

The best parts of the book are the financial tips at the end: how should future retirees prepare themselves. The authors take it almost for granted that we will see a surge in inflation, and a serious upbeat in tax rates. Printing money without raising Social Security benefits will in the end prove to be the most convenient way to solve the fiscal problem, but the taxes will still need a hike. For the latter, Kotlikoff and Burns suggest that you get taxed every income that are taxable, sooner rather than later. For the former: buy a house.

We need to wake up
This book outlines, with well-researched facts, the reality facing the US in the future.If we do not act now, our children, and all of us who will live beyond the next two decades, will be forced to live seriously reduced lifestyles.Indeed, we are currently borrowing against the future at such a rate that our children could be trapped into what can only be called indentured servitude:They will be paying enormous taxes with seriously reduced services.The burden will be much for them to bear, and lead to economic and political instablity.

This is a must read for anyone interested in the truth of the future of the United States.

Jeremiad product peddling
It's unfortunate that Kotlikoff and Burns feel the need to generate such an alarmist diatribe to promote their ESP software package (something they suggest you might need to weather the coming generational storm). These sorts of jeremiad works can be very damaging, especially since our economic future is so inextricably tied to market perception.

While they have a solid point about the aging (for some strange reason these Americans prefer to use the pretentious spelling "ageing") population, they are incredibly irresponsbile in their discussions about population. One would almost infer that they would welcome significant increases in the birth rate(at least for Western countries), to stimulate the economy and generate workforce support for our growing elderly populaiton. Anyone aware of the recent predicitons released by the UN, knows that (barring unpredictable disasters) the world population is expected to be 9.1B by 2050, something that the authors should have addressed.

It is also unfortunate that these authors feel sufficiently insecure that they have a need to insult practically every other economist or politician that they reference (in a tacky and uncreative way). It certainly cheapens their message. Mr. Kotlikoff is obviously very fond of Mr. Kotlikoff.

I recommend that anyone interested in reading this book also read Paul Krugman's informative review; http://www.nybooks.com/articles/17771.

The Sky Is Falling!
What an astounding example of literary rubbish to complement the current oh-my-god-ss-is-going-to-run-out cries from chicken little, AKA, the warrior! no the peace! no, the warrior! pRe$ident and his monied minion$ in Congre$$.The writers of this crap perform great feats of mental gynastics to place blame entirely at the feet of entitlement programs.What an astonishing coincidence we have here...the very *same* programs that have helped keep the heads above water of those of us who *aren't* trust fund babies are the very same programs the trust fund baby/leaders now want to dismantle.What they haven't gone to great lengths to explain however is to point out that the entire American economy is predicated on consumer debt and we are Ownd by Chinese and Japanese banks who keep subsizing our debt so we can continue to afford their cheap crap.Don't waste your time reading this book.All you have to do to spare your eyes is switch on the TV and tune into Fox News, the official Pravda channel of the United States of, by and for the corporate fascists of America.

Good Book, Kind of Sad
"The Coming Generational Storm: What You Need to Know about America's Economic Future" by Laurence J. Kotlikoff and Scott Burns discusses the financial crisis Americans face due to the combined aging of America and generously-promised, but economically-unrealistic, Social Security and Medicare benefits.

We learn that two-thirds of older Americans get over half of their income from Social Security. Nearly 40% of poorer, older Americans get essentially all of their income from Social Security. The authors calculate the value received by an older American from Social Security is approximately equivalent to a portfolio worth about $600,000.

Further, the benefits provided by Medicare significantly exceed the value of Social Security to elderly America. Reduced Social Security and Medicare benefits would financially hurt most older Americans, especially poorer Americans.

However, Kotlikoff and Burns point out the level of promised future benefits is unfundable. According to the economists who created the Federal 2004 budget, America faces a fiscal gap of $51 trillion (the gap was $45 trillion before the Medicare prescription drug benefit.), or about $159,000 per American. The bulk of this liability is promised Medicare benefits. We can compare this to the current federal debt of $4 trillion, or about $14,300 per American.

According to the authors, to cover these promised liabilities, we'd need to raise taxes by 69%, if we hope to keep tax rates constant for further generations. Otherwise, future tax rates will need to increase by more than double for future generations. These conclusions were in the Federal Budget for 2004 (until they were removed).

Kotlikoff and Burns tell us President Bush felt these facts might dampen support for his third round of tax cuts, so this information was deleted before the 2004 budget was widely distributed and posted on whitehouse.gov (Page 67). Of course, tax cuts only add to the problem.

This brings us to the crux of the problem. If Americans made significant sacrifices now (lower benefits, increased taxes) the problem could be made manageable. However, the authors say politicians don't want to tell Americans the truth and deal with the problem. Instead, they want to make Americans believe there isn't a problem, because it helps get them elected and serves their personal interests.

Politicians are putting their own well-being above that of America and future generations will suffer because of it.
Because our political leaders won't deal with the problem we are facing "The Coming Generational Storm." While much of the book is insightful, the chapter that most interested me was "Securing Your Future" which offered some practical advice for how individuals can deal with the situation.

Kotlikoff and Burns make several basic predictions. First, eventually, tax rates will need to go up. A lot. Second, Social Security and Medicare benefits will need to be cut. A lot. Third, before this happens, America will face tremendous economic stress when the government starts printing more money to pretend the liabilities are manageable.

America is fortunate because the U.S. dollar is the world's currency. The authors argue foreign investors will be less willing to hold dollars when the U.S. currency faces devaluation. (We've already seen a significant shift in the value of the U.S. dollar relative to the euro. This is attributed to foreign investors lacking faith in America's fiscal policy.)

