Review of A Million Is Not Enough: How to Retire with the Money You'll Need (Hardcover)

Michael Farr's book, A Million is Not Enough, covers retirement planning like a warm blanket on a cold night. It gives you a good sense of security, letting you know exactly where you stand and what you need to do to be successful in the end game. Fear not. The book doesn't drag you through overly detailed explanations of what specific investment techniques exist, though it highlights them. Instead the book provides valuable succinct answers to the really important questions of the why and how of retirement planning.

I think everyone knows that a million dollars is not what it used to be. And Farr starts off by hammering this point home. What you need in retirement is relative to your current lifestyle, and the lifestyle you hope to lead without working. Ten million dollars might not be enough retirement savings for some folks.

Three major sections guide you through Farr's retirement planning and execution processes.

1) Helps readers understand his view of the mission: Save successfully for retirement. Here Farr asks you to decide what you want out of life.

2) Talks to investing wisely, balancing risk and reward, but only after helping you assess where you stand relative to your goals. There's even a monthly budget worksheet to gain insight into current spending, from which future spending can be predicted. The last section addresses building and maintaining a healthy investment portfolio.

The paperback version is under 300 pages, with enough figures and tables to keep your interest. I especially liked his example retirees and how their portfolios were allocated. Are you a Neo-Boomer, a Core Boomer or a Tail-end Boomer? I would have liked to see more references and a detailed index to make the book more complete. But the added benefit of the entertaining introduction by P.J. O'Rourke makes up for these small shortcomings.

NOTE: A leading financial analyst and strategist, Farr currently guest hosts on CNBC's Squawk Box. His commentary can be heard on the Associated Press Radio and National Public Radio, and he is quoted regularly in the Wall Street Journal and Forbes, and PBS's The Nightly Business Report.

Armchair Interview says: If you're looking for information on retirement planning, Farr's has done a great job of presenting it for everyone to understand.



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Review of Winning the Cash Flow War: Your Ultimate Survival Guide to Making Money and Keeping It (Hardcover)

I have read many books on cash flow and managing your own money, but this is absolutely one of the best.It is easy to read, it is a fast read, it is very easy to understand and most of all it is very easy to implement what the author is recommending to better yourself.



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Review of You Can Never Be Too Rich: Essential Investing Advice You Cannot Afford to Overlook (Hardcover)

Dismayed by Wall Street? Looking to learn all the things your broker has never told you, or, better put: doesn't know about? His insights and vision of the entire financial picture are all well executed and integrated into a book that is packed with punch. The only thing I don't exactly agree with in the book are his views on diversification: too much diversification lowers one's overall returns, and he does address this, countering this by his explanation of "flavors of the day," which to him, represents the only part of a portfolio that is somewhat actively traded. I'm not too sure about the total "buy and hold" approach - in these days of highly troubled stock markets, I doubt many could bear watching their accounts go down in value, and many I'm sure will want to sell out and not hold "their children" for the long haul. That said, his "systematic" approach to investing offers the reader a simple STRUCTURE and PROCESS which is far better than most shoddy financial advisors that probably couldn't tell you anything about their system of investing, which is why, when push comes to shove, I give this book a top rating - while I dont exactly agree with all his views on investing, Mr. haft does offer something that most financial advisors couldn't: have a firm grasp on his subject matter, stick with a solid approach and doesnt deviate from it. Furthermore, I have to say, the chapters on Life Insurance, Structured CD's (referred to as growth CDs) and Annuities has opened my eyes into investment products that I never thought of integrating into my portfolio, but now after reading this book, I am absolutely convinced I should consider. Be sure to read the section about what he calls The Private Pension: his introduction to the subject (where he compares it to a Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich) is a true gem, and the strategy is something everyone should understand for their retirement goals. Really, a valiant effort and something I'm sure everyone can get a lot of benefit from.



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Review of The Bogleheads' Guide to Retirement Planning (Hardcover)

It seems one of the first requirements to post a review here would be to read the book first.

I just finished reading the entire book and I can honestly say, it is a wealth of information in a concise and easy to read format.

IMHO, Every one involved should take a huge bow for the effort. For someone who will be considering planning for retirement, this is a straightforward and practical method to use in your planning. Each author lays it out in plain language, with explanations and links to pursue more detailed information.

As an early retiree, I particularly found the chapters on Social Security, Early Retirement and especially, Estate Planning and Taxes to be most useful for my situation. Perhaps many of these chapters will contain references to areas of retirement planning that have been visited from time to time in other periodicals and books. The real value of "The Bogleheads" Guide to Retirement Planning" to me is the fact that almost every area of planning is here in one remarkable book.


As we say in the Navy...Well Done!



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