Book Description

In this breakthrough book, nationally known financial educator Paul Grangaard explains how to accumulate money for retirement-and provides a simple 25-step program to help readers apply what they learn to create their own retirement plan. Most important, Grangaard shows how to develop a life-long financial plan to enjoy the comfort, control, and flexibility everyone wants-now and in the future.

Readers will learn how to:

€ Calculate how much income may be needed in retirement
€ Determine how much one may have to accumulate for retirement
€ Make the most of 401(k) plans
€ Consider the retirement value of existing assets
€ Evaluate future saving and investing plans ... Read more

Book Description

This book is aptly named "Do Your Own Self-Directed Pension Plan", as it provides any small business person who has no employees except perhaps a spouse and/or business partners, the ability to do their own pension plan in an easy, step by step process.Pension plans referred to in this book are those qualified by the IRS.These plans, also known as Keogh or HR 10 plans, are Defined Contribution Plans limited to Profit Sharing and Money Purchase Pension Plans.They do not include those plans which require the services of an actuary, such as defined benefit plans, or those involving common law employees.

The book provides the most flexible options that one can generally have in a plan, such as being ones own trustee and administrator, in-service withdrawals, plan loans, early retirement, and complete self direction of investments.

In addition to a comprehensive guide about how to establish the plan and investment accounts which go with a plan, there are numerous real life examples of how investments are made and how to make them, comprising almost one third of the book. ... Read more

Book Description

This book makes it easy to learn how to get the most from a Roth IRA. In plain language in covers:

Choices. Deciding whether the Roth IRA is best for you, and where to establish your Roth.

Contributions. How to build wealth for yourself, your spouse, even your child.

Conversions. Determining when and how to convert a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA.

Distributions. How to withdraw money from your Roth IRA without paying tax or penalties.

Strategies. Situations where the Roth IRA can provide special benefits.

This book is your complete, authoritative guide to Roth IRAs, covering all the rules -- and explaining strategies that will help you build and preserve retirement wealth. ... Read more

Book Description

Creating Retirement Income, a Lightbulb Press book, is for anyone thinking about retirement planning and variable annuities. Planning for retirement and creating a nest egg on which to live comfortably is on everyone's mind­­from people in their twenties to those for whom retirement is just around the corner. Variable annuities provide the answers to millions of investors, yet there's still a mystery that surrounds them.

This colorfully illustrated guide simplifies variable annuities and ways to create retirement wealth. Written in collaboration with the National Association of Variable Annuities, this user-friendly, easy-to-read and easy-to-understand guide to will appeal to anyone planning for retirement. Created by the authors of the best-selling Wall Street Journal guides, Creating Retirement Income will show you how to:

• Plan for a comfortable retirement;
• Choose among different annuities;
• Develop a diversified portfolio;
• Sort out the facts of social security
• And much more

Reviews (1)

A Excellent Retirement Book
If you have the time and want to learnhow to chose retirement instruments on your OWN, then read this book. It will bore you at times, but just come back to it later. You will be glad you did. ... Read more

Book Description

Why are pension funds so large and benefits so small? This examination of the 120-year-old American system of privatized social insurance - often called, at 1.7 trillion dollars, the biggest lump of money in the world - reveals that the system fails to provide adequate retirement income security, its most prominent goal, and, in fact, its greatest influence is in supplying funds to U.S. capital markets.

Linking market forces, historical movements, and social norms in the evolution of pensions, Ghilarducci's study is the first to focus on all major aspects of the system. Its trenchant analysis of the many sides of pensions and pension policy addresses questions of whom the system benefits, its direct and social costs, and the possibilities of reforms that would take into account the related problems of capital formation and retirement income.

Ghilarducci describes the history of pension funds and the involvement of unions in bargaining. She takes up the "moral hazard" involved in the conflicting interests of corporations and their employees, tackling issues of information availability and inequality of pension distribution based on sex, race, and job hierarchy. And in two chapters, each focusing on corporate and union uses of pension funds, she covers such topics as tax breaks, the effect of corporate takeovers, the use of pensions to pay back debt, and the kinds of skimming that can occur despite government regulation of pension activities. Ghilarducci concludes by presenting an ideal pension plan that would benefit both employer and employee and by offering predictions about pension plans of the future. Teresa Ghilarducci is Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Notre Dame. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Don't Die Broke: How to Turn Your Retirement Savings into Lasting Income, by personal-finance writer and financial-education specialist Margaret A. Malaspina, offers a fresh take on one of today's hottest money matters by outlining ways to tap most effectively into the retirement nest egg that you're currently nurturing. While most such guides concentrate on actually amassing those future fiscal resources in the first place, Malaspina shows instead how to maximize what you're (hopefully) already building so you'll (hopefully) always have what you need. "Most people find themselves making decisions about retirement plan distributions with little guidance," she writes. "Few people understand the consequences of their choices--or, indeed, what choices they have." In clear, highly focused chapters, she offers solid suggestions for creating a lasting retirement income, lowering potential taxes, and building an estate worth passing along. --Howard Rothman ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Don't believe the subtitle
The subtitle is "Taking Money out of your IRA, 401(k), or other savings plan-- and creating lasting retirement income, but there's precious little useful how-to here. There's basically one chapter (9) that deals with the details of setting up a withdrawal plan and the advice boils down to "go find an investment advisor". Most of the book is spent explaining 401ks, IRAs, workplace plans, etc.

