Retire on Less Than You Think: The New York Times Guide to Planning Your Financial Future

This book is truly a new perspective than the one you hear from the financial community. Fred Brock debunks the myths that it takes millions of dollars to retire. Every financial website has a calculator to tell you how much you have to save and invest to have millions to retire. This just isn't practical for most people. He shows that if you own a home with a 30-yr. mortgage, by the time you retire it should be paid off. So, there is no longer a mortgage payment which is usually your greatest expense. Also, if you move to a city that is one of the best places to retire (he gives the web address to find these cities), the money you have will go much further while maintaining the same or better standard of living. Also, healthcare is a concern for retirees. He directs you to ehealthinsurance.com to compare rates. I did this and changed my insurance plan and am saving $50/month. This book is an eye-opener for anyone planning to retire but after reading the book you should feel relieved that you can really can retire on less than you think.

What a refreshing take on retirement! Instead of retirement plans that make life wonderful for Wall Street brokers and mutual fund companies, Mr. Brock, gasp, has some serious ideas here for potential retirees. He shows how you don't need as much to retire as the fund companies would like you to think you need. And why would they like you to think that? Because they make money off of your investments. This book also puts the so-called Social Security crisis in perspective, showing how there really isn't a crisis at all. The system is rock solid for years to come. (Who would gain from privatizing Social Security? Wall Street.) One of the amazing things about this book, with all these "radical" notions, is that it is written by a columnist for the establishment - The New York Times. Buy this book and learn how to get out of the rat race a little bit earlier.

This work focuses your attention on the amount of money neededduring retirement-taking into consideration thebest places to retire and control of unnecessary expenditures.Bellington, Washington, Iowa City and Sarasota, Florida arecited as preferred retirement communities. Strategies to retireslightly later can yield significant benefits in the size ofthe monthly income resulting from social security. In some cases,a delay of even 3-4 years in retirement can result in gettinga 50% increase in the monthly allotment. The author recommendsto simplify life in order to maximize the benefit from yourmonthly income. This book is an excellent supplemental referencefor your retirement planning. As such, it is well worth the price.

Fred Brock has offered those of us facing the supposedly bleak future of retirement without a couple of million bucks in the bank a gift that is worth considerably more than the price of the book -- a little peace of mind. As he has done for years in his New York Times column, Fred Brock reminds us that we aren't really headed for a cat food diet if we just do a little thinking about the real ingredients in the recipe for a good retirement. Read it and weep, Wall Streeet!

Fred Brock's book is essential reading for babyboomers who want to retire early. It challenges conventional thinking about how much money is required for a comfortable retirement. The chapter on coping with health insurance is especially helpful.Many people fail to anticipate that their living costs are going to shrink as their children become independent, their mortgages are paid off and work related expenses go away. That's the message of the book: That you don't need as much as financial services advisers often suggest you will need.