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How to Retire Happy: The 12 Most Important Decisions You Must Make Before You Retire
Stan Hinden Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Similar Items:
ASIN: 0071464662 |
Book Description
"Everyone in the workforce today should read this book!"--Horace B. Deets, former Executive Director, AARP
With the right planning, retirement can be the happiest time in life. Award-winning Washington Post retirement columnist and financial expert Stan Hinden helps you guarantee that your retirement will be as enjoyable as possible.
How to Retire Happy provides answers to all your complicated retirement questions. From Social Security and Medicare to long term care insurance and estate planning, Stan covers all the bases. This fully updated and expanded edition of the bestselling guide includes:
Customer Reviews:
Buy this book!.......2007-04-01
Basic Overview for Beginners.......2006-07-17
Better late then never.......2006-07-06
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How To Retire Happy: Everything You Need to Know About the 12 Most Important Decisions You Must Make Before You Retire
Stan Hinden Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Similar Items:
Accessories: ASIN: 0071360344 |
Book Description
Nearly 2 million Americans reach retirement age each year. Before anyone can begin to enjoy all the leisure time ahead, there are difficult decisions to be made about a host of crucial issues, such as Social Security, HMOs, insurance, and estate planning. Written by award-winning Washington Post financial reporter and syndicated columnist, Stan Hinden, How to Retire Happy arms anyone approaching retirement with easy-to-comprehend answers to all their complicated questions. How to Retire Happy:Customer Reviews:
Different book than I expected.......2006-01-16
Helpful Insight From Real Retiree.......2002-12-01
But more bad news is the fact that the author waits until age 69 to retire, then goes back to work part-time eight months later, even though both he and his wife have handsome pensions lined up. His conclusion is that he was much better off financially having waited to retire. This less-than-risky leap into retirement is not what most pre-retirement readers want to hear, I would think. Also, since he takes five years into retirement to finish the book, he brings us his views and information on retirement from a perspective of a man well into his 70's, an age that is well-beyond the current average age for Americans starting retirement.
But some good news is that his thoughts couple maturity with the freshness and openness that we're looking for. He tells us his goal for the book is to "take the mystery out of retirement." What he has to say, to me, comes in a style and content that is sincere, authentic, and not preachy or meant to be perfect. And while most of the book's information can be found in countless other books or materials on retirement issues, it is the author's personal-experience perspectives, weaving in and out, that make the book worth reading.
Perhaps the book's best chapter is the one entitled "How Should I Invest During Retirement?" As most experienced investors know, there simply is no one answer for everyone in this area or even for one person all the time. Says the author, "Your goal as a retiree should be to develop an investment portfolio that provides relative safety, current income for living expenses, and the growth of your saving." While we'll all probably agree with this, now what? It's a bit like a baseball manager telling his pitcher, "Don't give him anything good, but whatever you do, don't walk him!"
The author starts this chapter with, "Three years after I retired, I was shocked to discover that if my wife and I didn't cut down on our spending and get better results on or investments, we would use up all our retirement savings within eight years." He gets professional advice to concentrate on cash flow. And after laying out the financial alternatives that he has been provided in his real world, Hinden selects a combination not without risk, in an effort to squeeze out a return that will bring him enough money to buy things he's really counting on in retirement. In this area, he's taken real risk and is not putting us to sleep. His struggle is personal and frank, and his conclusion is more than food for thought.
And while I don't agree with his conclusion in the chapter on long-term-care insurance, he comes right out with his concerns: "I can tell you what scares me. It's the idea that my health or the health of my wife, Sara, might deteriorate to the point where one of us would have to become a resident of a nursing home for an extended period of time." And he shares his fear of "the very real threat that we could be wiped out financially by the cost of that care." What also is refreshing in this section and others is that he gives readers actual financial details for he and his wife that are involved in their decisions. How refreshing to have some real numbers from a real retiree.
Another enjoyable chapter is "Where Do I Want To Live After I Retire?" Again, he shares the personal struggles and explorations that he and his wife experienced in their relocation explorations. He brings this important area of retirement options to life and, as a result, you feel more experienced yourself after having read it. And finally, in his final chapter, "How Can I Age Successfully," his list of the "do's" and "don'ts" relative to growing older are first-class.
Again, perhaps the best thing about this book is that it is full of personal experiences from a guy who is authentically retired. The clear majority of "retirement" books now emerging are written by people who have advice and opinions on retirement, but have no interest in retiring themselves soon. I find this a bit ingenuous most of the time. What Hinden gives us is a view from the inside looking out. It is far from a perfect book on retirement, and most readers will find sections or chapters that they will want to skim or skip entirely. Despite this, I enjoyed reading the book and recommend it highly to others.
Not the best out there..........2002-05-18
Good basic book covers all the important areas.......2002-03-23
Out of retirement.............2002-03-01
Unlike some who write on the subject, Mr. Hinden is actually retired...well sort of. He took a retirement pension from the Washington Post and then started writing his column on retirement, and now he has published a book on the subject. As Yogi Berra said, it ain't over until it's over.
