Book Review: Retirement Reinvention

Retirement Reinvention

About the Book:

For twenty years, Robin Ryan has been helping clients get the most out of their careers and their lives. Now, in Retirement Reinvention, she shatters the myths of retirement.  The old model of retirement is changing. The majority of retirees today are seeking fun and meaningful ways to spend their time. 

Full of practical advice, this thought-provoking guide offers readers a path for reinventing their own retirements, including step-by-step instructions for:

   • Leaving an old career behind 

   • Pinpointing interests and skills 

   • Exploring different places to live 

   • Defining new, satisfying opportunities 

   • Finding meaningful ways to give back to your community 

   • Striking the right balance between work and leisure 

From starting a dream business to shifting to the nonprofit sector to volunteering, Robin Ryan will help you create a plan and pivot toward a future as vital as it is truly rewarding.

My Comments:

When I say "retire", what comes to your mind?  The beach?  Your bed?  Fun?  Boredom?  In Retirement Reinvention Robin Ryan pushes the idea of retirement being not the time after you quit your job but the time during which you participate in activities (possibly including jobs) that are fun and meaningful to you.  Instead of your 66th birthday being the end of your working life, Ryan suggests you see it as a new beginning.  

Robin Ryan uses stories of real people and how they have been able to make a difference in a way that is meaningful to them.  Some have started small businesses, others have taken up time-consuming hobbies while yet others have chosen to learn something new.  The key to a successful retirement is choice--you may not make a fortune blogging as a hobby but if writing is fun, you can try to build an audience (and since you don't need one, you don't have to do SEO research, create pinworthy graphics or maintain a mailing list).  

One thing I do regularly is peruse the posts on Rockstar Finance and last night when I was starting this post, this one caught my eye:  Our "High School Rule" for early retirement.  The ideas are much the same as expressed by Robin Ryan.

If you are trying to figure out how you are going to spend the rest of your healthy left Robin Ryan has a lot of good ideas of things to do and suggestions about how to get started.

I'd like to thank the publisher for providing a review copy via NetGalley.  Grade:  B+

Book Review: Smart Couples Finish Rich

Smart Couples Finish Rich

About the Book:

DAVID BACH has helped millions of couples plan for a future they love. And now, completely updated and revised, Smart Couples Finish Rich, America’s favorite money book, is back! You’ll discover the latest techniques to live a life as a couple, where your values align and your money decisions become easier. Whether a newlywed, a couple planning for retirement or already retired, this timeless classic provides couples with easy-to-use tools that cover everything from credit card management to detailed investment advice to long term care. Together you’ll learn why couples who plan their finances together, stay together!

My Comments:

About 29 years ago I acquired my greatest economic asset--and he also happens to be handsome, funny and a great dad.  Yes, my greatest economic asset isn't my 401(k) or my IRA or my small but growing portfolio of stocks.  It isn't my house.  It is the man who chose to ask me to be his wife.  

I wish I could tell you that he makes tons of money--but he has a very average income, just like I do.  It would sound cool on this blog if I told you he engaged in all sorts of side-hustles, but he doesn't.  He likes to come home at night and be with the family.  I read books about men who handle all the family investments, and do it well--but in case you haven't guessed, that has mainly been my job.  Nevertheless, this man is a great economic asset because he has stayed with me and because he shares my goals for the future and we have compatible spending styles.

Smart Couples Finish Rich is a book that encourages couples to see themselves as a financial team and to work together to formulate goals for that team--which isn't just good financial planning but good marital planning.  

Using stories about his clients, David Bach encourages couples to not only dream but to share those dreams with their partners so they don't end up on the cusp of retirement with one partner preparing to buy a beach house across the country while another dreams of more time with the nearby grandchildren.  Bach also gives advice about how much to save and where most couples can find the money to save--yup, another one who advocates putting latte money in the bank. 

Bach also discusses insurance and investment options.  He writes in an easy conversational style and takes what can be a complicated subject and makes it easy to understand.  Bach makes it clear that family finances aren't his job or her job, but rather that they should be a cooperative effort and that even if one partner handles most of the work, the other should have a good idea of what they have and where it is.

I found Smart Couples Finish Rich to be an interesting read with good financial and marital advice and I think it would make a great wedding gift--it is certainly more practical than some in the back of my closet. 

I'd like to thank the publisher for making a review copy available via NetGalley.  Grade:  B+

*Part of Financially Savvy Saturdays on brokeGIRLrich.*