You can retire when you want to and at the income level you desire. I did exactly that at age 47. I did not be a financial guru to do that. I followed simple personal financial guidelines by taking control of my finances.Leaving your pension in the hands of others is an industrial age plan. While it is still useful, forces outside your control can leave you stranded in old age. Market conditions can negatively impact your retirement fund and deliver less than promised in the brochures. Defined benefit pension plans are no longer sustainable and are easily negatively impacted by the employer's continued ability to fund it. An employer in financial difficulties can change the rules in the middle of the game, leaving you exposed when you least expected it.If you want to retire on your own terms, you need to first of all take charge of your finances. Rather than depending on the actions of others to secure your financial future, you need to achieve financial independence and determine how much you want to be earning when you retire. This does not mean you should abandon your pension funds. It simply means you plan your future based on a plan you have control over, while your pension becomes a second layer of protection.The best way to make it happen is to take action immediately, as in yesterday.

Here is a single-sit read than can change the course of your retirement. Written by Dr. Teresa Ghilarducci, an economics professor, a retirement and savings specialist, and a trustee to two retiree health-care trusts worth over $54 billion, How to Retire with Enough Money cuts through the confusion, misinformation, and bad policy-making that keeps us spending or saving poorly. It begins with acknowledging what a person or household actually needs to have saved—the rule of thumb is eight to ten times your annual salary before retirement—and how much to expect from Social Security. And then it delivers the basic principles that will make the money grow, including a dozen good ideas to get current expenses under control. Why to “get rid of your guy”—those for-fee (or hidden-fee) financial planners that suck up valuable assets. Why it’s always better to pay off a loan or a mortgage. There are no gimmicks, no magical thinking—just an easy-to-follow program that works.

OVER 300,000 COPIES IN PRINT, WITH A NEW CHAPTER ON THE 2018 TAX CUTS. There's a massive freight train bearing down on the average American investor, and it's coming in the form of higher taxes. The United States Government has made trillions of dollars in unfunded promises for programs like Social Security and Medicare—and the only way to deliver on these promises is to raise taxes. Some experts have even suggested that tax rates will need to double, just to keep our country solvent. Unfortunately, if you're like most Americans, you've saved the majority of your retirement assets in tax-deferred vehicles like 401(k)s and IRAs. If tax rates go up, how much of your hard-earned money will you really get to keep? In The Power of Zero, McKnight provides a concise, step-by-step roadmap on how to get to the 0% tax bracket by the time you retire, effectively eliminating tax rate risk from your retirement picture. Now, in this expanded edition, McKnight has updated the book with a new chapter on the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, showing readers how to navigate the new tax law, and how they can extend the life of their retirement savings by taking advantage of it now. The day of reckoning is fast approaching. Are you ready to do what it takes to experience the power of zero?

You're finally retired! Learn how to make these the best years of your life. Congrats on your retirement! But now what will you do with all that free time? With Keys to a Successful Retirement, you'll discover everything you need to know to get your retired years off to a great start. Covering topics like finances, embracing your passions, and dealing with feelings of aimlessness, grief, and depression that may crop up, this in-depth guide to retired living answers all the burning questions you want to ask—as well as those you're afraid to. Take a complete look at your newfound freedom and explore what it really means to have a successful retirement. This in-depth guide includes: Essential basics—Make sure you're retirement ready with advice for managing your savings, dealing with healthcare, staying fit, and more. Handling tough times—Dig into the more challenging aspects of retirement, like how to best handle the effects it can have on your mental health. Be your own boss—Get guidance that teaches you how to decide what you want your retirement to be and how you can lean into the things that you love. An exciting new chapter of your life is starting—get a helping hand ensuring it's the best it can be!

Learn how retirement really works before it's too late... "This book is the best I've seen on how to navigate the retirement savings question." (Forbes) Most so-called "experts" plug your numbers into a retirement formula to tell you how much money you need to retire. Unfortunately, the conventional approach is fundamentally flawed. If you fail to learn how retirement savings truly works, then you'll either underspend and be miserable or overspend and run out of money. How Much Money Do I Need to Retire takes you beyond the scientific facade of modern retirement planning. Author and former hedge fund manager Todd R. Tresidder has helped thousands of people find financial freedom through his website and podcast. Now you too can use his advice to take the guesswork out of your retirement planning. In this book, you'll learn: Why the best way to describe most retirement estimates is garbage-in/garbage-out The five critical assumptions that can destroy your financial security How to reduce the amount you need to retire by as much as $600,000 Three strategies to maximize spending today while protecting for the future How to calculate the amount of money you really need to retire on the first try without software, online calculators, or being a math genius Read this book to know more about your retirement planning than your financial adviser. Tresidder's book contains refreshingly straightforward, easy-to-understand, and concise advice on how to retire wealthy. This missing link of personal finance books will make you sleep easier. No retirement is secure without it. Buy the book today so you can retire with confidence!

A practical action guide for financial independence and early retirement from the popular Our Next Life blogger. In today's work culture, we're expected to hustle around the clock. But what if you could escape the traditional path and get on one that doesn't require working full-time until age 65? What if you could wake up every day without an alarm clock and do the things you love most? Tanja Hester and her husband Mark left their crazed careerist lifestyle to live their dream life in Lake Tahoe, retiring early from high-stress careers. Now Tanja will help you map out a customized plan for freedom and make it easy to succeed, whether you're good at math and budgeting -- or not! Work Optional is more than just a financial plan: it's a plan for your whole life -- designed by you, not by an employer or clients. Tanja walks you through envisioning your dream life, accounting for variables such as health care and children, protecting yourself from recessions and future unknowns, and achieving a purpose-filled early retirement, semi-retirement, or career intermission with completely doable, non-penny-pinching steps. You can live a happier, more meaningful life, free from the daily grind. Regardless of where you are in your career, Work Optionalwill get you there.

Advice and guidance on planning for retirement Retirement Planning For Dummies is a one-stop resource to get up to speed on the critical steps needed to ensure you spend your golden years living in the lap of luxury—or at least in the comfort of your own home. When attempting to plan for retirement, web searching alone can cause you more headaches than answers, leaving many to feel overwhelmed and defeated. This book takes the guesswork out of the subject and guides readers while they plan the largest financial obligation of their life. Take stock of your finances Proactively plan for your financial future Seek the help of professionals or go it alone Use online tools to make retirement planning easier Whether you're just starting out with a 401(k) or you’re a seasoned vet with retirement in your near future, this book helps younger and older generations alike how to plan their retirement.