Mr. Hinden says although you may retire from one job, perhaps you'll go onto another. Many folks retire from several jobs over the course of their life. Others figure out how to retire once and do it before 40. Mr. Hinden's main point is to rethink what retirement means to you. And, it's very important to have a plan for your "retired" years.
Mr. Hinden deals with financial matters, probably not with the comprehensiveness of a financial planner, but he provides enough information to get you started asking the right questions as well as a list of other sources with more in-depth information. A few of his goodies include -- yes, you can arrange with Social Security to make deductions for tax purposes, and yes, you may be eligible for pension coverage from a former employee if you were vested before you left.
Mr. Hinden underwent surgery a few years ago, and he has a great deal to say about medical expenses and health insurance. He also has some things to say about decisions he made prior to retirement concerning his beneficiaries. He also explains some of the mysteries associated with Part A and Part B Medicare. He also discusses the value of long-term health care insurance.
It's never too early to think about retirement planning. I am sending copies of Mr. Hinden's book to all my children so they can begin to think about it. That should boost his post-retirement income by a few cents.
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The 7 Most Important Money Decisions You'll Ever Make
Mary Claire Allvine , and Christine Larson Manufacturer: Rodale Books ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Similar Items:
ASIN: 1594861560 Release Date: 2004-12-09 |
Book Description
Money is a major cause of tension among modern couples because most fail to recognize that they are in business together. The 7 Most Important Money Decisions You'll Ever Make is the first book that teaches partners to apply skills and talents they already use at work to master their personal finances. The authors introduce a unique, revolutionary five-step decision-making process-complete with convenient worksheets and step-by-step instructions-to help couples take action toward realizing their dreams.After you learn how this fun and surprisingly effective process works, you-and your partner-can work out inspired solutions to some of the biggest challenges couples face: wresting control of debt, maintaining your lifestyle if one of you loses a job, deciding whether and when to change careers, arranging for one partner to stay at home with the kids, and much more. Here is a powerful personal-finance plan that turns managing money into a shared romantic experience.Customer Reviews:
So far, so good..........2007-02-22
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Why Smart People Make Big Money Mistakes--and How to Correct Them: Lessons from the New Science of Behavioral Economics
Gary Belsky , and Thomas Gilovich Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover Similar Items:
ASIN: 0684844931 |
Amazon.com
Why do so many otherwise rational individuals make irrational decisions when it comes to money? Financial journalist Gary Belsky and Cornell University psychology professor Thomas Gilovich contend the answers can be found--and the deficiencies remedied--with help from a relatively new science called behavioral economics. Still largely unknown outside academic circles, the field can be traced to research on the impact of rewards and punishments on human judgment and decision- making that first were undertaken at Jerusalem's Hebrew University some 30 years ago. In Why Smart People Make Big Money Mistakes , Belsky and Gilovich update this pioneering work and show readers how to understand exactly why they invest, spend, and save as they do. More importantly, using examples that everyone can identify with and language that anyone can understand, the authors offer dozens of workable suggestions that can help readers manage their money better. "We believe that by identifying the psychological causes behind many types of financial decisions," they write, "you can effectively change your behavior in ways that will ultimately put more money in your pocket and help you keep more of what you already have." --Howard RothmanBook Description
Why do so many otherwise sensible people make foolish financial choices? Why do so many investors sell great stocks just before they skyrocket or cling tenaciously to lousy ones until they plummet? Why do some Americans overpay when they buy a house while others reap too little when they sell their home? And why are many shoppers willing to spend more for a product bought on credit than with cash? Indeed, whether in the stock market, the real estate market, or the supermarket, most of us keep making financial faux pas that cost us thousands of dollars every year.
Fortunately, many of the most common and costly money blunders we make can be explained -- and corrected -- by the new science of "behavioral economics." Gary Belsky, an award-winning journalist, and Thomas Gilovich, one of the leading experts in this burgeoning new area of research, reveal why people spend, invest, save, borrow, and, most important, waste money. They provide fascinating insights into all manner of occurrences -- tipping, gambling, plane crashes, lotteries, and game shows, to name just a few -- to explain behavioral economics in a way that is as entertaining as it is informative. Best of all, they offer dozens of useful tips that will help us overcome the blind spots that cloud our financial judgment and will allow us to enjoy greater financial freedom.
