Customer Reviews

Retire Secure!: Pay Taxes Later - The Key to Making Your Money Last, 2nd Edition

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As an attorney & author of "The AARP Crash Course in Estate Planning," I was asked by James Lange to review Retire Secure! several months ago. I've never met Jim, and agreed only reluctantly - but I'm glad I did. First, let me assure everyone: you certainly don't have to be a lawyer to understand Jim's writing.

Jim has done a fine job of explaining why, when and how folks should move money into, out of, and between the myriad tax-advantaged, employer-sponsored retirement savings plans and individual retirement accounts. The key points are summarized clearly, but a more thorough, equally clear explanation is also offered for those who want it.

The book is well-organized, with plenty of practical examples. It will be a valuable resource to people in both the accumulation and distribution of their retirement assets - and to their advisors, as well.

Many people find retirement planning intimidating simply because of the sheer number of rules and options that must be considered. Retire Secure! lays them all out in a logical and easy-to-follow format.

That's the key for anyone trying to understand this subject. Retire Secure! should be a cornerstone of everyone's personal financial planning library.

Mike Palermo, JD, CFP

Reading "Retire Secure" will not alone make you rich. However, if you read and follow Mr. Lange's advice, you will build wealth and then protect it to the fullest extent possible. The book outlines a very clear path to maximize savings using the most effective vehicle available to you. Then it goes on to provide a thorough roadmap to minimizing your tax consequences and maximizing your after tax returns. Finally the book provides several different strategies for passing along wealth to your heirs while once again factoring in the greedy hands of Uncle Sam. The author not only provides you with the theory, as many financial planners do, but backs up his recommendations with solid proofs and confirms them with amusing case studies. Overall this book is an excellent source for information on the use of retirement funds for wealth building and hopefully inheritance to pass on.

James Lange's "Retire Secure" is a superb example of why positioning assets correctly--i.e. pay taxes later--is so vital to retirement. Lange encourages readers to harness the power of tax-free/tax-deferred growth by maximizing their contributions to individual retirement accounts (both Traditional and Roth) as well as 401k plans. Through the use of numerous illustrations and specific age-related examples Lange clearly identifies the exponential growth potential that is possible by choosing to maximize retirement contributions and the obvious advantages of starting early. My one detraction on this work is the minimal mention of the use of real estate, especially provisions of the 1031 exchange that would surely compliment the philosophy of maximizing retirement savings growth. All in all though, a great job of bringing into focus the value of contributing more, earlier, and ultimately establishing a portfolio to pay taxes later. Well done, a solid 4-Star work!

Clear concise and well written. Great ideas regarding delaying taxes and maximizing your investments potential. I recommend James Lange's book to any one who ever plans to retire. Retire Secure made me understand the importance of converting my IRA to a Roth IRA. Part three on Estate Planing had some great strategies for me to maximize my assets for a secure and comfortable retirement.
Barry W. Branchville, NJ

As a CPA and someone who works in the private wealth management field, I think James Lange's book is a terrific addition to the fingertip ready, "go to" sources that I utilize when addressing retirement planning with with clients. The text is fluid and easy to follow. The examples are excellent at illustrating points to the less sophisticated. I wholly recommend this text to anyone pursuing retirement planning utilizing IRA structures.

This book can be summed up with one theme: defer paying taxes for as long as possible. One excellent point that this book does define for you though is how to choose your beneficiaries in the best possible way. As a financial planner this has become one of the most popular questions that I am asked from people whom I meet. This book is a great guide towards answering those questions.

Bravo!

This book is a must read if you're planning to retire wealthy, or at least securely.

And...

Every college student should be required to study this book carefully if they want to avoid all the common mistakes and money pitfalls that 98% of us fall into. I wish I had read this when I was in college... I would be $100,000 wealthier.

- Dave

James Lang has had so much excellent advice for my husband and me that we purchased 7 copies for our adult children and are hopeful they will benefit from the knowledge in the books and cds.

As a CPA and someone who works in the private wealth management field, I think James Lange's book is a terrific addition to the fingertip ready, "go to" sources that I utilize when addressing retirement planning with with clients. The text is fluid and easy to follow. The examples are excellent at illustrating points to the less sophisticated. I wholly recommend this text to anyone pursuing retirement planning utilizing IRA structures.

James Lange's Retire Secure, offers great techniques to help persons planning for retirement. He is on the right track - to postpone and minimize the impact of taxes - in order to maximize the retiree's money and extend the spendable income. This book makes a valuable contribution to the field of personal finance - for both the consumers and the professional advisors who serve them.