The authors suggest individuals hold a small percentage of their investment portfolios in non-U.S.-dollar-denominated investments. For example, they mention EverBank.com as a source of foreign certificates of deposit. So, you can hold euros or Chinese yuan, if the U.S. dollar goes kaput. They suggest considering international bond funds which don't hedge currency risk, and, of course, international equity funds (Vanguard International Total Stock Market), precious metal funds, commodity funds (T. Row Price New Era) and health care funds (Vanguard Healthcare fund).

Kotlikoff and Burns point out that it's important to keep your investment costs low, by favoring index funds or low management expense funds. Portfolio survival is discussed. This is an area made better known to the public by Scott Burns, who is a financial columnist (ScottBurns.com). In particular, if you sell shares from a portfolio that drops in value, you might wind up selling so many shares during a down market that you destroy your portfolio.

The authors also suggest you consider your "health capital." In other words stay healthy, because you won't be able to afford aging otherwise! (They also mention the contrarian position: "Live hard. Die young.") Sites like livingto100.com can help us estimate our life expectancy.

Kotlikoff and Burns say we should reevaluating 401(k) contributions. They argue with future tax rates likely higher and with extra taxation of Social Security benefits with rising income during old age, 401(k)s can lead to paying higher taxes in the future.

However, I'd argue many upper income earners would rather have $1 million to $2 million in a 401(k) rather than worry that they might have their Social Security taxed, because they have too much income during retirement! In other words, when you do your financial planning, you might consider the effects of your decisions on your Social Security or you might just proceed as many semi-affluent and affluent do--assume no Social Security at all. If you get it, great. But, don't readjust your plans because of Social Security. (You probably could maximize your estimated Social Security in the future by having no other future income. Not the best plan!)

Of course, the argument of using low-cost index funds outside of tax-deferred retirement accounts also makes a certain sense, especially with current tax rates.

Overall, I thought "The Coming Generational Storm: What You Need to Know about America's Economic Future" was a great read.
... Read more

Book Description

"Ellen Freudenheim has written the perfect guide for people who want to make the most out of their post-retirement life. Whether you've always dreamed ot traveling, starting a new career, or becoming a late-in-life athlet, Looking Forward will help you figure it all out."

Richard Carlson, author of Don't Sweat the Small Stuff...and it's all small stuff

Just as the best-selling job-hunt guide What Color Is Your Parachute? helped us figure out what we wanted to do for work, Looking Forward helps us figure out what we want to do with our post-career years, whether that means working part-time, traveling to China, writing a novel, or hiking the Rockies.

Thanks to increased life expectancy, Americans are living longer. Millions of baby boomers on the brink of their 60s can happily anticipate many healthy years to come, yet they're often at a loss about what to do in this new phase of life. And many of them may have an unfulfilled dream or two they've never quite been able to shake. Author Ellen Freudenheim, a boomer herself, shares her generation's uncertainty and excitement. In an engaging, encouraging tone, she tells readers how to successfully pursue everything from second careers to additional academic degrees to volunteer work. Filled with practical tips, informative charts, and revealing quizzes, as well as anecdotes from and profiles of vibrant retirees, Looking Forward is the book that will guide boomers as they reinvent this vital stage of life. ... Read more

Book Description

Learning how to talk your way out of credit card debt is the quickest, easiest, and most efficient way to start saving money!

It's true! You can call your credit card banks to negotiate a better interest rate and have fees waived! However, it may not be as easy as picking up the phone and asking. That's because bank representatives are trained to deter you from pursuing the deals you deserve. Overcoming their tactics can be difficult when you don't know what to expect.

Scott Bilker, author of Talk Your Way Out of Credit Card Debt, and creator of DebtSmart.com, has spent 10+ years making banks compete for his business. Now, he's sharing his personal phone calls to banks that saved more than $43,000 for himself, his family, and friends! These 52 phone calls, out of the hundreds he has made, demonstrate exactly what worked, what didn't, and why. In each call transcript, for anonymity, banks have been renamed as dog breeds and their reps as bugs.:)

In this book you will discover proven negotiation strategies, and build your confidence, while learning how to: (1) get annual fees waived; (2) lower your current interest rates; (3) shop for the best credit card deals; (4) get late-payment, overlimit, and cash-advance fees waived; (5) compare loan options and calculate savings; (6) dispute charges and get all your refunds; (7) negotiate account settlements; and much more! ... Read more

Reviews (10)

the best book there is on the topic
I unexpectedly run into high debt. So far, I just got this book 2 days ago. I made three phone calls, saved $85 dollars fee for a credit card and about $3,000 in interest charges on one credit card. And this is just the beginning. Extremely helpful book. I honestly recommend it to people like myself because there is always a solution and this book gives me hope

Details taking charge of your credit card debt
"Talk Your Way Out of Credit Card Debt" provides solid advice on getting your rate reduced, annual fees waived, removing a late payment fee, handling disputes, and many other common problems when dealing with credit card companies. More than just advice, it is a collection of detailed examples of phone calls including complete transcripts. Each transcript demonstrates how the author handled a particular issue and the results of the call. Not content to just give one example of getting an interest rate lowered or removing over limit fees, each type of problem has several transcripts so you can get a good feel for what to expect and how to handle it. Most people are not aware of how much power they have when dealing with a credit card company and how to get things changed. This book walks the reader through the process from beginning to end and is a recommended read for anyone looking to gain control of his or her credit card situation.

Not to bad
My boss bought this book for me to read as I am an accountant. This book is probably very good for people who do not have a clue about their own finances. Otherwise, most of this is just common sense if you think about it.

