Book Description

Are you fed up with a rat-race that constantly pushes you to be overworked, overspent, overstressed, overtired and owerweight? Does retirement feel like an underwhelming freedom that comes way too late? Do you want freedom NOW? This book is for you.

At mid-life, whether you notice it or not, much of the freedom we usually associate with retirement is already available to you. Enough Already! is a step-by-step guide to creating a rich and juicy freedom for yourself, NOW.

What are you waiting for? ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Seniors don't know how many free services they are missing.
After watching the savvy senior expert Jim Miller on the Today Show, I went to a bookstore to look over his book. On TV, it sounded too good to be true, but after reading some of the book I liked it so well I bought a copy for me and another one for a friend.

The book covers the typical topics like social security, medicare and other health related subjects, but it does it in an informative manner that keeps your attention. What I liked were the many other subjects discussed like grandparenting, gadgets for seniors to make life easier, financial tips,taxes,genealogy and computers for seniors. Jim writes in such an easy to read style and I love the humor and helpful websites and organizations to contact. I especially liked the "Savvy Notes" that highlight and summarize the main points.

The granddaddy of all is how to find through a central website, where to find out all the benefits available to seniors and how to apply. It's like beingspoonfed the information insead of having to go on a scavenger hunt for it. I loved the book and it lived up to everything the Today Show said and more. I'd give it 10 STARS if I could.

Exceptional resource for families and seniors
If you have aging friends or relatives, buy this book! If you are a senior citizen, buy this book! Jim Miller has compiled an excellent resource guide that is easy to read and contains countless resources for people to get help with everything from Social Security to home modification to how to choose the best assisted living center. It is never too early to learn about what it is to get older in America. We're all gonna be there, one way or another. Worth every penny.

This Book Puts It All Together - Outstanding and Thank You
Amazing and incredible!!! The Savvy Senior book is not only easy to read, but also packs a wealth of extremely useful and valuable information on a wide variety of subjects in a simple and understandable manner. There are websites and phone numbers to get help for your own personal situation. I like the sense of humor that makes the book fun to read and keeps boring and dull subjects interesting. This book is a MUST for all senior citizens and their caregivers.

A WONDERFUL & HELFUL RESOURCE!
Jim Miller's highly recommended resource book sorts out complex senior issues for you--all in one comprehensive volume. Very easy to understand and to find exactly what you are looking for. A must-have book for everyone with a senior in their family!
Jacqueline Marcell, Author, Elder Rage.

Love it!
I'm a loyal reader of the Savvy Senior newspaper column and found the book to be equally delightful. The service that Savvy Senior provides older Americans is the best information source around. The book is easy to read and very informative with lots of money savings tips and resources so you can find answers to almost everything you want. A great book for every household. ... Read more

Book Description

After working hard to build your nest egg, you are finally making plans for your retirement years.But will you be free to make your own choices when those golden years finally arrive?Or will you fall victim to ruinously expensive involuntary conservatorship/guardianship proceedings and be stripped of your rights, your money, your independence -- for the rest of your life?

In an onimous trend that threatens America's successfully aging population, state judges are imposing an increasing number of unwanted conservators and guardians upon allegedly incompetent men and women to manage their property and personal affairs.The results are grim.In New York alone, judges appointed over 32,000 guardianships during 1997, up from 15,000 in 1992, and Michigan's guardianship petitions have more than quadrupled since 1981.

These little-known state laws were originally created to safeguard the rights of "infants and lunatics."Today, involuntary conservatorship and guardianship laws are being used by calculating heirs to seize control of their parents' assets and by protectors in the social welfare community to control the vulnerable elderly themselves.And who is "elderly"?To be declared incompetent on the basis of age you only have to be 62.

Drawing on sadly typical cases from courtrooms across America, Dr. Armstrong shows how competent elders can be victimized by arbitrary conservatorships and guardianships.She describes the historical roots of our codes and shows how they function in today's courts, highlighting concepts that are problematic and suggesting appropriate changes.Dr. Armstrong summarizes every state's conservatorship/guardianship statutes and provides contact numbers for national services, legal organizations, state offices of aging, and other resources for the elderly.Most importantly, her breakthrough book gives YOU the tools you will need to protect yourself or someone you love when your retirement years usher in the real threat of predatory litigation. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

An uncoventional but effective planning guide.
Retirement Nightmare isn't your typical retirement guide on how to save up enough money or make investments: its focus is on how to protect yourself from heirs, and chapters survey involuntary conservatorship and guardianships with an eye to revealing how incapacitated seniors fall victim to the statutes designed to help them in their old age. Advance planning is recommended as the key to avoiding situations such as the author's own experience and those described in courtroom cases.

Thankful for this work
Dr. Armstrong has produced a document vital to the safeguarding of personal dignity in today's world. In language accessible by anyone reading the book, she dissects complex legal matters and lays them out in plain view for all to understand. This book should be required reading for all people tasked with ensuring our personal rights within the framework of our various legal systems. It should also be recommended reading for anyone when the natural course of life puts them in a position of reliance on the ethics and goodwill of others...even those 'nearest and dearest' to them. When we are vulnerable... that's when we need help. This book gives us the ammunition to help ourselves. Everyone intends to survive the journey to the retirement years; this book exposes some of the ambushes that others have found there and lays out steps each of us should take to avoid those ambushes. As proof that fact can be scarier than fiction, this book will curl your hair quicker than anything King has ever put on paper.

An Invaluable Source
As a lawyer, I found this book to be a tour de force compendium of the guardian and conservatorship laws in our country. For both lay readers and lawyers, it is an invaluable reference tool - comprehensive and clearly written. Full of actual stories of actual individuals, it also makes for eye-opening human interest drama.

