How to Retire: 20 lessons for a happy, successful, and wealthy retirement

As a profession investor approaching retirement, I've read a lot of retirement books. This is one of the best because it covers so well both the soft and hard (money) sides of retirement. It isn't a how-to of every aspect, but it gives you the right list of things to think and act on, and provides enough of a trail-map that you can follow the tracks laid down that lead from each chapter. Most retirement books focus hard on the money or psychological aspects and give short shrift to the other side, but this one really hits both areas roughly equally. Even as a money guy, I'd say the psychological side is more important, and this book asks better question and presents better perspective than all the other books I've read. The money side, the author's specialty, really, covers multiple perspectives and styles while answer all the key questions. This book really is the best retirement book I've found so far. Good show, Christine Benz!

Christine Benz’s “How to Retire” is an absolute must-read for anyone looking to secure their financial future and plan for a comfortable retirement. Whether you’re just starting to think about retirement or are already nearing that phase, this book provides practical, easy-to-understand advice that truly resonates.Benz has a remarkable ability to draw amazing insight from her interviews to break down complex financial concepts into clear, actionable steps. The book covers everything from assessing your retirement needs and building a savings plan, to managing taxes, healthcare costs, and investments post-retirement. I particularly appreciated the insights on creating a sustainable withdrawal strategy and how to adjust it as circumstances change.What sets this book apart is not just the comprehensive financial guidance, but also the emphasis on the emotional aspects of retirement. The book offers thoughtful advice on how to prepare for the lifestyle changes that come with this major life transition, ensuring that readers feel confident not just financially, but mentally and emotionally as well.If you’re looking for a holistic, well-researched, and reliable retirement guide, this is the book to read. Christine Benz’s and her guests wisdom will empower you to take control of your financial future and retire with peace of mind. Highly recommended!

Lovely read with great number of useful tips.

Very interesting read for those of us approaching retirement.While the financial advise is more relevant to those in the US I found the practical advise invaluable

Having myself retired in May 2024 at the age of 65 having the previous two years reduced my working week to three days I was intrigued what advice this book would bring. Being written by someone with a background in the financial world the balance of the book is definitely towards financial aspects of retirement but does consider many other aspects such as dealing with dementia, planning for care etc. For me the key things I have dealt with have been returning to things I love that I have not had enough time to indulge in such as theatre, reading, golf, visiting National Trust properties. Adding to these a more relaxed approach to things I already enjoy such as following my rugby team, gardening both on my allotment and for customers and writing and presenting charity quizzes. I feel that is important to maintain and look for new friends and these can happen through the above activities or joining groups such as U3A. This book is written by and for an American audience and hence some of the ideas are not what we in Britain would do but the basic advice still holds good. I think more non financial discussions could have been included.

Retirement planning – yes I am that old – is a complex subject. It’s easy to think that it’s all about money but this book acknowledges that it’s about much more. Christine Benz interviews a number of experts in different fields to deliver 20 chapters on various aspects of retirement.Some of the financial and healthcare stuff is very US-focused so will be of limited value to readers elsewhere. The other topics though, around lifestyle adjustments, housing needs, spending changes, portfolio choices, etc, has pretty universal resonance.This has the potential to be quite a dry topic but here it’s presented in a very readable and entertaining way. Whether you’re hurtling towards retirement or merely contemplating it from afar you should find some useful takeaways here.

This is an interesting book with a US focus. A lot of it is about finance, which is t quite what I was expecting, but the first chapter about your vision for retirement is invaluable. It really draws out how to have a happy retirement, one you can realistically achieve on a day to day basis rather than having a few big ideas but basically thinking that retirement is like a weekend or holiday. I found the book worth reading for these insights even before you go more in depth about finance.

This book has done seriously great tips and content, I learnt a lot.recommend.Many thanks to Netgalley, for my ARC.