It's my own fault, though. Next time I'll read the TOC before buying!

A Solid Effort!
Many rules and regulations govern pension plans. The technicalities are complicated and change constantly. People can make irrevocable errors doing something as simple as moving assets from one plan to another. Margaret A. Malaspina cuts through retirement plan red tape and explains the jargon. She shows you how to get to your money after you have worked hard to save it. This book demystifies your options and clarifies the consequences of your choices. The author makes reading about taxes relatively painless. We at getAbstract recommend this book to anyone planning retirement, switching retirement plans, or withdrawing retirement funds. However, because of its discussion of United States tax law, it is not useful to those in other countries.

A practical, step-by-step, effective approach
In Don't Die Broke, Margaret Malaspina offers a careful, practical, step-by-step, effective approach to ensuring proper and profitable management of money. Here is a wealth of useful advice and counsel on making money last, avoiding the need to spend retirement years worrying about financial security. The reader will learn how to turn assets into income; create a monthly paycheck from savings, stocks, and other financial resources; avoid making irreversible mistakes with retirement savings; understand a company's retirement plans, individual retirement accounts (such as the new Roth IRAs); transfer wealth to heirs; and minimize taxes on retirement savings. Don't Die Broke is "must" reading for anyone seeking relief from financial stress in their retirement and eventually being able to leave something to loved ones.

This book is a lifeline...highly recommend it
Like so many of my friends, my husband's and my focus has been all about reaching some magic number that would say, ok,now it's safe to retire without going broke... We gave not a thought to how we'd manage the moneyafterwards. But then we began to hear rumors ... you must do this, youcan't do that, and panic set in. Finally, after reading Ms. Malaspina'sbook, we understand what's really going on (better than we did aftertalking to our accountant!). I've given this book to friends and even acousin who was 69-1/2 and didn't have a clue about the need to startdrawing on certain retirement savings. This book should be required readingfor anyone over 50. Thanks, Bloomberg Press!

Excellent Treatise On A Very Complicated Topic
Margaret Malaspina has done an incredible service to the taxpaying world in her book. As a Certified Public Accountant, I can attest to fact that dealing with the Internal Revenue Service Code is an extremely difficultprocess. She has consistently dealt with this complicated and veryconfusing subject and de-mystified it in a way that heretofore has neverbeen done. As more and more assets of American citizens are finding theirway into retirement accounts, the timing of this book is perfect. Whatmight appear to be some type of simple election or investment decision canbackfire in terms of significant additional taxes. She attempts andsucceeds in identifying these problems and proposing appropriate solutions. I have read it thoroughly and have recommended it to my clients andfriends. ... Read more

Book Description

Praise for The SAVAGE NUMBER

"At last there is one source, one comprehensive source for retirement savings and all of its implications. Terry Savage has done it again, put it all in plain English, for the millions of people who need to know what awaits them, financially, in their golden years. I get thousands of questions each week about this topic. Now I have the answers, from someone I would trust with my financial life. Great job Terry!"
—James J. Cramer, markets commentator, TheStreet.com and CNBC author of Jim Cramer's RealMoney: Sane Investing in an Insane World

"Chock-full of great information designed to help you plan your personal financial future."
—Bob Brinker, editor and publisher, Marketimer Investment Letter

"It is astonishing how little most of us plan ahead for retirement. Terry has done it all for us in this book."
—Jim Rogers, author of Adventure Capitalist and Hot Commodities

"Terry Savage takes the worry lines out of aging with this easy-to-use guide to planning for retirement."
—Diane C. Swonk, Senior Managing Director and Chief Economist, Mesirow Financial

"Terry Savage is a respected financial journalist and, as the first woman member of the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), knows the markets firsthand. In The Savage Number, she uses that expertise to demonstrate how a variety of investment vehicles can be used to increase retirement income, including an insightful look at how investors can write covered calls on stocks they already own. Overall, The Savage Number is a pragmatic approach to retirement planning filled with sound investment advice from a seasoned pro—I highly recommend it."
—William J. Brodsky, Chairman and CEO, Chicago Board Options Exchange