Be Informed...Be Prepared!
If you are elderly, or even think you may someday become so... then...you need to read this book and keep it close at hand as one of your most valuable reference sources. Dr Armstrong draws on her tragic family experiences with involuntary guardianship litigation and combines that with excellent and scholarly research, to produce a book containing historical background, the law, a broad range of case studies covering most aspects of the subject, and many answers/recommendations concerning this potential problem that we might all someday face. The appendices covering the various state laws and hundreds of resources for the elderly, are alone worth the cost of admission! I found the book to be alarmingly informative and I feel much more knowledgeable and secure now that it is sitting on my research shelf.

Beware the Thankless Child
This book is shocking, and alarming. Diane Armstrong's account is disturbing and tragic. The message will leave you outraged and frightened.

Money is a great motivator; your money is the lure. Money changes people. Your heirs and (presumed) protectors may use your money to take care of you or themselves through involuntary conservatorship/guardianship proceedings. Suddenly another person will decide how to spend your money, how to manage your property, who makes your medical decisions, where you live, whether you are allowed to vote, and other important rights.

"How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is

To have a thankless child!

--William Shakespeare, King Lear, Act 1, Scene 4.

You worked hard for your money. You deserve to enjoy your retirement years hosting grandchildren, traveling and writing your book. This powerful and much-needed book will frighten the elderly and elevate the frightened. DanPoynter@ParaPublishing.com ... Read more

Book Description

Charles Schwab is one of America’s most trusted and respected names in financial services. In the bestselling You’re Fifty—Now What? Schwab offers you his advice and support on how to retire with the money you’ll need to have the kind of life you want. You’ll learn:

* The best investment strategies
* How to estimate how much you’ll need
* How to choose investments for the second half of your life
* The ins and outs of insurance and how to be adequately insured
* The fine art of estate planning
* The tools of charitable giving
* And much more
... Read more

Reviews (11)

Good overview of planning issues - with limitations
It's good to see a book like this focused on the issues confronting retirees, and those approaching retirement. The book provides a very broad and general overview of the issues involved.

I applaud the author's advice to consider a 4% annual withdrawal rate from investments. In my experience, many financial advisors, influenced by the prolonged bull market, have suggested higher rates.

I caution against following every opinion in this book, however. Three broad suggestions by the author stood out as troublesome, in my view:

First, that "you're better off including individual stocks and stock utual funds in your retirement account (where taxes are deferred) and bonds in your regular account (which is currently taxable." (Page 184.) Adopting a contrary strategy, and minimizing taxes on the equity portion of your portfolio (held in a regular account), can in my view yield far superior results, from both a financial planning and estate planning perspective.

Second, the statement "If you have a Roth IRA, I sugest you withdraw from it first [to generate retirement income] since your withdrawals are not taxed." This statement completely ignores the tremendous long-term benefit of tax-free growth, and I completely disagree.

Third, the suggested asset allocation models are too simplistic -each individual's own asset allocation should be affected by many factors, only some of which are discussed in the book.

While a brief discussion is made of Modern Portfolio Theory and probability analysis (Monte Carlo), more insight into these areas could have been provided, given their utility.

The foregoing comments illustrate the limitations of any book seeking to address the very complicated tax, actuarial, financial planning, asset protection planning, and estate planning issues confronting the retiree today. Despite this, I recommend the book (with reservations) to both retirees, and those approaching retirement, who need to increase their knowledge of basic planning concepts. There is tremendous value in each person educating themselves on financial planning concepts. Just don't take this (or any) one book as gospel.

Welcome Resource!
Schwab's book provides solid and practical information for those of us who no longer can be called young no matter what the definition is. Unfortunately, helpful financial books that target Baby Boomers and older folks are in shamefully short supply! For readers who want another indepth look at the financial issues that face older investors, I'd suggest another excellent book-the Retirement Bible. Like Schwab's book, the Retirement Bible provides advise on recommended portfolio withdrawal levels and devotes an entire chapter to discussing in what order money should be withdrawn during retirement. Unlike Schwab, Lynn O'Shaughnessy, the author of the Retirement Bible, suggests that Roth IRA money should ideally be touched last. I definitely agree with her opinion and many financial experts do too. What I also like about the book is that she demystifies a lot of estate planning issues, which books written by attorneys hopelessly fail at. You can't go wrong getting either of these books.

For Baby Boomers: Should be titled You're 60, Now What?
This is a book that everyone should have in their personal development library. Is it a great read or does it have cutting-edge insights? Probably, no. But wisdom is wisdom and doing what's right with your money is more a matter of principle than fancy strategy. If your strategy is too far removed from this book, then you're probably taking on far more risk than you should. I think that a lot more should have been written about wills and trusts for estate planning. That's an area that would have only taken another 10 pages, but would have completed the works and is something that everyone over 50 with bucks needs to know well.

This book is a must read and a real eye opener.
I am in my mid fifties. I have a MA in economics on top of an engineering degree. I was never very interested in investing as an economics student when it was merely a academic subject. I focused on other parts of my study of Economics. Now that I am older and trying to determine if I am indeed able to retire now I am finding the subject of investments much more fascinating and "Your' Fifty...." Extremely informative and helpful in showing me how retire in some comfort and with some confidence that I can sustain that comfort in the face of taxation and inflation throughout the "second half".

I have read several other retirement investment books since this one and found that this one was the best of the lot. I highly recommend it to anyone who planning retirement savings plans or anyone wondering about retirement right now.

A good resource for us aging boomers.
I've read many personal finance books and none of them was perfect. Every person's situation is different and what works for one person may not work for another. However, out of all of the books that I've read in this genre, this was one of the better ones.

The book is intended for someone that is in the later stages of their working life who expects to retire in the not too distant future. Although the title of the book implies that it was written for someone in their 50s, the book is really intended for anyone that is in the latter half of their working career. I am in my forties and felt that this book had a lot to offer. Schwab offers advice on how to invest in preparation for your retirement, and what to do with your investments after you retire. Although the book does not assume that everyone has built up a nice nest egg by the time that they're fifty, it acknowledges that those that haven't are going to have a some of catching-up to do.

