Publisher's Synopsis
Many experts have labeled the current state of retirement in America as the "Retirement Cliff." And they say it was brought about by several factors, including the massive numbers of baby boomers retiring in the next fifteen years, the shift from traditional pensions over to 401(k) type plans that began in the 1980s, minuscule retirement savings, increasing debt and a lack of adequate financial knowledge. Perhaps the most surprising thing about the entire notion of retirement in America today is how little anybody seems to know about financial well-being in retirement. Didn't they teach this stuff in school? Apparently not. Plain and simple, for many Americans today, financial planning for retirement requires improvement. Your financial well-being in retirement involves much more than the size of your 401(k) or your brokerage account or your Social Security or your pension (if you're lucky enough to have one). Many Americans picture in their minds what will be sufficient to retire. Unfortunately, that picture falls far short of what they will actually need. The retirement cliff is an unsettling reality facing millions and it demands that people prepare for retirement in a complete different way. This is especially true for those in the retirement "Red Zone," which is a ten-year period of time beginning five years before you retire and ending five years into retirement. This ten-year red zone is so important because the decisions you make during this period regarding your retirement might be the most critical decisions you'll ever make. One of the problems people face in the Red Zone is the issue of planning for increasing life expectancies, meaning the nest eggs that retirees accumulate before retirement will have to last longer during retirement. The world is a much tougher, and unforgiving place than it was in the past. There are so many things to know today. So many rules and regulations to follow. So many pitfalls and traps to fall into. The government wants as much of your nest egg as it can possibly tax away from you! Inflation and the volatile stock market are waiting to gobble up large parts of your retirement nest egg. This book is about financial well-being in retirement. It presents itself as a retirement puzzle containing five primary pieces. Puzzle Piece #1: Diversify and Protect Assets in Retirement Puzzle Piece #2: Proper Income Planning for Retirement Puzzle Piece #3: Taxes in Retirement and Beyond Puzzle Piece #4: Health Care and Long-Term Care Planning Puzzle Piece #5: Proper Estate Planning Each piece of the puzzle interlocks with the other pieces. No one piece stands alone. To ignore even one piece, or to improperly address the shape and relevance of each piece, can jeopardize the integrity of the entire puzzle. This book explains how you can better manage your assets in retirement. In a concise way, this book prepares you for financial well-being and peace-of-mind during your golden years.