Each person can individually call their credit card company and negoiate lower rates, late fees, dues, over credit limit fees, and interest rates instead of using the rip off companies of debt management you hear adverstised on all the air ways.

The book offers the novice "scripts" to follow. However, you must be willing to be agressive enough to call, then ASK for what you want. And if you do not get want you want, you must have the capability of moving your debt to another credit card, otherwise, you are stuck.

The reason I gave the book 2 stars was because in all of the examples, I never say the interest rates negoiated more than 3% (i.e. from 21.9% to a whopping 18.8%) Per the book, you do do better when you wait for the credit card companies to send you a letter to transfer balances at rates which are usually very low.

Again, if you are a novice, this is a good book for you. It is a quick read. You should use to book as continuing education of your own finances.

A valuable book from day one
I was shopping for a book that would help me with the credit card debt I have accumulated. I chose this book. It has proven to be very bemeficial to me. It contains a large amount of information your banks don't want you to know. My first night of reading the book, I got up to about page 70 and made my first phone call, with the intent of gaining information about the account and possibly getting a fee reversed. I ended up getting a $50 credit to the account, relatively easily. I cannot praise this book enough! If you need to reduce your credit card debt, this book may very well be your solution.

THE CONFIDENCE YOU NEED IS CONTAINED HEREIN...
I had the same problem most of you reading this have. But after reading this book from cover to cover, I was awashed with a new vigor and confidence to launch a strategic war of words with the credit card telephone handlers. As you read thru the transcripts of the author's actual calls, picture yourself talking on the phone with the same savvy as he. Then close the book, put up your over charged, over penalized, and over interest rated bill and MAKE CALLS! Show them that you are taking CONTROL of your finances and relish the experience of sticking up for yourself. ... Read more

Book Description

"Jeff Rattiner has found another way to help producers. This book is a must-have for financial advisors, especially those that aspire to be Million Dollar Producers."
–Thomas B. Gau, CPA, CFP
President and CEO of Million Dollar Producer

"Jeff Rattiner has done it again! His book displays all the essential tools and techniques necessary for advanced planners to succeed in this business. Rattiner’s easy-to-read style provides the best in marketing and practice management ideas. This book will help you if you have hit a dead end in your practice. Rattiner tells it like it is by providing a no-nonsense approach to truly taking your practice to the next level.A must-read for the serious financial advisor."
–Jim Cannon, President, SunAmerica Securities,
Sentra Securities Corporation, and Spelman & Co., Inc.

Financial planners provide a variety of services to an array of clients but lack a uniform system for creating a profitable business. Rattiner’s Financial Planner’s Bible: The Advisor’s Advisor collects best practices from the nation’s leading financial planners, presenting a prototype turnkey model for achieving financial success for both the client and the practice.

Financial planning expert Jeffrey Rattiner emphasizes an ethical, practical approach to financial advising, placing paramount importance on "doing what’s best for the client." Drawing on extensive interviews and his own experience, Rattiner delivers can’t-miss tips on marketing a financial planning practice, developing an infrastructure, crafting strategic alliances, assessing a business’s profitability, and creating the model twenty-first-century practice. This authoritative guide also covers:

• Forming a planning advisory board
• Establishing a realistic chain of command
• Delegating responsibility
• Making technology work for you
• Charging clients appropriately

Running a financial planning business need not be an exercise in trial and error. Rattiner’s Financial Planner’s Bible delivers a compelling model for advising success. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Valuable Tools for Experienced Advisors
This is an excellent successor to Jeff's earlier book on getting started in financial planning. There is great material, but because every reader has a substantially different background, a lot of it is not immediately applicable. But the critical issue is that SOME of the very well organized checklists and tools will be precisely what the reader needs, and needs now. Some of the Bible will be very useful later. The firm-wide self-assessment survey is a great tool, as is the model business plan.

A disappointment
I purchased the author's first book "Getting Started as a Financial Planner" and found it to be very helpful when I was entering the field. Therefore I was disappointed that his new book wasn't equally useful and practical. I found it poorly-organized and densely-written. There are some valuable suggestions in there, like a few of his fifty tips for marketing a practice, but you have to wade through a lot of recycled ideas to get there. Even with Amazon.com's discounted price, I expected more for my money. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Author needs a good editor, otherwise . . .
the book is useful if one is seriously thinking of actually buying real estate in Nica. If you want just a good book on the country with an eye towards traveling there, get the Moon Publications book. It's by far the best of the lot.
While this is not the most professionally written or edited publication, it does have the crucial information you need to know about before buying in Nica. Essentially, there are three types of documents you need to get a hold of and to verify before purchasing a property. A good, clean title is essential, especially since some of the lands were expropriated from large landowners during the Sandinista years and given to local groups. Some of the groups are now selling parts of their ranches and these lands may have clouded titles. Get a local lawyer not associated with the real estate agent would be my recommendation. Overall, good book, but don't expect a great read or an in-depth review of the country itself.

Unsettling undercurrent
Folks,

Book is very good in providing you with a roadmap towards acquiring realty estate in Nicaragua. However, it fails to address what I perceived, in my 14-days stay(2002), to be an 'uneasiness' about its economical/political climate.

I visited Nicaragua to research the investment climate and found it to be very attractive due to the low prices and 'potential' growth. I placed _potential_ in quotation marks to convey what relatives and friends kept telling me about the economical and political climate in the country. Yes, it's cheap to live in Nicaragua--my uncle felt that $1500/month provides someone with a very high standard of living(by Nicaraguan standards!)