Schwab does have an aggressive bias when it comes to investing. He recommends a portfolio that is heavily weighted in stocks even after you retire. This is contrary to the traditional weighting recommended by most other sources. His rationale for this approach is that retirement is much longer now than in the past. People are living longer. The returns that you get with a traditional conservative portfolio may not last your lifetime. He also feels that the income that you'll need after you retire is often understated by many financial planners. Although we live longer, the older we get the more unexpected expenses we may incur (medical, long-term care, etc). Although he acknowledges the risks with this approach, he points out that there are risks with the conservative approach also - that your savings will run out when you need it most.

In addition to investing, Schwab covers other topics such as types of insurance that will make your retirement years less risky for you and your family (life, health, disability, long-term care, etc).

Schwab includes a chapter on charitable giving and stresses how important it is for all of us to give back to their community. Like other texts, he summarizes some of the tax advantages of giving, but he truly seems to believe that those fortunate enough to have accumulated some wealth need to consider returning some of it to a cause that they believe in. I thought that this chapter was nice touch and a departure from the "show me the money" attitude that is the cornerstone of most personal finance books.

This book is not perfect and may not be for everyone, but if you are in the latter half of your working career, I think that you will enjoy and benefit from this book. ... Read more

Book Description

Real-Life Financial Strategies For True Wealth

WealthBuilding is an essential read for everyone who wants to reach their wealth goals and maintain their standard of living when they’re retired. It includes the real-life Wealth Stories of 31 investors–ranging from young, single professionals to middle-aged job-hoppers to retired seniors–and how they are planning and managing their wealth successfully and intelligently. A helpful tool for financial professionals to use with clients, WealthBuilding will also empower individual investors by showing them what to look for in a trusted advisor and how to build an effective partnership. You will inevitably see yourself–or one of your clients–in one (or more) of these Wealth Stories.

Praise for WealthBuilding

"David Reiser and Robert DiColo have written a readable book that aims to empower the reader, while at the same time creating knowledge of when professional advice is needed. It is a combination of old-fashioned wisdom and new age understanding. Anyone can benefit from thinking about its lessons." –Zoë Baird, President, The Markle Foundation

"Dave Reiser and Bob DiColo have succeeded where many others have failed: they have explained in a simple, straightforward, and understandable manner the complex, and often frustrating, world of retirement planning. Financial services professionals and serious investors will find Reiser and DiColo’s work to be invaluable." –John A. Tarantino, President, Adler Pollock & Sheehan, Past President, Rhode Island Bar Association

"Reiser and DiColo have hit the nail right on the head. A ‘don’t-do-it-yourself’ book that will guide professionals and novice investors on the path to wealth creation." –Dr. Robert Goodman, Managing Director and Senior Economic Advisor, Putnam Investments

Please visit our Web site at www.jklasser.com ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Shameful attempt at self-promotion
This book is nothing but a thick marketing brochure. It discusses the basics of financial planning, but it incorporates the authors' own subjective analysis and opinions, which, based on their reasoning, often times borderlines dangerous. It leaves unrealistic expectations on the readers with no real academic backing and no real insight or intelligent commentary. Rather a lot of ignorant comments, hypocritical recommendation, and poor order of discussion.I feel by reading this book, you may actually becomer dumber than had you read nothing at all. The authors clearly designed this book to be a celebration of self-promotion.

Normally, I give books away when I'm done with them, but I would be insulting whoever received this by doing so - so into the garbage it goes! Please don't waste your money on this one - you're far better off with books by Burton Malkiel, William Bernstein, Larry Swedroe, Jonathan Clements, Thomas Stanley.

Keep Looking for a GOOD investment guide
Wealthbuilding?? You've GOT to be kidding ! If you've never read a book on investing & have NO idea about the basics, then perhaps there might be something here for you. Fully 3/4 of the book is devoted to anecdotal evidence of how wonderful the authors are at investing their client's money. Their advice? Hire a professional, natch ! Written in 2002 they describe the wonderful gains for the clients in the early '90s in the market. What about recently? Not so impressive, I'd venture the guess.
There is almost no statistical evidence for their strategies, which are given in the most rudimentary terms. How can they write only 1 short page about an invaluable investment strategy like Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts?
This is a simple salesman's Thump N' Sell book citing trivial truths & wishful thinking, just like Wade Cook & The Rich Dad books. All FLUFF & NO substance.
You would do better by buying Jane Bryant Quinn's 'Making the Most of Your Money' & "The Intelligent Investor" by Benjamin Graham & "Bogle on Mutual Funds" by John C. Bogle.

Real life people, real examples and NO FLUFF
Building wealth? What does that mean to you? For each of us, it actually has a different definition. That's what I love about Reiser's book on estate planning and wealth. It first asks you to define what YOU mean by wealth (for example, it could mean living comfortably and close together with your children or friends or relatives, it could mean owning a deserted island paradise and living in splendid solitude.)

The real-life stories make the concepts of building wealth easy to grasp. I don't know about you, but I relate better to stories that show HOW and WHAT real people do, than reading formulas and dry advice. And I am not the only one who prefers real-life examples; look at the success of the Kiyosaki (Rich Dad) books. But this book has not only stories but real worksheet examples. No fluff here.

Another fine feature are the examples of what-if, based on the new tax laws (as of this writing--they will change again of course.) The examples allow you to understand how to work the system best to your benefit as allowed by law.

As tax time approaches, and I have to reassess my financial health, I know I will be using this book to help me plan my future.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Not satisfied at all!!
I bought this book based on the great reviews it received. I made it through half of the book and had to stop. My biggest complaint is they fail to include results in their clients portfolio's after 1999.