"The Savage Number greets you with cold realities and then shows you the path down the yellow brick road. It is a comprehensive and compelling guide to taking control of your financial future, from early saving and outliving your money Monte Carlo risk assessment to retiree health savings and long-term care. The bottom line: you can plan and choose to save, or you can work forever."
—Dallas L. Salisbury, President and CEO, Employee Benefit Research Institute ... Read more

Book Description

Use the New Tax Law to Retire on Your Terms

Are you planning your retirement with the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 in mind?If not, you could be missing out on important changes that could help you build a larger nest egg or even retire early.Drawing on the experience of the nation’s premier tax and financial planners, Ernst & Young’s Retirement Planning Guide, Special Tax Edition shows you how to use the new tax law to plan for a secure future–whether you’re just getting started or on the verge of retirement.

This practical guide highlights key financial and personal issues you need to consider during your pre-retirement and retirement years, including essential information on how the new tax law will affect your retirement.

From guidance on portfolio diversification and Social Security to the new tax rules that will impact IRAs and 401(k) plans, Ernst & Young’s Retirement Planning Guide, Special Tax Edition provides the insight and assistance you need to take advantage of the new tax law and plan for a financially secure future.

• The effect the new tax law will have on your retirement plan–from pension withdrawals to IRA limits and new tax-deferred plans
• The latest financial instruments for retirement savings
• Worksheets, tips, and action items, as well as additional resources, including Web sites
• Strategies to overcome adverse financial events
• Wealth-building techniques to help you retire early
• Practical ideas and easy-to-understand charts and tables

Reviews (1)

I bought this for both sets of parents!
There are a lot of retirement books out there, so I went with the one with a recognizable name and I'm glad I did. My parents haven't thought enough about retirement and I wanted to spur them to action. They were pleased to find out that there were many things they could do now, even at this late date, to help them, and they even starting giving me tips on ways I could start planning. So then I gave this book to my husband's parents who are already retired, and they ended up buying it for friends too. There are tons of tips, easy things you can do, worksheets, charts, action lists, tips--even a section on how to overcome adverse events like losing your job and divorce. It is worth the read. You'll learn a lot and be happy you did. ... Read more

Book Description

In 1944 Anne Scheiber, a lifelong federal employee whose income never surpassed $3,150 a year--yes, the figure is correct!--invested $5,000 in blue-chip stocks. When she died in 1995 her stocks were worth $22 million--that figure is also correct!--and she was receiving an annual income of over $1 million in dividends from them. The Dividend Growth Investment Strategy tells how she did it and how others can invest long-term in stock for retirement income.

Over half of all Americans have money in the stock market, most of it in mutual funds. But most mutual funds underperform the stock market, and they are taxed.The taxes and fees destroy compounding of investments and diminish the retirement nest egg. Anne Scheiber's method, the Dividend Growth Investment Strategy (DGIS), beats the mutual fund in returns fivefold after thirty years, though both approaches achieve 14 percent annual growth.

This book examines and compares the various investment strategies of stocks, bonds, and mutual funds and shows in hard figures why DGIS is the better investment strategy. The DGIS maximizes growth of the nest egg while producing income that doubles every five years. It also minimizes anxiety over market downturns and inflation because investors can ride the market "roller coaster" by keeping their capital growing, while riding the stock market "escalator" through dividend growth returns, all the while avoiding taxes on their dividends.

To help the investor choose stocks, company fundamentals are discussed along with suggestions on how to research them and what materials to use. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A Good Strategy for Investing
This book introduces an excellent idea for investment.Basically, you should look for well-established companies with a good track record of dividend increases, invest, and wait 30 years.If you have less than 25 years until retirement, this stategy might not work so well for you because the real wealth development tends to kick in at around the 25 year mark and shoots up from there.If you have less time than that, then you'll only see a modest return on your investments.

The author provides her pick of top performers historically.Of course this doesn't mean that these will continue to perform in the future.The only weak point of this book is that it is based on data from the tech bubble era of the late ninties.If you plan on taking the authors recommendations, be sure to do your homework and check up on the companies to see how they have weathered the years since the burst of the tech bubble.I would say about 75 percent of the recommendations are still good, while a few such as AIG may not be so smart right now.Just be sure to do your homework.It might be time for the author to give us an updated version of this book.

Insightful and thought provoking
I've been investing in stocks and reading investment books for 5 years.Ms. Klugman's book is definately one of the best I've read.

