|
This "Retirement Planning" site is dedicated to providing
comprehensive and helpful information for those planning for or
currently enjoying retirement. The book review section is targeted
towards that end. We will review books that we find helpful and
informative for our readers and site visitors.
The subjects will include finance, investing, health and exercise,
cooking, lifestyle, and everything in between that may be of interest to
YOU. If you find a recent book that you have read
helpful let us know and we will review it here. We also are looking for
book reviewers.
There is considerably more to retirement than meets the eye and this
site will help you focus on the critical issues that we all must address
at this time in our lives.
Read on for complete information.
|
|
Book Review Menu
If you would like to contribute reviews to our site please send a short bio
and a color photo (jpeg or gif format) if available including your federal
service time to the attention of Dennis Damp (ddamp@federalretirement.net).
Also send us the types of books that you would prefer to review. We will
assign reviews to volunteers as titles are received from publishers.
Reviewers will receive full credit for all contributions. Bookhaven reserves
the right to reject any submissions that we feel inappropriate and to edit
all copy received prior to posting.
Retire in Style; 60 Outstanding Places Across
the US & Canada
By Warren R. Bland, PhD
Review by Nancy Holston
Retiring soon and discussing or giving thought to relocating? This is a good
source for seriously exploring locations and what you need to consider in making
the decision. The book covers 60 top retirement locations and includes all
regions of the United States and areas of Canada. The author, Warren Bland, PhD,
gives graphic explanations of all the things you would consider in comparing
areas you may want to retire to. The ratings cover landscape of the community
and its overall appearance, quality of life, cost of living, transportation,
retail services, health care, community services, cultural activities,
recreational activities, work/volunteer activities, and crime. He also provides
month-by-month climate information and averages for sun, rain and snow. To his
credit, he also introduces his book with a segment titled Making the Decision to
Relocate. Take time to give thought to some of the points he makes. It will help
you with the difficult decision of leaving your community to relocate to an area
that you believe better suits your interests for your retirement. Keep in mind
this book contains information that is dated but the data is still valid for
comparing and identifying which communities will provide services and
entertainment you are most interested in. You will need to determine where the
current real estate market is by contacting a local agent. You may be pleasantly
surprised in the current housing market!
Note: by Dennis V. Damp
I used this book to research our vacation home search in central east coast
locations. I found it very informative and it gave my wife and I a good
perspective of what to expect. We are looking for a home-away-from-home to
escape to for the winter months. We live in Pennsylvania and thought that a
second home in possibly North Carolina or Southern Virginia would be close
enough to make the trip in one day with no more than an 8 hour drive. At first
we included Florida but later decided it would be best to not be more than a day
away from our primary residence. We don't like extended car trips and if our
second home is too far away we wouldn't make the trip as frequently as we would
like. "Retire in Style" was very helpful in our research.
Order:
Retire in Style; 60 Outstanding Places Across the USS & Canada
By Phil & Carol White
Review by Nancy Holston
Need a little encouragement for that road trip you’ve been talking about but
haven’t seriously figured out how to pull off? Then this book is for you! If you
are only considering a month on the road this book is an excellent resource, but
if you want to take a year or more off to see this great country this book is a
must. In fact if you only plan a month long adventure you might find yourself
considering a longer trip after just a few chapters. This is a practical guide
for how to make it happen, whether you are a retired couple or a family with
kids. The White’s provide lessons learned to help you avoid costly mistakes.
They start with your “rig” to make sure you’re traveling in a vehicle that meets
your needs for how and where you plan to travel and move on to planning for the
financial needs of your road trip as well.
Phil and Carol share their fun times, their miscues and accidents and tell
you how they managed to handle the obstacles and adjust their plans to make
those just a minor bump in the road. Don’t worry; you can handle anything that
comes along. This book will ease your fears and give you the confidence to make
the dream a reality.
Phil & Carol chose to use AAA Road maps and not use GPS technology. I’d
recommend exploring a GPS resource. I do agree with using maps to do route
planning. GPS technology today will help you deal with the unexpected, detouring
around road construction, or locating emergency resources such as the nearest
service station, hospital, or even a rest stop. It also will help you estimate
your travel time for the day. If you have a goal for the evening stay but don’t
want to spend more than 5 hours on the road, it can help you adjust the day’s
travel plans. It will also help you locate a restaurant or lodging when you’re
hungry or ready to rest.
The appendices provide tools and check lists to help you cover all your
bases. While some information is dated (who can keep up with gas prices these
days) it still provides the tools to get a realistic estimate for all your costs
and budgeting your funds for your adventure, including fuel. They suggest
several web sites that have additional information for any specific needs you
might have. Also visit their Web site at
http://roadtripdream.com for road trip planning tools and other helpful
information. You’ll find everything you need in
this book to make your road trip dream a reality.