In the end, I decided against investing on a single factor: STABILITY. How stable is the country's economical climate? What about its political climate? The later is stable enough but the former is not. I can summarize my decision like this: Would I buy a house (land) in this neighborhood (country)? I would have to say "NO" until the neighborhood is more stable.

A Huge Help with My Investment Goals
About six months ago I visited Nicaragua with the idea of purchasing some land as an investment. I travelled all over the country and looked at property at the beach and inland. The practical advise in this guide helped me find the piece of property I wanted. It was extremely useful in dealing with the legal problems one faces when buying land here. All of the suggestions in this guide made my work easier. I even found an honest and reliable real estate agent through this book. Without this guide I could have never bought my property. I recommend it to anyone who wants to live or invest in Nicaragua. It is a MUST read.

Delusion is a Valid False Belief.
After spending three weeks in Nicaragua I heard much hype (mainly from those selling real estate there) about the "coming boom". It was when the saleman was telling me to "get in now, or regret it" I recalled the words in the Bhagavadgita, "Delusion is the child of ignorance."

This book can help, BUT, most of the time, it reads more like a Nicaraguan chamber of commerce advertisement; using lines like: "land of opportunity", "ripe for investment", etc.

Reality check: Nicaragua is not a San Miguel del Allende (Rated by "Money Magazine" as one of the top ten retirement locations) nor will it be the next Costa Rica. I don't want to bash the country, but those considering Nicaragua need to know that it has very poor superstructure, and it is one of the poorest nations in Latin America, and this year it was eliminated from receiving US aid because of massive corruption. Finally, if that isn't enough, Nicaragua is constantly ravaged by earthquakes and hurricanes.

Yes, Nicaragua is a cheap destination. And yes, there are opportunities to be found. But, before you pack your bags, take time to investigate and do your homework.

Christopher Howard does not seriously address the downside of this country and he also uses statements, from unknown sources, failing to qualify their competence as authorities. Thus, comments from sources which state: "Nicaragua has a thriving economy" are not only ludicrous, but this type of statements compromises the integrity of the author.

Howard makes statements like "The country is ripe for foreign investments because it is so underdeveloped." Wow, Howard! What a great reason for investing in Nicaragua. It, and 60% of the world, are "ripe for foreign investments", eh?.

Finally, in the book you will find pages of advertisements for real estate companies, relocation consultants, and even a plug for tours that are lead by??? you guessed it, the author himself.

On the upside, there is a section called "minor obstacles to doing business". Actually, these obstacles can be major. This section is informative and needs to be heeded. Also, Howard's "Red Tape" section is a must read for those who have made up their mind to come, live and invest in Nicaragua. And, his 'Health Care' Section, his 'Cost of Living' Section, and his 'Hired Help' Sections are all provide you with valuable, useful information.

His most informative, and provocative section is titled "Love and Permanent Companionship". This is a must read for all American men that think that they will find a sweet, young Nica. Howard points out that "young, attractive, unscrupulous Nicas target Americans/Canadians". Howard states candidly, "marriage means you support her and her whole family" and that "quality Latin women are difficult to meet." Howard's realistic picture here is applaudable.

Is the book self-serving and lacking the critical comparision to other Central America countries? YES. Can this book help you if you are thinking of living in Nicaragua? YES. Overall, there is useful information packed in these 200 pages that warrants a purchase. Recommended.

The Right Book for the Move
I just retired as a school teacher. My wife is Nicaraguan and we plan to live at least six months a year in her country. I have visited Nicaragua many times to visit my wife's relatives. Aside from the help her family there has given us this book has been really helpful in planning every step of the move. Thank god someone finally wrote something on this subject. I've read four guidebooks about living in Costa Rica and often wondered when someone would do one for Nicaragua. We'll I no longer have to wait. ... Read more

Book Description

The most trusted name in financial planning helps you secure a sound retirement

Now is the time to plan for the retirement of your dreams. But where do you start? There's no better resource than Ernst & Young's Retirement Planning Guide. Drawing on the experience of the nation's premier tax and financial planners, it gives you a comprehensive set of tools to help you build a healthy nest egg—whether your retirement is just around the corner or years away.

This hands-on guide highlights the key financial issues you need to consider during your preretirement and retirement years, including essential information on the changing rules of the retirement game. From guidance on portfolio diversification and Social Security to 401(k) plans, IRAs, and Keoghs, Ernst & Young's Retirement Planning Guide provides the insight and assistance you need to enjoy a financially secure future.

The latest financial instruments for retirement savings

• Wealth-building techniques to help you retire early
• Unique retirement issues facing executives, the self-employed, women and nontraditional families
• Worksheets, quizzes, and action items, as well as additional resources and Web sites
• Strategies to overcome adverse financial events like corporate downsizing and personal disability
• Practical tips and easy-to-understand charts and tables.

Visit the Ernst & Young Tax and Financial Planning Corner on the World Wide Web! http://www.wiley.com/ey.html. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

The best calculator I've found for financial planning...
Although this book deals with many aspects of retirement and retirement planning, what distinguishes it from the dozens of similar books I have read is a truly outstanding calculator for determining how much money will be available then and how much needs to be saved or invested to eliminate any shortfall. It includes pensions, social security, and savings and investments. It factors in life expectancy, income sources that will automatically increase with inflation and those that won't, savings and investment growth rates, withdrawl rates that must increase with inflation(which--unbelievably--some calculators don't consider). It allows for early retirement (that is, it doesn't factor in social security until it's available). Similarly, it allows for staggered commencement of retirement income sources (for example, a pension that starts at age 65 while you may start social security at age 62). I've not found another calculator that does ALL of these things! I couldn't recommend it more highly.