She makes a very cogent arguement for this style of investing, which in a nutshell is:

1. Dividend growth shields investors from emotional turmoil of having your investments sink in value, since these stocks tend to stand up well and also because of the dividend income stream.This is very important if you have a low threshold for financial panic.
2. Dividend growth provides relatively small income streams at first, presumably when you don't need income (and when your taxes are highest), but it grows so that at retirement you will have a large annual income.
3. Dividend growth strategy should have much higher returns than bonds, since your dividend income will grow, while bonds pay static returns.
4. If you hold stocks in an IRA and just live off the dividends and pass the stocks to your heirs, it is a perfect tax shelter for transfering huge amounts of wealth, since all the capital gains on the stocks are not taxable when the stocks are inherited.

Ms. Klugman does mention in passing that Dividend Growth is not necessarily the highest return strategy, and probably will not even keep pace with an index fund.However, Ms. Klugman makes a very compelling case for this style of investing.In addition, her observations about the Wall Street in general are insightful and make good reading.

I have read over 20 books on investing.This is the among the few that I am still mulling it over 2 weeks after I finished reading it.

Good for part of your portfolio
This is a very good book especially for the faint of heart and those who shirk at aggressive growth stocks.In my opinion, this would be most useful as long as it represented part of your portfolio (especially for younger investors) I also agree with this author on bonds. They cannot compare with equities except in those rare times when interest rate are high and start coming down. Bonds are not a good long term strategy - but equities are.I am using this strategy along with agressive no load mutual funds. You can double your money every 4-5 years with mutual funds and save on the commissions. President Bush's new tax plan will make this dividend strategy program even more lucrative (as longas the Dmocrats don't screw it up)The dividend growth strategy is an excellent book and I highly recommend it along with the WSJ and IBD to research those dividend stocks.

USEFUL, BUT......
It is not my purpose to pan this book.The 5 star rating system is sometimes less flexible than one would like.Ms. Klugman actually has a good point to make.Dividends are very useful in any investment strategy that has twenty or thirty years to run.In fact I would go so far as to argue that as a shareholder, a dividend is your absolute right.You own that company, or part of it.Without your capital, the company would not likely be in business and, when it makes a profit, you the owners, should share that success without having to sell your shares to realize it!Ms. Klugman, however, seems sometimes less than fair and careful when arguing against views she does not share.

For intance, she seems to suggest that if you own bonds, you are a faint hearted chump.She utterly fails to accord to bonds the same compounding effect she claims for dividends.Nonsense.Anything that returns a gain that's reinvested compounds.Let me attempt a quick (and mathematically dirty) example to show the approximate effect of bonds, in this case a bond fund.Say three years ago you had $100,000.00.Say you put it all into S&P 500 quality stocks with no dividends.At the end of 2002, you'd have had about $69,880.If you include a 2.5% dividend yield each year you'd have about $76,568.If, however, you'd put $80,000 into the dividend S&P 500 stocks and $20,000 into Vanguard's Long Term Corporate Bond fund, after paying it's .31% annual cost you'd have a total (between stocks and the bond fund)of about $90,258, a full 20.4% better than 100% stocks without dividends and 13.7% better than the dividend stocks.If you were looking at retirement inside of 10 years, that bond cushion would have made a big difference to you.

I know this is long, sorry.But one more point.Dividends are not guaranteed to rise.Even in a strong dividend culture like Heinz, a company Ms. Klugman cites favorably, this is demonstrably true.From a 3 for 2 stock split in '95, Heinz quarterly dividends climbed steadily from $.26/share to $.43 in 3/02.Then they were lowered to $.41, climbed again to $.44 in December '02 and were slashed (no stock split this time) to $.27/share in 3/03.

Still, dividends are MUY BUENO!If you own stock in a company not paying them, ask them and yourself why.If Ms. Klugman's book motivates you to look into this dividend thing, there's a web site (and newsletter) that you may find very interesting....This is put out by Ms. Geraldine Weiss (and her merry men) and will give you some insight into valuing companies by the relative dividend yield of their stock (a concept also practiced by Ms. Nancy Tengler and her associates).Ms. Klugman has the right idea here: take control of your own future.As such this is a useful book, but... there is no one surefire way.It's about dicipline , diversification, and allocation of assets (all of which I say better than I do).Good luck to you all, and remember, neither governments nor corporate managements know how to use your money better than you do.

What the personal finance industry doesn't want you to know
This strategy is what has made patient, long-term investors wealthy and has become the cornerstone of my investment plan. Very readable and insightful. Throw away all your other investing guides. ... Read more

Book Description

Financial planner and broker Julie Stav first took the American and Spanish markets by storm with the bestseller and PBS Series Get Your Share. She spoke specifically to women, showing them how to strike it rich in the stock market. Now she speaks to everyone-men and women, young and old, new and seasoned investor alike-sharing her wisdom on how to make long-term financial dreams come true.

