Retiring? Your Next Chapter Is about Much More Than Money

(Book review by Joe Casey, Retirement Wisdom)

What happens when successful people are too busy to plan for the non-financial side of retirement? They enter retirement half-prepared. Former Senator Ted Kaufman and former management consultant (CEO whisperer) Bruce Hiland noticed something with their retired friends and associates. They had all prepared for the financial side, but many had put off – or ignored – how they would live their lives without the world of full-time work. They had failed to anticipate the transition – and they became stuck. In contrast, they noticed others were thriving in retirement. Their mindset was noticeably different. They had approached retirement as a new adventure and had prepared for retirement as a journey.

Kaufman and Hiland collaborated on an essential guide for the journey of your retirement – Retiring? Your Next Chapter is About Much More Than Money. It’s an insightful and practical resource, written in a conversational tone, to help you prepare comprehensively for retirement life. This book highlights what you’ll need to think about (and do) to be well-prepared for the changes that retiring brings. The authors squarely define the key problems and challenges you’ll need to solve, and you’ll come away with a deeper understanding of why a successful retirement goes far beyond what your Financial Advisor can provide.

The authors share what they’ve learned from their own experiences (having retired multiple times) and from conversations and interviews with many others over six years. They point out how dramatically retirement has changed in recent years and the challenges (and opportunities) those changes create. The book reframes the new retirement as a larger expanse of time (often 30 years or more) that demands an entirely different approach to planning than the shorter retirements of yesteryear. I like many things about this book. One is that unlike many books on retirement, it’s based on principles rather than prescriptions. The authors understand that your retirement journey will be unique to your circumstances, values, and aspirations and one-size-fits-all solutions won’t get you there.

The book addresses fundamental questions all retirees must ultimately answer starting with where will you live in your retirement? The most valuable parts of the book, in my opinion, are the chapters where they tackle the thorny issues that make or break retirements, such as identity, purpose, and health, including your physical, cognitive, and emotional wellness.

Each chapter provides reflective questions and exercises to complete as you progress, as well as a list of recommended resources. It’s a succinct guide that covers all the bases. Don’t half-prepare for your retirement journey. If you’re planning for retirement, you’ll find this book an essential asset.

This book is at the top of the shortlist of books I highly recommend to people planning for retirement.

100% of the profits from this book are being donated to charity.

________________________________

Retiring? Your Next Chapter is About Much More Than Money

Interested in learning more?

Listen in to my conversation with the authors on The Retirement Wisdom Podcast.