Excellent, comprehensive, easy to read, useful tips
This guide really lays out, step by step, how to think and act to plan your retirement. I found this a surprisingly quick read, comprehensive, easy to understand and specific -- from spending, lifestyle, insurance, investing issues. The book makes a great gift for friends or parents because too many of us are not paying attention to the easy "Action Items" that each chapter ends with. Highly recommended!

Excellent pre and post retirement planning information.
This guide provides excellent pre-retirement planning suggestions. Has traps, obstacles and helpers outlined for quick review and advice. Has a number of "tools" in the form of worksheets to assist in planning for both before and after retirement events. Presents a number of post-retirement ideas with several suggestions of how to manage and/or increase your income in retirement. Authors are somewhat short on information for the mid 50's retiree concerning how to access 401k and IRA funds without penalty between 55 and 59 1/2. No info on what forms are needed and where they are available, or what needs to be filed and where. Has one slight reference in the appendix on how to accomplish withdrawals without penalty. Having read a number of retirement planning books available on the bookshelf, I found this volume excels in providing useful information not found in similar guide books. ... Read more

Book Description

Easy-to-read, easy-to-follow successful strategies that baby boomers and seniors have taken to get their retirement saving and planning up to speed, so that you too can catch-up before it's too late-from the author of Bankroll Your Future. 76% of "pre-retirees"do not feel "very confident" about having enough money for retirement, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute. 46% of Americans-including those aged 51 to 61-have saved less than $10,000 for retirement, according to a Public Agenda Study, which also says that a worker who earns $35,000 a year for 35 years will be able to replace only 65% of his income with pension and Social Security benefits. For the millions of Americans who have put off planning and saving for retirement, financial writer Ellen Hoffman relates 54 real-life success stories so that readers can get some ideas about what they can do to catch up right now, without a calculator, no matter what their financial resources. Designed in a very readable, very accessible format, without resorting to abstract charts and financial formulas, The Retirement Catch-Up Guide reveals how finding a "lost" pension, creating a retirement vision, setting up a reverse mortgage or a small business, and dozens of other strategies can help late starters build their retirement assets. ... Read more

Reviews (23)

"User friendly", comprehensive, realiable guide.
The Retirement Catch-Up Guide offers fifty-four lessons drawn from real-life experiences and conditions to boost the development of future financial resources for retirement. Especially appropriate for those who are coming late to planning for the retirement, Ellen Hoffman offers an invaluable, practical, and workable compendium of sound advice on all aspects and every stage of financial planning for retirement. Beginning with a thorough examination of all retirement resources, she then covers making a plan, readjusting the plan (including such happenstances as delaying retirement, starting a new career or business, etc.); downsizing present lifestyles to increase savings; making the most of home equity; learning to be a successful saver and investor; and monitoring retirement resources. The Retirement Catch-Up Guide is very highly recommended, "user friendly", comprehensive, reliable, and invaluable reading for anyone wanting a financial secure and adequate standard-of-living retirement.

A must-read!
This guide ia a great resource for getting started, and then continuing to move ahead, with a good retirement. It gives practical advice -- including phone numbers and web addresses. Anyone who picks it up will come away with helpful strategies for making the best of their situation. I know I did.

I especially like that the "Catch-Up Guide" avoids the usual financial jargon that confuses more than enlightens. And it was inspiring to hear the stories of real people who made big improvements in their futures by changing just a few things. Sure, retirement choices are tough, but reading this book was actually fun.

A solid anthology of anecdotes, strategies, & useful advice
The Retirement Catch-Up Guide: 54 Real-Life Lessons To Boost Your Future Resources Now! by journalist and financial expert Ellen Hoffman is a solid anthology of anecdotes, strategies, and useful advice for planning for one's retirement no matter how late in the game one is getting a good start at putting a little extra away. From learning good saving skills to making the most of a home equity to downsizing extravagant expenses in one's daily life, The Retirement Catch-Up Guide is a superbly presented resource for financial retirement planning and highly recommended for anyone contemplating retirement -- especially in this day and age with an uncertain future for the American government's Social Security program!

Same Old Information, Not Organized
With retirement just 11 years off I thought I would start reading up on the subject. Hey, you can't know too much. So I've been perusing Amazon for promising titles. When I got to this one it looked like I had found a book with answers. Yikes, was I mistaken.

This is a waste of time for anyone who has any kind of life. It's just a tired old retelling of information that you can get free from the Social Security department and Medicare. The rest of what you might need to know about retirement planning is far better explained in other, more general personal finance books or by seeing a financial planner.

Fits my life and circumstances
Too many retirement books offer advice that is not practical for me. Usually I am pleased to find ONE idea that I can act on in these financial advice books. Hoffman's book provided over 11 ideas that make sense at my age and financial circumstances. The practical advice is based on real life examples collected from a wholesome variety of folks. The 54 stories provide a window on the lives of regular people eager to maintain a sense of control over their financial lives - without the "get rich" quick flavor of many financial books.

Maybe Hoffman can go on and help her readers address our concerns re handling the health care services we will need in our future. ... Read more

Book Description

Get the most out of your 401(k) in any economy

Filled with sample 401(k) portfolios for every stage of life

Invest your 401(k) money wisely and make the most of your retirement

Want to know what kind of investment mix you need to make your retirement money grow? Don’t know whatto do with a 401(k) account from your last job? Worried that your company’s 401(k) plan doesn’t cut it? Relax! This simple, plain-English guide shows you how to manage your accounts, minimize your risks, and maximize your returns.