One of the keys to achieving successful financial goals is in mutual funds and 401(k)s. And while most people do participate in such investment plans, they may not be participating profitably. In this smart, sensible and down-to-earth guide, Julie Stav shows investors and prospective investors how to get the most out of their mutual funds and 401(k) plans. She explains how to set financial goals-whether they are to retire with financial dignity, send the kids to college, or purchase a new home-and achieve them.

But most of all, Julie Stav's fun, conversational, and easy-to-understand approach takes the fear out of investing and puts the roadmap to riches within reach. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Outstanding book!
This is an amazing book - it clearly explains how you can plan for your retirement and help you to actually calculate the numbers yourself without depending on a planner. The book made me feel very empowered with my own finances. Thanks for writing this book - its awesome.

No Index
I found the book clearly written but was surprised to find no index.

get your share: the everyday woman's guide to stocks
I too am a hispanic woman. I was quite intimidated by stocks and expecially that scary stock page in the newspaper. I could not believe it. I am a college graduate and a bank employee and here I am completely baffled by investments. I work in a bank. But I caught the last 15 minutes of her PBS special and was captivated as to how simply she explained it without being condisending. I needed someone to explain how to take control of my own finances and all of those dummy books were not as helpful as I had hoped. I truly felt like a dummy!! I especially liked the road lane analogy. Because now I know in what lane and what speed to go. Even though I am 27 and the recommended/investing age starts at 25. I am confident that my retirement will be smoother than most of today's retirees. I thank you very much Julie, you improved my life by allowing me to understand it more clearly. Thanks again. If you are ever in Chicago, look me up. I owe you a cup of Starbucks mochaccino or something!!

BEST FINANCIAL PLANNING BOOK OUT THERE!
Wow! Julie Stav is really a financial writer for our times. She speaks in clear language and provides a special (and easy!) system for you to figure out how to plan for retirement, save for a college fund, or even just get the most out of your 401(k). My favorite part was the exercise she had us go through to find "hidden assets" that I didn't even know I had! I would recommend this to anyone who is numbers shy but who knows that it is time to take their financial future into their own hands! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Wish this information was out for me 10 years ago
Really enjoyed the author's wit and inspirational down to earth comments.Since no one ever educated me on retirement when I was in my 20's, 30's, I'm glad I got a chance to still cash in on maybe SOME DAY...great book.

Not for the average guy
While amusing and anecdotal, this book kept a nagging question present in the back of my mind: "why wasn't the title How to Retire as a Personal Injury Lawyer?" How can I know just how accurate the advice is when"early retirement" to this author is admittedly collectingroyalties from nine books and when things get tough occasionally suingsomeone? It's not for a broad spectrum of readers.

Retirement--realistic, reachable, and I'm ready!!
This is the first personal finance book that I actually enjoyed reading.The advice was practical, realistic and funny.The author is willing to admit mistakes that he made on the road to early retirement.This book hasmade me realize that retirement does not have to be a taboo word in myhousehold. I CAN retire early without giving up the home I love, and mayeven be able to convince my husband that retirement isn't as illusive adream as we thought.

Entertaining,easy to read - I'm ready to start my plan now!
I never thought anyone could write about how to retire early in an entertaining way. Along with great financial planning advice, the book is filled with anecdotes that make you realize that early retirement isfeasible without sacrificing your current lifestyle. I enjoyed the"Seinfeld" and "Dilbert" references that made theadvice easier to understand and digest. If you don't want to get up at 6:00a.m. every morning until you're 65 or older, this is the book toread." ... Read more

Book Description

The Wall Street Journal Guide To Planning Your Financial Future

provides clear explanations of the things you need to know and guidelines for the decisions you have to make to enjoy a comfortable retirement. It covers the advantages of salary reduction plans, clarifies the difference between Roth and traditional IRAs, and describes the benefits of effective tax planning. And it provides practical, helpful ideas to get you started. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Not Bad but Not Great Either
I had high hopes for this simple book since I am totally a visual learner. The pictures and colors greatly appealed to me, and they are indeed very nice.

That being said, I felt like the organization of the book was lacking; too many concepts were explained out of order or in such a way that a smooth flow didn't occur. Also, knowledge was assumed on the part of the reader in a manner that I found unacceptable. It was like, "Jeese, I'm reading this kind of book to find out WHAT such and such is, not just to read ABOUT it." Kind of like being told lots of details about a 401(k) without ever being told what it really is.