They are big fans of equity investing (of course they work for a big brokerage). In one of their stories, they berate a former advisor of one of their newer clients for having them in bonds. Not that the percentage overall was too high. But, that the advisor had them in bonds. Well, the authors didn't mentioned where the client sits today with the heavy equity position the authors put them into.

Being financial advisors (brokers) for UBS Paine Webber is no different from being a broker at Morgan Stanley, ML, or Smith Barney.

I found this to be a waste of my money. I thought Suze Ormans books were far better than this book. A lot more honest too.

What you will NOT find. . .
Some crucial elements are LEFT OUT of this book.If you just want to read some "happy happy" account of this book, check out the other reviews, but I'm trying to give something constructive here.

First of all, consider the bias: these authors are both on the payroll of PaineWebber.Now that's not necessarily BAD, but it's probably going to color their assessment of how to build wealth.So first up, they insist that attaining a secure retirement is too complicated for the average person, so you need to hire professional help.Now again, that's not necessarily bad advice, but it probably isn't advice that is going to suit everybody.And of course they're going to steer you exclusively toward stocks and bonds because that's how they and others like them get paid.

I gave it three stars because indeed I found their concept of "You Inc." helpful.Also, they push modern portfolio theory to the max, and that's also a prudent way to go for the conservative long term investor.But what I found lacking was their total neglect of real estate.After all, the book is subtitled "Investment strategies for retirement and estate planning".Don't you think real estate might fit in there SOMEWHERE?At least there should be some discussion about rental property or buying your own home and paying off the mortgage.Isn't it a large piece of financial security in retirement to have your own home paid for?Since "wealthbuilding" is the subject, don't you think rental properties deserve at least SOME mention?After all, the real estate millionaires in this country far outnumber those who made their wealth in stocks/bonds.So consider the bias: you got a couple of PaineWebber guys pushing ONE ASPECT of wealthbuilding.They focus on financial planning and modern portfolio theory to generate consistent longterm gains for the conservative investor and the theory that they give in the book is highlighted by numerous "case studies" of real people putting these principles into practice.Very good.That one thing they do, they do well.But for a comprehensive approach to "Wealthbuilding", I'd look elsewhere.At the very least, supplement this information with the info that it is lacking. ... Read more

Book Description

Do-it-yourself money management is a defining trend of our modern world and the DK Essential Finance series provides the perfect personal reference to help take advantage of the situation. Useful questionnaires, charts and graphs assist you through important financial decisions and help gain the confidence needed to build real financial security. ... Read more

Book Description

How to Invest in a Secular Bear Market is a sequel to Alexander's 2000 book Stock Cycles, which forecast the start of a secular bear market, a lengthy period of poor investment performance. Alexander describes the structure of a secular bear market and explains why they happen. He then shows what an investor can expect from this secular bear market over the next 5-10 years and provides some investing strategies.

"This is a brilliant and scholarly study that looks to create longer term capital gains in retirement accounts based on cycle investing. What I found particularly fascinating was the very detailed and well-researched studies on the socio-economic/cultural cycles of change throughout history. Wear your 'thinking cap' as the author shows you how to capitalize on these cycles in your IRA and 401(k) accounts."
—Mohan 21st Century Futures

"This is a 'must read' for anyone interested in the business cycles and their impact on investment dynamics and making money in the stock market. The book brings together multiple cycle theories in a comprehensive reading style."
—Bruce Gulliver, Editor, Torpedo Watch

Book Description

GET THE MOST OUT OF LIFE

In Live Long and Prosper!, Steve Vernon unveils a new way of thinking that will truly help you live a more happy, healthy, and prosperous life. Based on the latest research and planning strategies typically reserved for large corporations, it will help you answer these important questions:

• Do you have enough money to retire?
• How can you manage your income and expenses so you don't outlive your 401(k) balances?
• How can you invest in your health, so that you won't be wiped out by large medical expenses and are able to live a long, comfortable, and productive life?
• What can you expect from Social Security and Medicare?
• What's the best work/life balance for prosperity and fulfillment?

Live Long and Prosper! will help you move beyond the traditional view of retirement and begin planning for the rest of your life. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great gift to those who want to retire early!
Great gift to those who constantly talk about wanting to retire early, but don't have a clue on how to start an early retirment plan. This book will definitely get them on track to retiring early.

For those who have some plans in place for early retirment, this book will help them examine their past and present decisions to see if they are on track. Also, it will help them with future decisions to ensure that early retirement becomes a reality.

Loved those "From the Hammock" comments - quick and easy to read! ... Read more

Book Description

The ultimate reference on compensation for small business owners

Beyond 401(k)s for Small Business Owners presents strategies for reducing taxes, planning for your retirement, and rewarding high-performing employees. Expert advice from attorney and CPA Jean Sifleet will help small business owners maximize their own rewards and create an environment in which employees know that their hard work will mean a better future for themselves.

In clear, simple language this book helps you figure out what kind of plan you can afford, what your employees want, and what to do. Important tax and insurance issues are covered in detail and step-by-step guidance lets you design a compensation strategy that works for both you and your employees. Case studies, sample plans, and helpful references make this book your one-stop source for complete coverage of alternatives, from cash bonus programs to employee stock option plans (ESOPs) and everything in between. With Beyond 401(k)s for Small Business Owners you’ll have all the tools you need to:

• Maximize owner benefits, reduce taxes, and enhance your retirement income
• Use creative compensation to motivate your employees
• Understand qualified and nonqualified plans
• Address the unique issues of family businesses
• Get the best deal on insurance and benefits for your company
• Avoid expensive pitfalls
• Measure your progress and keep your plan on track

Reviews (3)

A tough topic tamed
For business owners, senior execs and their advisors, Jean's book is straight forward reading with valuable charts and graphs. It includes tips and tricks from seasoned advisors and ample references.