The Dummies Way

• Explanations in plain English
• "Get in, get out" information
• Icons and other navigational aids
• Tear-out cheat sheet
• Top ten lists
• A dash of humor and fun

Book Description

State and local taxes vary dramatically from state to state, and even between towns in the same state. This book ranks 163 metropolitan areas and retirement towns by the total tax burden on retirees. It reveals the best and worst picks for folks in different income brackets, and could save you thousands a year in taxes. Includes Tax Heavens and Tax Hells as well as profiles of 99 top retirement towns. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

disappointed
The authors, due to space considerations, do not include the nature and source of incomes used for their comparisons. Without this information, how can one determine if they fit the profile used.
Without knowing the amounts of various sources of incomes used,
I find the book of little use. ... Read more

Book Description

How would you like to be debt free? Do you wish you had some money set aside for retirement? Instead of just wishing about it, you can make it happen. At the age of 40, John White was in debt - credit cards, the worst kind of debt - and had no retirement savings. Today he has no credit card debt and a positive net worth.

Unlike most financial books, this one is based on real life experience, not just some financial advisor's theories. All of the strategies are from the author's real life experiences, and they are guaranteed to work - even if you're not over 40. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Written by a real life survivor who climbed out of debt
Written by a real life survivor who climbed out of debt to credit card companies to re-establish positive net worth, John L. White's I'm In Debt, Over 40, With No Retirement Savings. Help! is a very practical survival guide to improving an otherwise bleak financial situation. From breaking bad spending habits; to keeping expensive teenagers in check; to saving money on the family car; to buying an affordable mortgage; developing a mind set conducive to savings; and so much more, I'm In Debt, Over 40, With No Retirement Savings. Help! is an easy-to-understand, "must-read", for anyone approaching middle age or older who finds themselves ill prepared for a financially comfortable retirement.

Inspiring and Enlightening
The moment I started reading this book I could not put it down! It was a very easy and entertaining read. What I found inspiring and enlightening was the personal desire to improve ones financial well-being, and the lessons that were learned when it was realized.

Initially spending habits remained pretty much the same, except with one troubling exception. Instead of running out of pocket cash and with it the ability to buy anything, now your improved financial income earned you the privilege to buy with credit and your buying power was only limited by the card's credit limit! The more you bought on credit and paid each month, the more your credit limit increased, along with your credit rating, which attracted other credit card institutions to give you their pre-approved credit card which added to your overall credit limit. Can you see where this is going?

But this book has a happy ending.

The book begins to take you through the simple and everyday things that you either ignore or take for granted. Just by applying a few easy money saving and earning techniques, you can accumulate a significant amount of money over time. We're not talking about a get rich quick scheme, rather a disciplined approach to spending with tips that can save you hundreds to thousands of dollars when you have to part with your hard earned dollars.

This book speaks in simple and clear terms. No dictionary or financial consultants are needed to understand and use its straightfoward tips. Buy this book today and it will pay for itself on your next trip to the grocery store!

If I knew this at 20 I'd be retired now at 49.
I've never finished a novel but have always been interested in finance and technical articles. When I purchased this book to read I never thought I would finish it but bam I'm done! This book was so easy to read and follow and just full of common sense tips about how to keep your butt out of debt. Whew! Get this book for you and your kids! It's never too late to start living right and being able to sleep at night knowing that what you have is yours and nobody can take it away from you. Now that's what I call the American DREAM! This would make a great Christmas stocking stuffer that they will keep their pockets full of Christmas cheer the whole year through! ... Read more

Book Description

In 1981, at the age of 29 the author of HOW TO RETIRE EARLY AND LIVE WELL WITH LESS THAN A MILLION DOLLARS (February 15, 2000; $12.95 trade paperback; 256 pages) began living off his investments of just several hundred thousand dollars.In the intervening years, Gillette Edmunds has made more than $5 million in investment profits.Edmunds was not an investment advisor or a commissioned mutual funds sales representative: he was a financial journalist and an individual investor.

HOW TO RETIRE EARLY AND LIVE WELL WITH LESS THAN A MILLION DOLLARS describes step by step how a retiree can live comfortably on $500,000 or less.Americans will discover that they can walk away from work in less than five years.

This is the first book to tackle these topics that is written by an actual retiree.Using simple, original investment strategies and formulas, the book shows how to assemble your nest egg and achieve steady, tax-advantaged returns every year for the rest of your life.

In Part One, the reader is shown step by step how to determine if they have enough money to retire, and if not, how to get enough.For those that have enough, Part Two shows how to divide their money into different asset classes like stocks, bonds, real estate, foreign stocks, and small business interests so they will achieve steady high returns every year.Then for each asset class, they are shown how to get the highest returns with the lowest taxes.Part Three shows those still saving for retirement how to quickly amass their nest egg.Finally, for the rare years when all asset classes go down, The Epilogue shows the reader how to prosper emotionally while waiting for the markets to come back. ... Read more

Reviews (24)

How to Retire Early and Live Well withLess than a Million Do
A book that could potentially save you a ton of money--as it would have done for me had I implemented its strategy six months sooner than I did. As the title suggests, it's an excellen book for retirement planning, but it's also an invaluable overall investment management tool. Explains the importance of, and steps involved in, a form of asset allocation far superior to the stocks/bonds formulae we're used to. Pakced with useful information yet still a very enjoyable read. The Epilogue alone ("Living through a Crash without Putting a Bullett through Your Head") is worth way more than the price of the book.

Edmunds Gives Real World Advice For Retirement Portfolios
This book is geared toward those with a nest egg of under $1million (but probably more than $500,000) who are considering early retirement. Unlike other books published by the financial industry and the like, this book added the dimension of sharing Mr. Edmunds' mental processes in dealing with tumultuous markets and in living off of his investments.