Order:
Live Your Road Trip Dream: Travel for a Year for the Cost of Staying Home
Ahead of Your Time, A complete Guide to End-of-Life Planning
By Dick and Sue Coffin
ISBN: 978-0-9788439-0-8, Perfect Bound Paperback, $14.95
Review by Dennis V. Damp
Retirement planning encompasses many facets, some that we enjoy exploring
such as potential vacation spots and new adventures, and others that are a
necessity yet many avoid altogether − often leaving their loved ones in a panic.
Most dread estate and the ultimate End-of-Life planning that can only make it
easier for those left behind. My retirement planning site at
http://federalretirement.net deals
with most pre and post retirement issues with one exception, the ultimate
end-of-life planning. That is the one hole left uncovered so to speak.
This is where Dick & Sue Coffin come in, yes their real name. Their new book,
Ahead of Your Time; A Complete Guide for End-of-Life Planning provides the
information you need to effectively plan for the inevitable. If you have a small
estate, this one book alone, with a simple will and the use of In-Trust-For or
Pay-on-Death (POD) account designations to avoid probate, is all that you need
to set up a basic estate plan. This easy to read 8" by 8.5" 101 page book
covers everything from preplanning your final arrangements, writing the
obituary, keeping records, arranging services, legal aspects, to financial
matters and commemorating the loss. All this in one compact easy to read
reference guide plus 30 pages of helpful data collection forms for all aspects
of your plan. Yes, it takes a commitment on you and your loved ones part to sit
down and talk about this sensitive issue. However, you and your loved ones will
be far better off taking care of business before its too late.
Dick & Sue explain the process and thus reduce the fear. They spent 28 years
in the monument business and have seen too many families torn apart by difficult
decisions that must be made at the hardest of times. They've seen too many
people spend lots of money trying to do "the best" for a loved one, who might
have opted for simplicity.
Don't leave your loved ones in a lurch. This excellent book will help to ease
the pain at an unbearable time and insure that your loved ones wishes are
honored. I added this book to my reference shelf next to another great planning
resource,
Plan Your Estate
that I mentioned many times on my
retirement planning site.
Order:
Ahead of Your Time: A Complete Guide for End-of-Life Planning
All About Index Funds; Everything You
Need to Know About Index Funds, Including:
- The advantages of index funds over other mutual funds
- How to use index funds and ETFs for effective asset allocation
- Information on new index funds: oil, gold, and currencies
By Richard A. Ferri, CFA
ISBN: 0-07-148492-2, Perfect Bound Paperback, $18.95
Review by Dennis V. Damp
At
the start of the year, I typically spend a week or so evaluating investments and
balancing my accounts. I also search for new investment opportunities, primarily
scouring financial data from a wealth of resources looking for undervalued
stocks and mutual funds. Throughout the year I spend most Sunday mornings
reviewing investments. Yes, it takes a lot of time and research to actively
manage investments, especially when you invest in individual stocks, bonds, and
mutual funds. Just imagine how expensive it is for large actively managed mutual
funds to keep on top of their investments, buy and sell equities and bonds, and
maintain large research staffs to assist the highly paid fund managers!
There is an easier way, and for many reading this column, the only way to
safely invest and not pour your heart and soul into the process and that WAY is
through Index and Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). With Index Funds you will
closely match the performance of major stock indexes like the S&P 500, the Dow
Jones Wilshire 5000 Composite Index or any one of a thousand other index funds
that track everything from international stocks and bonds to you name it.
This excellent resource gives you the scoop on these lucrative low cost
investments and explains why you too should be in index funds rather than
chasing the top performing high cost equity mutual funds. The beauty of Index
funds is that you don’t have to be all that knowledgeable about markets or
investment lingo. All you need to know is included in this book and you can get
started with a safe, low cost, high performing index fund mix quickly using
their recommended "Life-Cycle Index Fund Models" presented in Chapter 15. They
have model index fund portfolios for "Early Savers" ages 20 to 39, "Mid-Life
Accumulators" ages 40 to 59 and for "Preretirees and Active Retirees" ages 60 to
79.
Chapter 4 states that, "Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) are Index Funds that
trade like stocks." Unlike Index Funds you incur additional expenses such as
commissions and trading spreads. Investors like the fact that index ETFs trade
like stocks and most new index funds are now being introduced through ETFs. I
personally like the simpler Index Funds however ETFs do have tax and other
advantages that investors can take advantage of. This book provides a
comprehensive overview including their history, advantages, and disadvantages.
If you are apprehensive about investing, and most are, this is the one of the
safest ways to achieve high returns with minimal risk. When I say high returns
I’m talking about percentage gains on target with the market averages for a
year. For example, the Fidelity Spartan Total Market Index Fund’s (FSTMX) most
recent one year return was 14.6% with an average return of 8.1% over the past 5
years. That is more than double the average return that you would have made in
Certificates of Deposit, Money Market Accounts, or Savings Bonds during that
same period and the management fee for this fund is only .10%. Compare that
management fee to the average stock mutual fund management fee of 1.5% plus
sales commissions (loads) that many managed mutual funds charge. The Fidelity
Spartan Total Market Index Fund tracks the Dow Jones Wilshire 5000 Composite
Index, a broad market index that offers returns that are very close to the
overall domestic stock market return each year. The model portfolios diversify
the risk even more by adding index or ETF funds for international stocks, and
fixed income including inflation protection investments.