Beyond 401(k)s for Small Business Owners
This book has a narrow audience and most people would have no interest. But if you, like I, own a small business: buy this book!!! The subject (keeping the money you have earned) is quite complex, with many different plans and programs. This book makes you aware of your options and shows you the steps you need to take to put each plan in action. Perhaps the best benefit of all is a review of the costs and complexity of each plan type. A plan that can shield you from taxes, but costs a fortune to put in place and maintain, has obvious limitations. But the salesperson trying to sell you that type of plan may not give you all the detail on the long term costs. If you own a business and ever plan to retire, buy this book.

WOW - so when was this topic easy to understand?
"Mumbo jumbo best left to the professionals" is how I always felt when confronted with decisions on these topics. Atty Sifleet has made this an easy read and so understandable. Even a one-person company techie like me can figure it out. Congratulations Jean! ... Read more

Book Description

Enactment of the Roth IRA law has not only revolutionized retirement planning, it may forever change the way we save for other major life goals-- from purchasing a home, financing a college education to establishing an estate trust fund. Regardless of whether you are an individual concerned about retirement or a professional financial advisor, you will find that this book provides an invaluable guide to the mechanics and subtleties of the Roth IRA legislation.

Highlights of this book:

Quick Start overview that can be read in 15 minutes.

All rules explained in simple, non-jargon English.

Easy 5-step retirement planning method clarifies goals.

Analysis of 11 profiles (ages 25 to 85) using state-of-the-art software.

Comparison with 401(k) savings / capital gains funds.

New technology shows how partial Roth Conversions can maximize assets.

Enhancing estate plans with the Roth IRA.

Reference forms (5305, 5329) and TCA Sections 408A, 219 and 408.

Includes current legislation: Technical Corrections Act (July) 1998. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Traditional IRA vs. Roth IRA Conversion
I am over 65 and have found the "Roth IRA Book, An Investor's Guide" by Dr. Gobind Daryanani to be an excellent information source. There are a number of factors to be considered in evaluating the the conversion of a Traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. Dr.Daryanani's book is an excellent supplement to IRS Publication 590 (Individual Retirement Arrangements) since it explains and clarifies many potential problem areas. His book is well organized and written in clear understandable language. The book, together with reference to Pub. 590, provided the information I needed to feel comfortable in my IRA planning and execution.

Step-by-step, help you determine if a ROTH is right for you
This book takes some pretty complicated number crunching and makes sense our of it. It walks you step-by-step throught the calcualtions to determine what kind of benefit a ROTH IRA would provide to you. After reading you should easily be able to tell if the ROTH IRA is the best choice for you. Additionally, if you have other funds eligible for rollover into a ROTH IRA, the book helps you determine the optimum rollover amount. I thought is was very well written.

The best book on the topic.
I've been reading a lot about the Roth and this is the most complete treatment I've seen. This is easy to follow and complete. I'm happy to have read it and have already saved money.

Contains little more than standard journalistic accounts.
I was disappointed in the book. I reasoned that a decision involving thousands of dollars warrants a $40 book purchase. Unfortunately, there is little to be gained from this book that can't be found from a quick search of public media. Moreover, the author uses this hastily-prepared book as a platform for selling yet another product, a so-called "high-end software package" to compute "optimal" Roth conversion levels. No book or software can really deliver an "optimal" recommendation due to the many uncertainties involved. The failing of this book is that it does not help the reader intelligently consider the variables and possibilities. It's full of boosterism about the virtues of the "Roth project." It has not been spell-checked, much less edited. The level of organization and quality of writing style are exemplified by the fact that Chapter 7 (SEVEN) begins, "The Roth IRA is a new type of IRA that has been made available as of January 1, 1998. It is named after..." In sum, an opportunistic volume targeted to the millions who need help with a complex financial decision.

Well written and easy to follow
Have reviewed several publications dealing with this topic. This book answers all of the common questions which arise and is also relatively easy to follow as a reference book. In addition, if I had trouble interpretting an answer, Dr. Daryanani's email address served me well. A reply came within 2 days! This book was recommended to me at a Fee Only Financial Planning Forum by another planner. I would be comfortable recommending it to anyone. ... Read more

Book Description

Thanks to healthier lifestyles and medical advances, seniors are living longer than ever. And now, with the baby boomers approaching retirement age, the demand for financial advice for the 60+ investor is skyrocketing. To fully and effectively serve the needs of this rapidly growing group, financial advisors need a source of information that is comprehensive, reliable, and timely.

Advising the 60+ Investor offers tax and financial planners an authoritative resource for the financial concerns of those who have retired or are about to retire. Drawing on the combined expertise of tax, finance, and accounting professionals, this remarkable book makes it easier for financial advisors to present their clients with a full range of planning strategies and to provide practical advice custom tailored to their clients' individual circumstances. An abundance of detailed, real-world examples illustrate many of the most common financial situations faced by older investors, and handy computation aids and data tables make calculations clear, quick, and straightforward.

The broad, comprehensive scope of Advising the 60+ Investor includes:

• Basic Financial Planning—Investor objectives, asset allocation, insurance requirements, and related topics, such as reverse mortgages and post-retirement employment.
• Pension and Annuity Income—Distribution options from retirement plans and their taxability, including IRAs, annuities, and lump-sum distributions.
• Social Security Benefits—Calculating the amount of the benefits; worker, family and survivor benefits, taxation of benefits, Medicare and Medicaid.
• Transfer of a Closely Held Business—Owning a business and transferring ownership/control of a family business to the next generation: proprietorships, partnerships, and corporations; private annuities, family limited partnerships, and businesses transferred at death.
• Estate Planning—The estate and gift transfer tax system, the basic goals of estate planning, estate planning techniques, marital deduction planning, and grantor retained interest trusts.
• Marriage and Remarriage—The marriage penalty, Social Security benefits, estate planning, and maximizing the exclusion of gain on the sale of both homes.
• Miscellaneous Provisions—Important general tax issues affecting older taxpayers, including the additional standard deduction, the credit for the elderly and disabled, deductions for medical expenses, multiple support agreements, life insurance proceeds, endowments contracts, the tax consequences of volunteerism, and much more.
• Designed to meet the needs of busy investment advisors, financial planners, accountants, and attorneys, Advising the 60+ Investor is an invaluable resource and essential addition to the professional financial advisor's reference library.