While the book was good overall and gives a nice basic blueprint for those who want to or need to live off their savings, I do disagree one major point. His basic premise is that you can get 8-10% returns relatively consistently and survive market crashes by diversifiying into various non-correlative asset classes. He correctly points out that the 1970s were a period where a retiree living on stocks and bonds would have gone bankrupt (at a 7% withdrawal rate). For this reason, he questions the wisdom in "traditional" 60/40 portfolios. But, truthfully, his answer won't save anyone from the problems of the traditional portfolio.

For instance, with communications as good as it now is, emerging markets (one of his asset classes) now tend to move with the US and other major world markets to one degree or another. Summer/Fall 1998 was a good example where everything went down, some markets more than others.

He also suggests putting as much as 1/3 of your nest egg into real estate, either through individual properties (a minefield for newbies) or through REITS. Real Estate, however will basically act like small cap stocks. And, as a hedge against market crashes, real estate isn't going to cut it. With the wealth effect gone in a crash, stores are going to close and people won't trade up houses, etc. It is true that real estate did well when stocks and bonds did poorly in the 1970s, but it's more probable that it would not hedge financial assets like that in today's world with everything so closely linked. Also, just as much of today's stock mania is due to baby boomers saving for retirement, much of the real estate boom of the '70's was due to baby boomers moving away from mommy.

He is right that you have to be diversified within the asset classes with things like real estate and emerging markets to smooth out the ride, but even that extra diversification won't save you from a 1930s or 1970s debacle if you're spending 7%.

The traditional answer is to spend only 2-5% per year, depending on age, to be sure you can live through long periods of decline in assets. But, truthfully, very few early retirees can get by on that small a spending percentage.(Their nest eggs are generally smaller than older retirees', they have much longer to live and because they are healthy and retired they have more to spend money on!) And since the book is geared toward early retirees, this is the issue!

Bottom line, in my humble opinion, is that Mr. Edmunds suggests accepting an increased risk of running out of money for the reward of telling the boss to take the job and shove it. He doesn't quite state it that way, but that is really how it plays out. The fact that HE retired in 1981 might cause him to see a rosier scenario than otherwise would be the case, as '81 was probably the best time in modern history to begin living off of financial assets.

I commend Edmunds, however, for pointing out that the current stock mania could very well give rise to 10-20 year periods of ho-hum or worse stock performance, like the 1968-1981 period. My only suggestion would be that he quantify better the chances of running out, especially as compared to traditional withdrawal rates of 2-5%.

As I stated earlier, I also give Edmunds high marks for doing a better job of describing the mental pitfalls of living off of a nest egg than the financial industry ever has. For this reason alone the book is worth it's relatively small price.

Rehash of other retirement books
This is a weak book that rehashes other books on the subject. Save your money

uniquely authoritative
Far and away the most useful of many books on reitirement I've read. Unlike 98% of the other books on retirement out there, the author has actually been retired for 2 decades, lived through market crashes and personal tragedies, and yet managed to be enormously successful. The stragegies presented here are proven, and will work for you whether you're bent on retiring rich or just want to live simply and well decades earlier than your peers.

A good book that blends in with the others
I think this was a good book but I did not learn anything new compared to other books I've read on savings for retirement. It would be a good book for those who are still early in the learning process but could probably be skipped by those with a solid financial investment foundation. ... Read more

Book Description

A book about retirement that leaves financial worries to other books and simply focuses on enjoyable ways to spend time. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Different styles and genealogy
The authors would like to note that their suggestion of a college course for people interested in genealogy will work for those people who prefer to learn with others in a group setting. There are also many excellent website resources in addition to books,...Also, about another...the Social Security Death Index, there you can click on Order Original Application to send for a copy of your ancestor's original Social Security information (you can also use the information in this index to obtain birth, death, and employment records). Although the Social Security Act was created in 1935, a computer system reporting death benefit claims did not exist until 1962. Most of the records date from the 1960s. Many of these people were born late in the 1890s. So in 100 years, depending on how young a family reproduced, there could be as few as 5 generations (if they married at 20) to as many as 6 or more generations (married at 16). So you really could be looking for your great grandparents.

Needs an accuracy check
I haven't read this book so can't judge it as a whole, but I did read the single paragraph on genealogy. I found three glaring errors/omissions there that make me wonder how much of the rest of the book is any good. First it tells you to go to your community college and take a course on genealogy in order to learn how to do it. I think that's a bit much, frankly. Get a book at the bookstore or library, or even browse the web for information, and you can save yourself the time and expense of a college course. Then it tells you to "Find out where your great grandparents were born through the Internet" by using the Social Security Death Index on ancestry.com. First of all, the SSDI does not give birth places for anyone. The closest it comes is to give the state where they first filed for their social security number. Secondly, anyone retiring today has great-grandparents who were most likely dead long before there ever was such a thing as social security numbers. I'm many years from retirement and even my great-grandparents aren't in there.

Enough said. The rest of the book may be wonderful, but these errors would make me distrustful of anything in the book. The third edition hopefully will at least correct these errors.

Excellent resource!
Being newly retired at age 53,I figured I'd better find a way to keep out of trouble.This book is it! There are so many things,even little things,that I had not considered as part of my retirement activities. I have been engrossed in the book since it arrived,and as soon as I get organized,I will be off and running.I would recommend this jewel of a book to anyone who might need a little help getting used to a new life..retirement!!