Overall I rate
All About Index funds a buy for a number of reasons. First, it is thorough
and comprehensive. You don’t have to read every chapter, only the ones that
tickle your fancy. You will learn about Index funds, ETFs, indexes opposed to
markets, tax advantages, managing your funds, sample portfolios, and much more.
A valuable reference for those who have felt left out of the investment arena
and want to grow their nest egg without the burdens and worry that actively
managed accounts require.
Order:
All About Index funds
by Stan Posnar and Sandra Phillips-Posner
ISBN: 1-894979-99-0, Laminated Lay Flat Spiral Bound Cover, October 2005, $22.95
Review by Dennis V. Damp
If
you live on the East coast or plan a visit this book is a wealth of information
for anyone traveling from Boston to Florida and back. Full of valuable and
helpful information for each exit along the way. You will find everything from
mileage charts, rest stops, attractions, restaurants, hotel and motel chain toll
free numbers, local radio stations identified by genre, campgrounds, auto
mechanic listings, golf courses, including journal pages and expense charts.
What really pulls this all together are the state-by-state and exit-by-exit
summaries that include historical references, local lure, museums, shopping,
recommended B & B’s, malls, and things to keep everyone occupied.
The full page color charts are visually attractive and list most of what is
located at each and every stop along the way. It is easy to plan your trips
around your favorite restaurants, camping sites, motels, and attractions and you
can annotate your comments in the journal or on the charts. I highly recommend
this book to anyone traveling the I-95 corridor.
I intend to use this book when we take our next trip to the Carolinas and
Florida. It is an excellent tool for those who like to plan their road trips and
take advantage of the many attractions along the way. Instead of blindly going
south or north on the I-95 corridor "Drive
I-95: Exit by Exit Info, Maps, History and Trivia, Third Edition" will keep
your eyes wide open to the possibilities along the way.
Available at bookstores nationwide.
Order Now:
Drive I-95: Exit by Exit Info, Maps, History and Trivia, Third Edition
The Fit Traveler (Senior Edition) by Kari
Eide & Lisa Mueller
ISBN: 1-929170-25-4, Laminated hardcover spiral bound, November 2006, $17.95
Review by Dennis V. Damp
This
complete exercise travel kit comes with all equipment necessary to perform the
routines — a stretch band is packaged in a convenient book cover pocket. I would
have titled this book "The Fit Senior" Traveler Edition. I found it refreshing
to say the least and I already incorporated several of the exercises into my
pilates workout. One of the primary benefits of "The Fit Traveler" is that if
gives those over 50 a realistic exercise program that is very easy to adopt and
implement even for those with hectic life styles. This book, along with walking
15 to 30 minutes every other day, is a GREAT way for those over 50 to regain
their mobility, flexibility, and strength... PLUS everything you need is
included!
Self help books often take too much time and type to get to the heart of the
matter. That isn’t an issue with "The
Fit Traveler: Senior Edition." It quickly introduces you to their program on
page one and they don’t stop until you finish this book on page 52. You can read
this book in one sitting and in most cases you are doing the exercises the same
day. All but 4 of the exercises are performed standing or sitting, a relief for
those with back or knee problems. The beauty of the exercise program is the ease
of implementing the exercises into your daily routine and the fact that each
exercise is presented with photographs of actual seniors performing the
routines. I found the exercises expertly outlined, easy to understand, with
plenty of photos to properly complete them.
The Fit Traveler is bound with a unique spiral bound hardcover that lays flat
so you can view the pictures while performing the exercises. A sample home
workout routine is offered on page six to guide you through the week and
incorporates 15 minute cardio workouts at the beginning of each exercise period.
They also encourage warming up with five minutes of stretching exercises. A
workout tracking form charts your progress and you will find helpful diet tips
and words of wisdom close out the book.
Most of the exercises advise repeating them until fatigued. I would suggest
moderation and if you haven’t been active or are out of shape only perform a few
repetitions (within your comfort zone) of each exercise for the first week or
two. Then add reps as you build strength and stamina. You may also want to
purchase different strength bands at your local sporting goods store to add to
your workout. Lighter bands are also available if you find the band supplied
with the book too hard to use. Exercise bands are made from latex or rubber so
if you have allergic reactions to these products proceed with caution.
All in all The Fit Traveler Senior Edition is a MUST READ for those who want to
get in shape, stay in shape, and for those who want to play with their
grandchildren pain free. Many loose flexibility and strength as they age. The
Fit Traveler can help you maintain your fitness easily and without a big
investment in specialized equipment. This book along with proper nutrition,
walking, and maybe adding some light hand weights should be all you need to stay
fit and flexible throughout your life.
(Order by calling 1-800-963-0368 or visit their web site at
www.thefitnessboutique.com) Also
available
online at Amazon.com.