  NOW YOU CAN TARGET THE SPECIFIC FINANCIAL SERVICES YOUR 60+ CLIENTS NEED IN THEIR RETIREMENT YEARS.

  Researched and written by three tax, financial, and accounting experts, Advising the 60+ Investor provides planners with a comprehensive resource for advising the older investor. Timely and authoritative, this essential reference covers the full range of topics that concern this rapidly growing population group. Such areas as financial planning, asset allocation, pensions and annuities, Social Security benefits, the transfer of a business, estate planning, marriage and remarriage, life insurance, medical benefits, and related topics receive detailed and practical coverage. Real-world examples, computation aids, and data tables support the text and help make this an indispensable addition to your professional library. ... Read more

Book Description

Baby boomers are an incredibly lucrative market. But in their rush to appeal to youth, many companies have lost contact with baby boomers as they mature. The experts who contributed to this book find that boomers refuse to think of themselves as old even as they seek some of the comforts of mid-life. As they move through their peak earning years and into retirement, they still have a sense of fun and self-confidence. As perpetual learners, boomers continue to be information hungry and willing to adopt new technologies. Moreover, they recognize that good health will keep them young and they work to stay healthy.

Leading authorities in the fields of leisure and travel, financial services, apparel, fast food, technology, and health care tell you what boomers want from these industries. You will find:

•Details of today’s boomer demographics compared with the generations before and after and data on their attitudes based on several representative surveys in the past year
•Advertising campaigns that have worked for leisure companies and destinations
•What mature Boomers are demanding of fast food
•How technology fits into their lives
•Why apparel companies need to rethink their designs for boomer women
•What boomers expect of their financial advisors
•Insights into their "drugs of choice" for combating high cholesterol and high blood pressure

Don’t write them off just yet!Place your order now to make sure you stay ahead of the generation that has at times been referred to as, "A pig moving through a python." This book gives you the information you need to sell to boomers After Fifty. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

An excellent and thoroughly "reader friendly" assessment
Compiled and edited by Leslie M. Harris (Managing Partner of Mature Marketing & Research), After Fifty is a solid, business-minded guide to the lucrative market of the maturing baby boomer generation, now moving past peak earning years into retirement. An assembly of informed and informative articles by marketing experts Leslie M. Harris, Theodore L. Reed, Howard Willens, Amy Myers, John Nielson, Anne Devereux, Ron Paul, Jacqueline Rodriguez, Michelle Edelman, Sherri Akers, and Joan Seamster, After Fifty provides statistics, demographics, reasoned hypotheses, hard facts, and more. Taken together, these articles and essays provide an excellent and thoroughly "reader friendly" assessment that covers an aging "baby boomer" market's demands with regard to travel & leisure, fast food, apparel, technology, health care, financial services and much more. ... Read more

Book Description

Plenty of books tell you how to plan for retirement. This book tells you how to manage it once you are there.

Retirement: A time in your life when you should be kicking back and relaxing on a sandy beach or a golf course, without a care in the world. Right? Well, these days it's a bit more complicated than that. With Social Security and Medicare hanging in the balance, questions and uncertainties abound: Will you have enough money? Will you need a part-time job? Do you have adequate health insurance? Here is the road map you need for a comfortable, stress-free retirement—complete with sandy beaches, if that's your preference. Ron and Murray Yolles, a father-and-son team who have advised retirees on money matters for fifty years, provide a solid, down-to-earth plan for a successful retirement, covering everything from the best investment strategies to maximizing retirement plans and IRAs.

"Will your money last? This book helps make sure it does for the millions of Americans entering retirement, answering this key question and many more in an easy-to-read, friendly way." —Jean-Marie Eveillard, President, SoGen Funds.

"You're Retired, Now What? is a great read to help clear one's mind of all the conflicting financial advice that exists today." —David Herro, CFA, Partner, Director of International Equities The Oakmark International Funds. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Excellent for the new retiree
Just retired and this book answered alot of questions. I always felt that I could manage my investments by myself in retirement. This book makes me realize that I may eventually have to go to a financial planner for help.

Outstanding Retirement Guide
As a financial advisor, I've personally purchased over 100 books to give to my retired clients as gifts. They love it. This book is an excellent guide to retirement finance. It covers almost every concern known to any retiree, for example--how much of your portfolio should be used for income? Their logic and reasoning makes it simple for anyone to understand the economics of living off your portfolio during retirement. The case studies are great--real life examples of life changing financial decisions. Thank you Ron and Murray for such a wonderful gift of your knowledge.

Magnetic Reading
Once I started reading this book I realized how much thought has to go into the retirement proccess. This book starts you off in the right place and takes you through the proccess in exactly the right order. I found the book very easy to comprehend and the charts were very helpfull to illustrate the points that were being made. I have read other books on the subject of retirement and I found that this book is very comprehensive and easy to follow.

An excellent personal finance book for retirees/pre-retirees
You're Retired Now What? is an excellent personal finance book for retirees and pre-retirees, alike. It contains an abundance of valuable information and is written so that the average person can understand it. I highly recommend this book for any retiree or pre-retiree. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A concise guide to your 401K
This short book covered more than I thought it would, a must read if you are considering a 401k plan or are ready to retire.

