Table of Contents
Introduction
How to Make the Most of Your Retirement Years 6
Chapter 1 Retiring Early: What It Takes
Defining the New Retirement 10
Mission Critical: Understand Why You Want to Retire Early 14
The Three-Stage Retirement: How It Affects Your Finances 16
Keys to Retirement Success #1: Preparing Financially 19
Keys to Retirement Success #2: Social Connections 22
Keys to Retirement Success #3: Healthy Practices 24
Retirement Savings: Your Magic Number 26
Chapter 02 Location Is Everything
Downsizing vs. Staying Put: Should You Stay or Go?
Calculating Taxes Into Your Decision to Move 36
The Ins and Outs of Retiring Abroad 40
Get a Head Start on Seeing the World: Digital Nomads 44
10 U.S. Hot Spots for Active Retirees 48
Chapter 03 Housing & Transporation
Controlling Housing Costs in Retirement 54
Owning vs. Renting in Retirement 58
Controlling Your Auto Spending: How to Keep Car Expenses Down 61
Chapter 04 Health Care
Understanding the Costs of Your Medical Expenses: The Price of Longevity 68
Health Insurance for Early Retirees: Your Options 70
Understanding Medicare: What You Need to Know Now 74
Paying for Prescription Drugs: Handling Costs 78
The Role of Long-Term-Care Insurance 80
Medical Tourism: Taking Your Health Care on the Road 84
Chapter 05 Building Your Savings
The Power of Compounding: Harness Time to Grow Your Savings 90
Get the Most Out of Your Retirement Savings Accounts 92
Build an Emergency Fund: A Buffer for Unexpected Expenses 96
Dealing With Debt: Crafting a Plan to Eliminate Monies Owed 98
Start a Health Savings Account 102
How to Start Your Side Hustle 104
The Benefits of Passive Income 108
Simple Steps to Grow Your Savings Faster 110
Chapter 06 Retirement Investing
Understanding Asset Allocation 116
The importance of a Diversified Portfolio: Spreading Out Risk 120
The Role of Rebalancing: Stay on Track by Adjusting Investments 124
The Importance of Investing Regularly 128
Keep an Eye on Investing Costs 130
Don't Let Emotion Rule Your Strategy: Remain Levelheaded 132
Chapter 7 Plan For Retirement Income
Preparing for Inflation: Protecting Your Nest Egg From Rising Costs 138
Working in Retirement: Financial and Social Benefits 142
Could an Annuity Be Right for You? 146
Awaiting a Pension: What You Need to Know 149
Social Security Claiming Strategies 152
Sensible Withdrawal Strategies 156
Understanding Required Minimum Distributions 160
Paying Taxes on Retirement Income 162
Chapter 08 Financial Worksheets
Retirement Lifestyle Wish List 168
Calculate the Costs of Relocating 170
Downsizing Checklist 171
Current and Retirement Expenses 172
Planning Your Income Sources in Retirement 174
Debt Payoff 176
Calculate Your RMD 177
Estimate Your Health Care Costs 178
Medicare Cheat Sheet 179
Medicare Enrollment Checklist 180
Prescription Drug List 181
Supplementing Medicare With an HSA 182
Estate Planning 183
What to Look for in a Long-Term-Care Facility 184
Early-Retirement Resources 185