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Why do so many otherwise smart people make foolish financial choices? Why do investors sell stocks just before they sky rocket -- and cling to others as they plummet? Why do shoppers overspend when using credit cards rather than cash? What do our habits of tipping or buying lottery tickets indicate about our relationship with money? In this fascinating investigation of the ways we spend, invest, save, borrow, and waste money, Gary, Belsky and Thomas Gilovich reveal the psychological causes -- the patterns of thinking and decision-making -- that result in irrational behavior. Most importantly they focus on the decisions we make everyday and, using entertaining examples, provide invaluable tips on avoiding the financial faux pas that can cost thousands of dollars each year.Customer Reviews:
Great Introduction to Behavioral Finance.......2007-07-21
Entertaining and good stuff.......2007-07-03
One of my favorite personal finance books.......2007-05-15
Out of the ivory tower and into your real life.......2007-01-09
Are you mentally fit to make money decisions?.......2006-12-21
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Your Money and Your Brain: How the New Science of Neuroeconomics Can Help Make You Rich
Jason Zweig Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover Similar Items:
ASIN: 074327668X |
Book Description
What happens inside our brains when we think about money? Quite a lot, actually, and some of it isn't good for our financial health. In Your Money and Your Brain, Jason Zweig explains why smart people make stupid financial decisions -- and what they can do to avoid these mistakes. Zweig, a veteran financial journalist, draws on the latest research in neuroeconomics, a fascinating new discipline that combines psychology, neuroscience, and economics to better understand financial decision making. He shows why we often misunderstand risk and why we tend to be overconfident about our investment decisions. Your Money and Your Brain offers some radical new insights into investing and shows investors how to take control of the battlefield between reason and emotion.
Your Money and Your Brain is as entertaining as it is enlightening. In the course of his research, Zweig visited leading neuroscience laboratories and subjected himself to numerous experiments. He blends anecdotes from these experiences with stories about investing mistakes, including confessions of stupidity from some highly successful people. Then he draws lessons and offers original practical steps that investors can take to make wiser decisions.
Anyone who has ever looked back on a financial decision and said, "How could I have been so stupid?" will benefit from reading this book.
Customer Reviews:
Little substance...catchy title.......2007-10-13
Layman's explanation of the investor's brain.......2007-10-11
Look at yourself!.......2007-10-05
For the serious only and it's a must read!!.......2007-09-29
Your Money & Your Brain.......2007-09-26
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You Can Do the Math: Overcome Your Math Phobia and Make Better Financial Decisions
Ron Lipsman Manufacturer: Praeger Publishers ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover Similar Items:
ASIN: 0275983412 |
Book Description
Every day we are faced with financial decisions. Should I buy that DVD player or 100 lottery tickets? What percentage of my salary should I allocate to my 401K? How much should I be saving for my daughter's college education? Will I be better off leasing or buying my next car? The problem for most of us is that we freeze up when making these choices; regardless of our level of formal education, we find ourselves intimidated by the numbers and poorly prepared to make some of the most important decisions of our lives. We've become a society of math-o-phobes with profound consequences for our financial well-being. In You Can Do the Math, Ron Lipsman draws from over 30 years of teaching mathematics to help you take control of your financial destiny by applying basic arithmetic techniques. Step by step, he walks you through the fundamental calculations that underlie virtually every financial decision. Mastering such concepts as compounding interest, lease and loan payments, and the impact of inflation, you will learn how to: Institute a successful college savings program; Minimize your taxes; Wisely purchase insurance; Decide whether to buy or rent a home; Plan for retirement; and much more. Featuring entertaining real-life examples and keyed to a companion Web site (http://www.math.umd.edu/~rll/cgi-bin/finance.html) where you can input your own figures and calculate the results, You Can Do the Math demystifies credit, mortgages, stocks and bonds--and even the odds of beating the house in Vegas, and will become an essential resource for anyone looking to conquer their math anxiety and make more informed financial decisions.Customer Reviews:
You Can Do the Math.......2005-07-15
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Consumers Make Economic Decisions
Joseph G. Bonnice Manufacturer: Thomson South-Western ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover Accessories: ASIN: 0538605626 |
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The Health/Fitness Club Operator's Guide to Great Employees: How to Make the Right Decisions About the Right People
Stephen J. Tharrett Manufacturer: Healthy Learning ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback ASIN: 1585180475 |
Book Description
In this exceptional and comprehensive new book, health & fitness club industry consultant, noted author, and former IHRSA President Stephen Tharrett presents the keys for creating a successful health/fitness club employee team. Tharrett thoroughly addresses each topic in an easy-to-understand and apply manner. Chapters include: Recruiting for Great Talent, Selecting and Hiring Great Talent, The On-Boarding Process: Assisting the Right People to Become the Right Fit, Empowering and Mentoring, Counseling and Coaching Less-Than-Desirable Performance and Behavior, Reorganization, Restructuring, and Termination, Making the Right Decisions about Unusual Employee Behavior, Developing a Great Team, Communication and its Importance to Teamwork, and Case Studies for Making the Right Decisions About the Right People. The large format book includes dozens of sample forms, assessment tools, and checklists.
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Homebuyer: The Book and Software Home Buying Kit : Empowers You to Make the Most Important Financial Decision of Your Life With Confidence/Book and
Steven A. Lyons Manufacturer: Stratosphere Pub. ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback ASIN: 0961808438 |
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How to Make Basic Investment Decisions (Real Life, Real Answers)
Neal Ochsner Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin Company ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback ASIN: 0395510953 |
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