Great help with financial planning whether you are 22 or 62
Ms. Rowland does a great job answering just about every question imaginable when it comes to dealing with your 401K plan. There is advice for getting started,switching jobs, planning beneficiaries, actually retiring, taking loans out against your 401k...everything. The book is written in a series of 2 page articles she lists as "steps" so if you want to skip around you can. While a little of the material is dated as a result of the recent tax changes, it is mostly in regards to amounts an individual is able to contribute. I felt I was fairly knowledgeable on this topic before I started reading but I found it pretty interesting and worth the time.

excellent book
This book is excellent! She explains, in-depth and in easy to understand language, exactly what a 401(k) plan is and how to use it to plan for retirement. Her book clearly explains the role of the 401(k) in retirement.

A must read if you are considering 401(k)
This is an excellent book about 401(k) plan. I found 99% of my questions answered in that book. The book is well-organized, and the author did a good job in presenting the pros and cons of 401(k)plan. The only thing I recommend to the author is elaborating more about the 401K status for non-residnts, and how can they get their money out of this plan in case they decided to leave the country.

Everything you need to know about 401(k)s is in this book.
More than 22 million Americans have 401(k) plans worth an astounding $750 billion. Chances are, most employees who sign up for this great perk do little more than read an occasional article on the subject. But big bucks -- and 22 million nest eggs -- are on the line. So if you're lucky enough to be eligible for a 401(k), you owe it to yourself to read this objective guide. In a series of easy- to-digest steps, personal finance writer Mary Rowland lays out -- including sample portfolios, reducing taxes, monitoring plan expenses, taking a loan, or making a withdrawal. ... Read more

Book Description

Providing information on 50 of the most outstanding communities across the United States, this handy sourcebook guides retirees toward safe, friendly communities that are rich in amenities. Rather than relying heavily on anecdotal advice and information, this handbook rates communities on such components as the quality of available health care, public transportation, and cost of living. Cities are grouped by region to make it easier to compare those in similar areas with information on local flavor, such as cultural attractions, surrounding countryside, and shopping areas. Also included are helpful maps and climatic tables for each listing, making this a valuable tool for retirees planning a move. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Bland's book is brilliant
Dr. Bland's book provides a systematic analysis of the quality of life provided by numerous American cities. Various salient criteria--cost of living, crime, etc.--are used in his analyses, but the overviews given are brilliant snapshots of the overall quality of life in each of the cities. One gets a sense of what one can expect in each of these cities in terms not only of the various factors analyzed, but how they all work together in producing the "way of life" or "style of living" of each city. This is a must-read for someone considering a move in retirement.

Look no further ..... The Best Retirement Resource!!
I don't think I'm exaggerating in I saying that "Retire in Style" is the single best resource currently available on US retirement communities.

I have reviewed many other books on the subject and have found that most are either too data intensive, losing the reader in a sea of numbers and academic jargon, or too superficial to offer any meaningful commentary on where to retire. In contrast, Dr. Bland's book provides all the meaningful data necessary to make an intelligent choice while maintaining surprising readability.

If you are looking for a resource to help you determine where you will retire, I suggest buying Dr. Bland's Book. It is entertaining, informative and captures the unique character of each location.

A Stylish Book for Retiring in Style
"Retire in Style," by Warren R. Bland is an ideal book to help you find an attractive and affordable town for retirement. It is well researched and organized and uses tables, charts and maps effectively. Forty very charming yet affordable towns and cities are described in detail and rated on 12 criteria important to retirees. An additional 10 places are described more briefly. We are glad we bought this book and are looking forward to seeing some of Dr. Bland's top-rated places for ourselves. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Proven Way to Sound, Successful, Long-Term Investing
This excellent book is highly commended to anyone who is truly serious about investing. Peter Hupalo is a consultant and frequent columnist on money and entrepreneurship matters. With clear and convincing data to support him, Mr. Hupalo debunks many of the myths Wall Street pushes on the investing public. Author demonstrates the futility of trying to "beat the market", whether through stock picking and market timing or by following mutual funds that have shown high levels of performance in the past. After he makes a convincing case for trying to meet, rather than beat the market. Thus, Mr. Hupalo advocates investing in a diversified basket of mutual funds. The chapter on investing during retirement is particularly insightful.

Whether or not one ultimately agrees with Mr. Hupalo's point of view, "Becoming An Investor: Building Wealth By Investing In Stocks, Bonds, And Mutual Funds" is a book, which deserves attention. Anyone wishing to base his/her investment decisions on solid methodology needs to read this book. You will have a much clearer understanding of markets, and your investment decisions will be firmly rooted in proven soil.

I highly recommend this book for everyone.

Alexander Petrochenkov

A diamond in the rough!
Only available in paperback, no fancy artwork on the cover, no glowing reviews by a big time newspaper publisher, no forward by a prestigious luminary, even the editing is second rate. In a word, this is a rough book.

However, when it comes to content, this book is loaded as the author does not include a lot of fluff or selfish stories about himself. However, the author is obviously very well read, because he includes numerous references to plently of other investing books. Some may conclude it's a value investing book, but growth investing is covered as well.

So, what this book presents is a careful and comprehensive distillation of just about everything commonly available on the subject of investing. Also included are numerous clever stories which illustrate important investment truths and strategies and a recognition that a lot of what the mass media presents is almost worthless for somebody wishing to become an investor.