Overall: Helpful as a supplement to another book, such as _Retirement Bible_, by Lynn O'Shaughnessy. Good for reinforcing your learning.

a very good book, on its topic, and very esy to read
Its a very easy to read guide on planning your financial, future, I bought this one, and after reading it, I also bought the one on "money and invesing" and the one on "personal finance". I live in Mexico, and altough retirement doesnt works the same way as in US, the books does works in some parts (65%) to planning your financial future in Mexico

A good, basic introduction to the issues of retirement
Nearly all young people and most of the rest of us do not want to think about the time when we will have to live off some portion of what we are earning during our working lives. We face so many financial pressures each and every day that we end up spending all (or more than all) we earn. We can't seem to find any surplus to put away for that far away retirement. We have to deal with today.

But tomorrow comes and we need to face that. And the sooner the better! This guide is a good introduction to the basic concepts of the issues that need to be considered when thinking about your future financial needs. It is especially good as a text for young people to help them form their thinking about the basic issues of earning, spending, and saving and how to plan and control all three.

This is NOT detailed or current enough to serve as a guide or manual for financial planning. This is an introductory text to help you understand some basic concepts and terms. This guide helps you gain a working vocabulary of the terms and issues involved in preparing for a nice retirement. It is VERY colorful with many illustrations that add to the text and many which are there as eye candy.

Great OBSOLETE information
This was a great (5 star rating) book in 1998. However, there have been many changes in the tax laws and retirement saving instruments (like roth IRA, education credit etc.)since 1998. WSJ needs to update this great book soon.

An Excellent Overview
I was impressed with the clear concise coverage of the broad range of retirement finances. As a younger person (30) trying to map out my retirement plans, it offered me valuable info without a lot of opinions about what I should do. It will remain a valuable reference for years to come. ... Read more

Reviews (25)

It's the Ultimate Money Guide
This excellent book is more than just about investing. I found the chapters on health insurance and long term care insurance outstanding. I have subscribed to Dr. Weiss's newsletter for several years and it is excellent. If you have any doubts about his expertise,...Martin Weiss just tells it like it is in easy to understand language...

Are small gains really a loss?
If you are going to look back and worry about big gains that you did not make, this may not be the book for you. If you hate losses, Martin Weiss could help you.

Why did I buy this book?
Weiss is a gloom-and-doom prophet, constantly hissing about why the world and its money is coming to an end. I finally got out of his newsletter -- after losing money hand over fist while the rest of the world was making all of their money back -- and decided I don't need his book on my shelf anymore.

If you want sound investment advice, stay away!!!
I don't know whether Weiss is purposely trying to mislead his readers or whether he is so ignorant that he actually believes what he has written. Either way, readers would be best to steer clear of this book. Weiss' conclusions in Chapter 11 on Tax-Exempt Bonds is completely faulty and his 'advice' in that chapter is so off-base that it should be deemed criminal. In fact, it would almost be worth giving up our right to freedom of the press to get garbage like this off of the shelves - less people might be hurt. In my opinion, Weiss is no different than any other dishonest advisor trying to make a buck selling you bad advice and ignoring cost - he's just packaged it differently. God help anyone who takes his advice to heart.

Not all good and not all bad
There appears to be no possible middle ground between the extremes of opinion expressed by the various reviewers, but in fact, there is. In no particular order:
1) Weiss' severe scolding of, and warnings about, brokers and brokerages were in fact right on the money. He was proven correct by events that happened after he wrote about them. In fact, some brokerages and investment bankers were worse than he had described.
2) Yes, in fact he does sell several newsletters of the doom and gloom variety, but to his credit, does not peddle them in the body of the book.
3) Mentioned should be made of his description of using Treasury-only checking accounts for regular banking. It is quite useful.
4) Similarly mention should be made of his interesting strategy of investing in mutual funds, moving freely amongst the funds as other traders (e.g. me) would move amongst stocks. Maybe it is common knowledge, but it wasn't to anyone I know. I think this one I will try.

All in all, for persons who read mostly conventional books for advice about stock trading, this book provides a very interesting perspective for traders of any age. And it can be had for less the the commission cost of a couple of trades :). ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Specific illustrative examples are provided
Written specifically for older citizens but of immense value to adult children seeking to secure their aging parents home residences when income revenues are restricted or minimal, The Reverse Mortgage Handbook: A Consumer's Guide For Senior Homeowners by mortgage specialist T. E. Ballman provides the reader with detailed, accessible, comprehensive information on three popular reverse mortgage products. Specific illustrative examples are provided along with definitions of all specialized terminology. Virtually unique, The Reverse Mortgage Handbook is also available in a large print edition (1590940563, $14.95) and covers eligibility requirements, fund disbursement options, consumer safeguards, reverse mortgage associated costs and product profiles. Highly recommended! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Great stuff to learn in here!
This book is so helpful and wonderful. I bought two and gave one to my daughter who has just gotten married and she loved it too. A must-read for people to need to get straight with their financial planning!

