
Title : You're Fifty--Now What: Investing for the Second Half of Your Life
Author : Charles R. Schwab
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : The Best Book on Financial Planning for the Over 46 Age Set
My biggest complaint about most books on financial planning is that they try to cover everyone with one approach. Mr. Schwab's book is a pleasant exception to this rule. By at least focusing on those of around middle years (46 through 56), he can be more specific and make the information more relevant to each reader. Naturally, I would like to see future books be even more focused than this one, but Mr. Schwab has certainly moved in the right direction.
I found this book to be vastly superior to 52 Weeks to Financial Fitness by Marshall Loeb, which was also written for people in this age category.
Mr. Schwab's profits as author from this book are all being donated to the Charles Schwab Corporation Foundation to provide for the needs of seniors.
The book is divided into two parts: First, planning for the rest of your life; and second, getting organized to implement that plan.
The planning section is very well done because it covers materials at a level of perspective that goes from the needs of most beginners to handling the needs of all but the most sophisticated people. Fundamentals are covered in sidebars so as not to clutter-up the main text for those who do not need the information. The subjects covered include how much money you will need in total, determining the value of what you have available, estimating the gap between your needs and resources, understanding how to think about asset allocation in your investment funds, establishing the proper cash flow to match your needs, and readjusting your investment mix over time.
Each section is clearly written and provides formats to make it easier for you to assemble and think about your information. I was particularly pleased to see Mr. Schwab challenge some conventional wisdom about financial planning. Many people use a rule of thumb that you will need 70% of your preretirement income. In practice, many people find that they spend more than that because some costs go up more rapidly than inflation, like medical care, or they take on new interests. Mr. Schwab suggests 90%. I think even that may not be conservative enough. I think a better assumption is to have the percentage grow over time, slowly. Eventually, it will probably exceed 100%.
In addition, many people will tell you to plan on spending 6% of your assets each year after you have to start drawing on them. Mr. Schwab wisely suggests that 3-4% will be more appropriate for most people. I liked that advice very much.
The advice on investing is much more conservative than you would expect from someone who heads an on-line brokerage house. But appropriately so. He suggests you stay in common stocks as long as possible, because you may well live much longer than you think. But he has all but 10% of your portfolio in either no-load index funds or conservative bond and cash positions. If you skip the idea of owning any individual stocks, the advice is quite appropriate for the average person. It also has you reducing your exposure to stocks over time, as the years appraoch when you will need the income. So even if stocks stop performing well (as some warn) in the next few years, you will be relatively safe.
Part II of the book gets you into deciding whether you need a financial advisor or not, and how to select and work with one. It also looks at the most important questions about insurance, estate planning (get thee to a lawyer), and how to handle your donations so they bring you the most satisfaction and least after-tax cost.
The book has several other nice qualities. It emphasizes the rest of your life as being the "second half" rather than the downhill slide or some other negative concept. In sports, we all know that the winners are usually those who play the second half the best. Also, at half-time, the coach often makes adjustments that lead to winning performance. It is a very nice metaphor for financial planning at this stage in life. "What do I want for the second half of my life?" is the key question posed in the beginning of the book for you to consider.
I also liked the optimism of the book. Rather than focusing on the fear that people have about outliving their money, the book emphasizes the potential for good things to happen. You may live longer, and think of all the good things that could follow. "Anything is possible" was my favorite line from the book, which followed examples of wonderful accomplishments by seniors of advanced years.
Unless you already have been through this exercise recently with a financial advisor, I suggest that you get the book and use the exercises.
Further, I suggest you take even more time to think through the possibilities that the post child-rearing and tuition years may offer you. It's almost like getting to start over again, but with much more in the way of resources and wisdom.
Look for and find the best choices!

Title : Rich Dad's Prophecy
Author : Sharon L. Lechter
Rating : 2 Stars out of 5.
Summary : Massively dissappointing addition to an outstanding series
Robert Kiyosaki's "Rich Dad" series has become a seminal work for those seeking financial freedom and success. Following the guidance of his previous works I, my family and colleagues have made huge strides in increasing our net wealth and still consider the day that we read the first book to have been truly life changing.
This latest book, however, is a huge disappointment for anyone who is an experienced 'follower' of Kiyosaki. There is very little new and it appears that the series is becoming a cash cow for him to milk money out of in return for repeating previous material. The amount of content regarding the key topic (the financial impact of the change in the US population make up) is tiny and adds little to what is available free through simple internet searches. The tendency to use the text to advertise other "Rich Dad" products is increasingly annoying and adds to the feeling that the author is not really interested in adding value, except to his bank balance.
For newcomers to the series, though, the book could be useful as it combines topics from all of the previous four texts; a low cost way of getting the most for your money. I still reccomend the original "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" as an outstanding stand alone work (for its attitude alone). This new book would add to that nicely as a pair, saving the need to purchase the intermediate series or numerous attached products.
For those of us who have awaited Kiyosaki's output with anticipation, this is depressingly bad and verging on a deliberate rip off. Stick with the original and look for answers to the questions about the coming decade elsewhere.

Title : Get a Life: You Don't Need a Million to Retire Well (Get a Life: You Don't Need a Million to Retire Well)
Author : Ralph E. Warner
Rating : 5 Stars out of 5.
Summary : My favorite retirement book.
Lawyer/consumer advocate Ralph "Jake" Warner thinks the popular advice that implores Americans to save piles of money for retirement is hugely exaggerated. Jake urges us to have built a life worth living by middle age, and tells the stories of seniors who have done just that. He offers advice on many issues, such as deciding what a reasonable nest egg should be and developing a healthy lifestyle. This book will help you find your way to a more fulfilling retirement, while it eases your current stress level.

Title : Wall Street on a Shoestring: Financial Success for Just Five Dollars a Day
Author : Clare La Plante
Rating : 4 Stars out of 5.
Summary : FINALLY, a book for now-small, future-big investors!
Clare's crystal-clear writing style helps the novice investor make sense of it all. A way to START NOW, with pocket change. Great book!

Title : The New Golden Door to Retirement Living in Costa Rica
Author : Christopher Howard
Rating : 4 Stars out of 5.
Summary : The content was great; I dropped a star for the editing.
I breezed through the book in an afternoon/evening and found it to be extremely informative and accurate based on my limited ten day stay in Costa Rica. The author presents both sides for those considering relocating to CR. It is a wonderful place to visit which motivated me to inquire what it might be like to live there.

Title : "Which?" Guide to Pensions: How to Maximise Your Retirement Income ("Which?" Consumer Guides)
Author : Jonquil Lowe
Rating : 4 Stars out of 5.
Summary : A good, all-round, general introduction.
You can't normally go wrong with a Which? guide and this one is no exception. I have recently set up my own business and needed to learn all about company pension schemes and legislation.
This guide was an excellent starting point, covering all the major options available to me and clearing up a lot of the jargon. It even contains sections on maximising the performance of your pension.
This is the 1999 edition, but still contains reasonably current advice on Stakeholder pension plans. Considering the often tiresome nature of the subject matter, this is all highly informative stuff.

Title : The New Golden Door To Retirement And Living In Costa Rica: A Guide to Inexpensive Living, Making Money and Finding Love in a Peaceful Tropical Paradise (New Golden Door to Retirement and Living in Costa Rica)
Author : Christopher Howard
Rating : 4 Stars out of 5.
Summary : The content was great; I dropped a star for the editing.
I breezed through the book in an afternoon/evening and found it to be extremely informative and accurate based on my limited ten day stay in Costa Rica. The author presents both sides for those considering relocating to CR. It is a wonderful place to visit which motivated me to inquire what it might be like to live there.
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