Make the most of risk-calculated investment
Becoming An Investor: Building Wealth By Investing In Stocks, Bonds, And Mutual Funds is a straightforward primer to the basics of conservative financial investment specifically written for the novice investor seeking to establish a profitable portfolio. From evaluating risks and ratios to diversifying to improve one's margin of safety, just about everything a beginning investor must know is included. For anyone considering putting their money to work for them, Becoming An Investor is urgently recommended, essential reading for participants in today's volatile stock and bond markets in order to help them to make the most of their risk-calculated investment activities. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

This is a fantastic book!
This is a fantastic book about that most exciting life cycle stage--retirement. But retirement doesn't mean "to retire" as in relaxing, taking it easy or doing little. Retirement can be the most fulfilling and rewarding time of your life and it is often the most active time as well. But to get the most out of it requires careful planning...and that is what The Retirement Sourcebook provides. Mary Helen and Shuford Smith have thoroughly researched their subject and leave no aspect unexamined. The book is full of ideas and answers. Nancy Holmes, Retired from private practice in family therapy and currently manager of an art gallery

A great resource.
This book, which is aimed at the mid-life adult contemplating retirement, is comprehensive, clearly written, and wonderfully current. I purchased it for the Senior Collection our local library, and I will use it myself as I look ahead to retirement.

Mary Helen and Shuford Smith recognize that successful retirement is a process requiring much more than choosing a pleasant place to live. Lots of decisions, opportunities and challenges accompany the retirement journey, and the authors offer excellent tools for addressing them. Some of the tools are self-evaluative, while others look outward, pointing to other avenues we can explore along the way.

In fact, part of the book's success stems from the fact that it provides sound advice on a variety of topics without getting bogged down on any one subject. Instead, it offers suggestions about other resources--books, documents, organizations, web sites, etc. The web sites, especially, extend our reach in remarkable new ways.

The highlight of this book for me, however, is the way it is written. Every time I pick it up, I feel as if I'm being introduced to yet another member of a circle of wise friends. The authors draw much of their material from interviews with retired people, and nuggets from those conversations are sprinkled liberally throughout the book. These new friends are people who have done it right--or who have learned from a mistake or two-and I mean to pay attention to what they have to say.

This book is a buoyant guide to the later years
The Retirement Sourcebook is a buoyant guide to the later years. Loaded with possibilities as well as helpful realities, this book is an invaluable asset in refining your vision of the life you'd most like to lead. The authors are ebullient examples of retirees who have blossomed after leaving the structured workplace. They share their wisdom ("when you have time, you have options") as well as their considerable practical knowledge. And there is no shortage of inspiration with role models cited ranging from Colonel Sanders to Mother Teresa.

The chapter on financial issues alone is worth the price of admission. The authors, experts at "working the web," sift through the mountain of information available for the nuggets that will help you make an informed decision.

If you yearned to see Alaska but considered it too expensive or thought a condo on a golf course would be a tranquil place to live, read this book before you make any decisions.

The Retirement Sourcebook covers nothing less than the entire gamut of human experience from stress and living wills to how to get rid of junk mail.

You'll be referring to it for years to come.

Extremely useful across the board reference for retirees
There are many, many bits and pieces of useful advice and direction to guide retirees or soon to be retirees floating around in the book world. This book has done a masterful job of bringing most of the key decision factors and issues together under one "roof". Not only are the standard factors-finance, climate, entertainment etc covered but personal emotional and physciological issues are covered. The handling of death, care giving, emotional trauma are covered. Perhaps a most useful feature are the numerous matrices and check list tables throughout the book. Example-the check list of values Vs time allocated to these values will let a lot of people decide what is really important to their retirement "health".This allows management of time and prevents frustration.

Grounded and down to earth, yet breezy and fun to read
I picked up the book at10 p.m and couldn't put it down for an hour. Three years ago I left my job to begin a dream; so I was fascinated with how it might apply to me. This book gives you ideas, data, and places to find out more. I found myself in the pages and it made me laugh. Most importantly, it conveys a vision of what this part of our lives can be. ... Read more

Book Description

A comprehensive framework for capitalizing on the growing market for Continuing Care Retirement Communities.

Senior Residences equips architects and other industry professionals with a proven executive strategy for the design and development of successful Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) projects. Using two of America's foremost CCRCs as best practice case studies, it guides readers through every critical aspect of the process, from research and planning through construction, including:
* The enterprise concept
* Formation of an executive organization
* Financial and legal due diligence
* Marketing and sales preparation
* Residents' expectations and requirements
* Healthcare and residential services
* The design and build process
* Project monitoring and assessment.

The over-65 population is increasing rapidly and dramatically, raising crucial concerns about the housing and care of senior citizens in the years ahead. How can we provide the best possible quality of care to the elderly? How can architects, developers, and others capitalize on the growing senior housing industry and stay competitive in the future? How can the facilities they create deliver both good service and strong financial returns?

While there are no easy answers to these important questions, the Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) model has emerged as a flexible and attractive option for providing combined housing, services, and nursing care to the elderly. Senior Residences equips architects and other industry professionals with a comprehensive, three-part strategic framework for designing and developing successful CCRC projects.

Part I identifies the eight critical success factors of a CCRC enterprise and illustrates them through an in-depth examination of two exemplary developments, The Cypress of South Carolina's Hilton Head Island and The Stratford in the San Francisco Peninsula. Part II details a computer-based "standard of performance" system to track progress and assess project performance. Finally, Part III examines how to use different types of research to stay on top of market trends and forecasts, legal and licensing requirements, and more.

Together, the three elements of this executive strategy cover every aspect of the development process, from the initial enterprise concept and executive organization building to financial and legal due diligence, marketing and sales, residents' services and healthcare, and design and build. Readers gain essential guidance in tackling key project management issues as well as in developing effective problem-solving and troubleshooting skills.

Written by an author team with extensive CCRC experience, Senior Residences helps encourage avenues of thought that will lead to more cohesive, responsive, and successful CCRC projects that benefit the professionals who build them and the residents who live in them. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Technically Lacking
The book doesn't deliver on presenting a computer application system for evaluating performance. It takes the CCRC's accredition questions and just expands on them. From the information that was presented I not sure if the authors know what an application system is. In any event the book lacks any hard technical information, or performance standards, that can be used for evaluating and designing a project. It's presentation is more like a general business plan from a recent MBA graduate. ... Read more