24 hours to learn financil planning!
This book completely lives up to it's 24 hours expectation. After reading it, I feel as though I know exactly what to do with my financial plans. This book has intelligent information with quite a touch of humor to go along with it. I think everyone planning for their future whether they are old or young should definitely read this book. Take it from me, it is incredibly helpful! ... Read more

Book Description

MAKE THE MOST OF RETIREMENT PLANNING UNDER THE NEW TAX LAW

"Paul Westbrook is one of America’s wisest, most principled, and articulate financial advisers. This new book is the ultimate download of his wisdom and knowledge. It will help you plan better for, and live better in, the retirement you always dreamed of having."–Tyler Mathisen, Financial Journalist

"J.K. Lasser’s New Rules for Retirement and Tax is the rare financial handbook that explains complex concepts in an accessible and engaging way. It’s a must read for anyone who hopes to retire someday."–Beth Kobliner, author of Get a Financial Life: Personal Finance in Your Twenties and Thirties

"Westbrook has given us more than a guidebook for retirement; he has given us a comprehensive way to understand our own plan for retirement." –Marshall Loeb, Senior Correspondent, CBS MarketWatch; former managing editor of Fortune and Money magazines

J.K. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Great Explanation, Clear, and tell you exactly what you need
Whether you are a professional financial planner or just someone who wants to know more about retirement planning, you will find something in this book for you. In 200 pages, this book covers the material that some of the other books who spend far more pages could not have done. In fact, the really complex material is covered in just about 30 pages and it takes some of the other books almost 300 pages to cover the same thing.

This book tells you exactly what you need to know, including the updates from the tax law in 2001 and how it impacts retirement savings. All the confusion with the maximum contributions and deductible limits with IRA and 401(k) are all explained. But it goes beyond that to include actual worksheets for those who want more details. It also explains some of the more thorny issues like Pension income and the 3 stages of retirement spending levels.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book.

Great Retirement Book!
I expected a typically, dry, boring book, but I was pleasantly surprised. It was well written and gave me insightful advice, including useful worksheets, tax advice, and many other ideas. I recommend it highly for anyone planning to retire.

J.K. Lasser's New Rules for Retirement and Tax
As a longtime fan of Paul Westbrook's, and having benefited greatly from his advice, I'm admittedly biased in his favor. I can say with all honesty that this book is a thorough, well-written guide, easily accessible to the uninitiated. It should be a boon to anyone who wants to understand how to plan his or her financial future. ... Read more

Book Description

Lots of books tell you how to save for retirement. Retire & Thrive tells you how to have a fun, productive time with those 2,000 extra hours each year! ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Life Can Be Great After Exiting the Corporate World
As an Executive Coach I have often referred to and recommended to many of my clients that they read Retire and Thrive. Most have done what I suggested and their feedback to me was very positive.
Many of my clients are in their late forties and fifties and even though they hold demanding jobs, they are always thinking about their third third of life after their corporate careers end. They know that there are another twenty to thirty years ahead of them where they need to create a valid reason to get out of bed every morning with some enthusiasm. Retire and Thrive has been a source of information and inspiration to so many of them as they ponder both their present and their future. The book has been just as useful to me personally as it has been to my clients.

Real world guidance for real world challenges
I found Otterbourg's Retire and Thrive a wonderfully refreshing change from all the career and life advice books. Easy to read. I felt like he and the people he profiled were sitting in my living room simply chatting with me about their experiences. His profiles of people who have "been there" gave real world suggestions. Reading the book was like having two dozen mentors offering guidance about how to deal with real world challenges.

I especially liked the profiles that told why the person made the life changes they made...some of the changes were forced on them (downsizing, illness, etc.) but even more often they chose the changes and had the courage take the big step.

Highly recommend Retire and Thrive. Also, should be part of any career counselor's library on any educational level. Good example to young people that life isn't over at 30, 40, 50 or beyond.

Reviewing Retire and Thrive
Otterbourg's book Retire and Thrive (3rd Ed.)is a very useful and enjoyable read for anyone planning for retirement or only dreaming about its eventuality. It includes personal stories of people who have left both jobs and "lifework" and have pursued other wonderful endeavors. These include hobbies, volunteer work, politics, advanced education, part-time work and 2nd careers. There is the right mix of "nuts and bolts" planning and envisioning a future.