This book is a keeper!
I borrowed this book from the library and liked it so much that I had to buy it. It has ideas, quotes, resource leads, and an index. This book will continue to serve throughout life. ... Read more

Book Description

The updated and expanded 2002-2003 12th edition of the New Golden Door to Retirement and Living in Costa Rica offers invaluable assistance to anyone looking for a safe, affordable place to live outside the United States. This useful book contains all the ins and outs and dos and dont's and much more indispensible secret insider information about all areas of living in Costa Rica. It guides you step by step and shows how to live on a budget; how to start a business and includes 100s of sure-fire tips for making money; how to stay busy and happy ; where to; live in Costa Rica; how to aquire residency; shortcuts for learning Spanish; how to take advantage of the many tax savings for foreign residents(make up to $80,000 a year tax free), how to find high-interest investments paying 13% or more annually; how to make the break from the rat race and start a new exciting life; and even how and where to find quality peo!ple for companionship. - ... Read more

Reviews (29)

Informative but more and more out of date and unrealistic
Although there is good general information in Mr. Howard's book, when I moved to Costa Rica from California three months ago I was taken aback at how much of the information is no longer true. The major flaw really is that sufficient change has occurred in Costa Rica between the writing and publishing of this book so as to make it absolutely inaccurate in certain areas (cell phones take up to a year to get while home phones take 3 - 6 months) and misleading in others ("Live for less than you ever dreamed possible and enjoy all the amenities of home" is considerably more difficult to accomplish now than the book suggests. Perhaps this change occurred after this edition was published as I notice real estate prices are listed as of 1998.)This is too bad as the reality of being here contradicts the general tone of the book - a rather serious flaw in a book entitled "the New Golden Door to Retirement and Living in Costa Rica"). I think this book is just too dated to present an accurate portrayl of Cost Rican opportunities in 2002: whatever great deals once existed are raidly being relaced by North American prices with the lower Tico-standard level of service. (The offshoot of this overall ratchetting up of prices is also not adequately addressed: the thriving community of those deliberately targeting North Americans, and in particular, anyone who is not fluent enough in Spanish to pass for a Tico. This ranges from blatant everyday discrimination such as the common practice of openly and automatically charging higher prices to foreigners in terms of house rentals etc to more criminal acts of intent to deceive that seem remarkably impervious to prosecution.)

My advice? Get your general knowledge from a guide like Fodor's, skip the inevitably dated and "fluffy" guidebooks to retirement, come to Costa Rica and attend a "warts and all" newcomers seminar sponsored by the Costa Rican Resident's Association (the best bit of information in Mr. Howard's book), and wait for the next and more accurate edition of The Golden Door to emerge.

This Book is a Godsend
A few years ago I moved from to Costa Rica from Venezuela. If I hadn't read "The New Golden Door to Retirement and Living in Costa Rica" I would have been lost. The information in the book made my move a lot easier. It helped learn how things really work here and provided some excellent business advice. This useful book is really a "Golden Door" since it's worth its weight in GOLD.

Excellent Factual Handbook
If you want a book with some great, pretty pictures of life in Costa Rica, I would recommend Insight Guide's "Costa Rica". If you want some real meat from someone who knows the ropes, then "The New Golden Door to Retirement and Living in Costa Rica" is the book for you.

Yes, there's typos. I should probably take a star off for this. But the value of the information contained in this book more than makes up for afewmissing whitespacecharacters. Although the typos are slightly annoying, I have not found any of them to be critical.

I normally would have a problem with a book that has this many ads strewn throughout it, but in this case the ads, the urls, the email addresses, and the recommended resources Chris has selected are valuable tools which will save you days of time which would normally be wasted trying to find a reliable Costa Rican attorney, a good book on buying real estate in Costa Rica, or which insurance companies you can depend on.

I found the chapter on Red Tape: Dealing with Bureaucracy particularly enlightening and practical. Overall the book has helped me considerably in planning my retirement in Costa Rica.

Best Book About Costa Rica on the Planet
I`ve been wanting to meet the author, Christopher Howard, ever since I purchased his book last August. Even though compliments are probably getting to be "old hat" to Mr. Howard by now, I feel that his book is the DEFINITIVE work on the subject. I have browsed through many books on Costa Rica, but I DEVOURED this one! Now I`m "chomping at the bit" to visit the country. Also, I`m willing to bet my retirement that Mr. Howard is "The Boss" when it comes to ALL information about Costa Rica. I hope to meet him someday to thank him for writing a book that has CHANGED my life.

I Want the Author on My Team
I'm currently developing the largest real estate project in the Central Pacific area of Costa Rica. It is called Rancho Monterey. With a project of such magnitude I have surrounded myself with the most competent people in Costa Rica. Christopher Howard is one of the experts I have chosen to work with. Together with some of the world's top investment consultants, Christopher has been one of the speakers at our seminars. Mr. Howard has unparalleled knowledge about the country. I recommend his book to all of my clients who are interested in learning about the Costa Rica. I constantly use his guide as a reference source. ... Read more

Book Description

Nearly 2 million Americans reach retirement age each year. Before anyone can begin to enjoy all the leisure time ahead, there are difficult decisions to be made about a host of crucial issues, such as Social Security, HMOs, insurance, and estate planning. Written by award-winning Washington Post financial reporter and syndicated columnist, Stan Hinden, How to Retire Happy arms anyone approaching retirement with easy-to-comprehend answers to all their complicated questions. How to Retire Happy:
• Provides practical advice and guidance on the 12 most complicated decisions to make before retiring
• Covers all the bases, from where to live to how to invest, from health insurance totaking money out of IRAs
• Goes beyond financial planning to offer practical advice on the key emotional and psychological issues surrounding retirement ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Out of retirement