A book that gives you a look at most of the current variables to consider

books:


	• Yes, You Can Still Retire Comfortably!: The Baby-Boom Retirement Crisis and How to Beat It Ben Stein, Phil DeMuth New Beginnings Press, 2006 - 240 pages average customer review:based on 18 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Love Ben !!

Really enjoyed this book. I'm an experienced investor and still came away with useful information. For those who believe this was all gloom & doom....WAKE UP ! While I do believe they used a worst case scenerio their messages are right on. Start saving now, live below your means and learn about various investment options so you can take care of yourself in retirement. Great book to help pull peoples head out of the sand. I love Ben !!

A book that gives you a look at most of the current variables to consider

After reading this book, I can't say I felt reassured about "retiring comfortably" but I can say that I learned quite a bit. Stein and his co-author do provide formulas for both the conservative and more risk-tolerant saver and investor, including a "couch potato" formula for the conservative investor. Another point worth thinking about - how much you should have in U.S. investments and how much in international funds, especially in our ever global economy. Stein delves into this quite a bit.
I think the title of this book is a bit misleading and should read, "Yes, you MAY still Retire Comfortably" - IF you are able to save enough, inflation and taxes don't spiral out of control, etc. The ONE point I got from this book is that there are no formulas that guarantee a comfortable retirement but there are guidelines that up the chances of reaching that goal considerably.
Trouble is, if you want to be reasonably sure you'll have enough money for retirement you have to save a LOT more than the average American does and, ideally, carry little to no credit card debt. The figures, I'll admit, shook me up. Most Americans have HUGE mortages, significant credit card deb and are paying off debt (slowly) when they should be saving.
However, as grim as the picture may seem to be, Stein allows for readers to tack in variables such as expected Social Security income, various rates of inflation, etc. If the "best case" scenario occurs, people may not need to save as much. If the "worst case scenario" takes place, watch out!
I think most people reading this book will discover that they need to save FAR more than they think per year, stop counting on Social Security as a "given" , etc. The outlook for Baby Boomers isn't great, IF they don't heed the advice in this book and start thinking carefully about how important that designer outfit is - versus living decently in retirement.

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Retirement Planning Made Comfortable

Ben Stein & Phil DeMuth have a simple rule for the new millennium: "If you're old enough to have sex, you're old enough to save for retirement." The same could be said for reading "YES, YOU CAN RETIRE COMFORTABLY!" Though targeted primarily for Baby Boomers, many facing an immanent retirement crisis, this fact based easily understandable book will benefit every generation old enough to reproduce.

The news is not good. The government does not have the resources to handle the Social Security and Medicare obligations of the soon to retire Baby Boomers let alone the generations that will follow them. Nor is there a plan in place to remedy this impending crisis. So don't count on Uncle Sam. For the 16% of Americans that that receives guaranteed-benefit pensions from their employers, things look a little better, but that's assuming the plan is adequately funded and that you'll ultimately get the benefit. Don't count on that either. According to the authors, "The pension liability has the potential to mushroom into one of the largest financial crises in U.S. history." How about 401 K's, the do it yourself pension alternative? On average 401 K balances are abysmally low. Whoa!

That's a lot of doom and gloom to absorb, and if you're waiting to hear who's coming to the rescue: it's you. Stop spending, start saving and start making wise investment decisions. No quick fixes. Ninety percent of the book is devoted to addressing the problem. The plan you need to follow is laid out in detail. What's more, it's a fun read because Stein and DeMuth write with clarity and humor.

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Wish I had read this 39 years ago

Ben and Phil have written a retirement book that will scare the crud out of the average 60 year old and hopefully will motivate the average 20 year old. While presented with a good deal of droll humor and an easy to understand manner, the facts shared in this book are sobering. While I was comforted by the thought that I had intutitively accomplished most of what the authors say is necessary to retire comfortably, I see some holes in my plans that need to be shored up before pulling the trigger on the future. However, for the average American 60 year old who has not socked away enough and is somehow hoping that retirement will magically plop itself on their doorstep allowing them to quit work at 62 and continue their current lifestyle, this book is a terrifying wakeup call.

The quick summary is that there is no magic pill. If we expect to retire and not subsist below the poverty level, there has to be some sacrifice during our working years, and some serious investing for the future. There is no real safety net out there. Our employers are not going to take care of us. The government is not going to bail us out. We are on our own. Fortunately, the authors provide some practical advise on how to pull a plan together.

I wish I had read this book 39 years ago. If I had I would have done even more to prepare for what is now the not so distant future. This book is a must-read for every 20-year old.

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SAVE MORE NOW!

A good wake up call. Very good practical advice. An easy read with classic dry Stein humor. Good for family and friends who are not paying attention.

reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4

The specter of retirement is haunting the baby-boom generation. The generation that?s used to having it all is suddenly finding that it doesn?t have enough. Ben Stein and Phil DeMuth show you how to get back on track. They outline the steps you can take today to assure your future tomorrow. Backed up with facts and figures, they lay out exactly how much you need to save in order to maintain your standard of living, and how to invest your dollars to get the maximum return from your savings. For those already retired, they explain how to tap your nest egg to get the most income while keeping your money safe. This is a survival manual for the difficult but exciting road to retirement security. Don?t leave middle age without it!

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