Retire and Thrive
With an unbelievable variety of choices facing those considering retirement, there is no easy way to approach this major change of life's status. But, I found Bob Otterbourg's book, Retire & Thrive, one of the best-researched and easy-to-understand sources of information I've seen in a long time. As one who manages a trade organization representing the business-format franchise sector, I deal on a daily basis with many who seek the solution to their dreams of entrepreneurship through franchising. More and more of these folks are at that magic point when they can retire but sincerely want meaningful activity in their life. Franchising can offer that opportunity. Bob's advice in how to investigate a franchise offers a no-nonsense approach.

Don DeBolt, President, International Franchise Association

Retiring and starting over is worth the effort!
I loved this book and all the real life examples. Anyone who is considering retiring and becoming a coach potato will take a second look when they read about people who are over 50 years of age and have found some enormously rewarding ways to start all over again. The book gives retirement strategies to assist anyone considering a second career at middle age. The book is a motivating, stimulating example of how you can success if you really try and want to make it. Many of the examples are individuals who started over in a completely new career - and how they got there. I recommend this as great reading to ANYONE over 50 who wants to thrive and survive! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Written by three veteran consumer experts who escaped the rat race, Invest in Yourself is a comprehensive guide for saving money and becoming a better person in the process. The book offers six secrets to the rich life--the first is to determine what you want in a career, write Marc Eisenson, Gerri Detweiler, and Nancy Castleman. "By carefully investing your time, energy, and maybe a little money, you can find out where you really want to go--and then do what you need to get there," they write. "It's one of your best investment opportunities, way better than anything you can get in the stock market." The other five keys: invest in intangibles like family and friends; pay off debts and get into a 401(k); keep learning new skills; manage your own money and get an "ace in the hole"--a tiny business of your own. Invest in Yourself offers a myriad of tips for squeezing the most out of a dollar. It tells you how to negotiate to get the best price on just about anything, including motel rooms and used cars, and gives the lowdown on turning your kids into savers and investors, controlling college bills, cutting home buying costs, and planning for retirement. The book is also a good clearinghouse for Web sites, helpful phone numbers, and information about newsletters like Loose Change and The Cheapskate Monthly.

The authors know first hand how to live a simple life and reduce expenses. Eisenson and Castleman left behind the big city and started a pro-consumer newsletter in a rented dream home in the country. They very rarely go to stores, preferring yard sales and thrift shops; they grow much of their own food; and practically everything they buy is used. If it breaks, they fix it. Cowriter Gerri Detweiler chucked her executive post with a large credit-education organization and made it as a writer and consultant. If you're thinking of making a similar move, this book might be a good investment. It's also for anyone looking for some ways to stay on a tight budget or for people just joining the working world.--Dan Ring ... Read more

Reviews (14)

small technics make big differences
It only took me 30 seconds to buy the book after I scan the titles of the chapters in a fantasitic bookstore in middle Taiwan...all matter to me even if I am a Taiwanese who's so different from those who are supposed to read it.The subject is so universal that,after wandering among the shelves for hours with limited budgets, I decided to take it. The book provides us with so many tips and give us so many substantial thoughts and agendas that a man has to take to make himself rich, materially and spiritually. I am so amazed that,even books about the same subjects in the books are countless,this is a real DIFFERENT book which is written on basis of the authurs' financial expertise and their ideas of helping people, withour meaningless preach and crabbs. This book is a real life bible. I am so glad that I have it.

Excellent, practical guide to getting the most out of life.
Most financial books ignore other areas of your life that help determine if you're truly happy or not, like family, where you live, etc. This book helps you to sort out what is really important, while giving practical advice on how to make the most out of the money you earn. I think it's an excellent book for anyone who wants more time with their family, more out of their job and the money they make; or for those people who want to get out of the rat race.

Simple but pragmatic
This book will show you how to make the most of your money. It's an easy read, simple and packed with information.Invest in yourself and buy this book. It's excellent.

Very inspiring read regarding money, work and life.
Need help on the job, at home, and with your finances? Then this book is for you. The book is a comprehensive guide for saving money and becoming a better person in the process. The book offers six secrets like determining what you want in a career, investing in intangibles like family and friends; paying off debts and getting into a 401(k); keep learning new skills; managing your own money and owning a business of your own. The book goes on to tell you how to negotiate to get the best price on just about anything, including motel rooms and used cars, and gives the lowdown on turning your kids into savers and investors, controlling college bills, cutting home buying costs and planning for retirement. This book will show you the way to make a difference in the way you approach money, work and life in general. In relation to life and financing I found this entire reading very inspiring. The book provides the only road map you'll ever need. Enjoy it.

FinancialNeeds.com

Relax and Enjoy
This is a book that tells me to relax in my life, but actively seek investment (and return) on other areas of one's life. Good to read. ... Read more