Most Helpful Customer Reviews
37 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not the best out there..., May 18, 2002
By A Customer
This review is from: How To Retire Happy: Everything You Need to Know about the 12 Most Important Decisions You Must Make before You Retire (Paperback)
A book for the beginner. The financial planning advice was broad in scope, but shallow in depth. For the novice. The book is written in the voice of a person from my parent's generation (I'm 48). The approach to planning here is very conservative and even a bit naive. There were some good passages on trusts and wills. I was also a bit surprised there was no mention of non-financial issues relating to retirement, like personal growth. Money isn't everything. Try the book by Wasik, much better.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
45 of 49 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Out of retirement......, February 28, 2002
This review is from: How To Retire Happy: Everything You Need to Know about the 12 Most Important Decisions You Must Make before You Retire (Paperback)
Stan Hinden writes a column for the Washington Post and I've read his column since day one. I cannot say this is the best book ever written on the subject because I've only read three books, but I can say I've learned a great deal about retirement from Mr. Hinden and what I've learned was not taught in the midcareer retirement seminar I attended. 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.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This Is the One Book to Read About Retirement, June 14, 2001
This review is from: How To Retire Happy: Everything You Need to Know about the 12 Most Important Decisions You Must Make before You Retire (Paperback)
If you're near retirement and can't find easy-to-understand answers to often-complex questions, this is the book for you. Hinden, a former business writer and columnist for The Washington Post, has taken his personal experience with retirement and turned it into an extraordinarily useful how-to book. He has an easy-to-read style, anticipates virtually all your questions and provides understandable and practical answers about scores of critical issues, including when and how to collect Social Security, deciding whether to buy long-term health care, creating an estate plan, assuring enough income on which to live, saving on taxes, just to mention a few topics. Hinden also touches on how to age successfully by staying mentally and physically fit and fully engaged in life. This book is for men and women because Hinden includes his wife, Sara, in all his decisions and describes the important role that a partner can and should play in retirement planning. Reading "How to Retire Happy" makes you feel that Hinden is an old friend, sitting on your porch, dispensing valuable advice on how to make the most of your life after you leave your job. It's a book you'll keep near your LazyBoy recliner and refer to often.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
|
