What Color Is Your Parachute? for Retirement, Second Edition: Planning a Prosperous, Healthy, and Happy Future

by John E. Nelson, Richard Nelson Bolles

Plan Now for the Life You Want

Today’s economic realities have reset our expectations of what retirement is, yet there’s still the promise for what it can a life stage filled with more freedom and potential than ever before. Given the new normal, how do you plan for a future filled with prosperity, health, and happiness? As a companion to What Color Is Your Parachute? , the world’s best-selling career book, What Color Is Your Parachute? for Retirement offers both a holistic, big-picture look at these years as well as practical tools and exercises to help you build a life full of security, vitality, and community.

This second edition contains updates throughout, including a section on Social Security, an in-depth exercise on values and how they inform your retirement map, and the one-of-a-kind resource for organizing the sea of information on finances and mental and physical the Retirement Well-Being Profile. More than a guide on where to live, how to stay active, or which investments to choose, What Color Is Your Parachute? for Retirement helps you develop a detailed picture of your ideal retirement, so that—whether you’re planning retirement or are there already—you can take a comprehensive approach to make the most of these vital years.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Business, Finance

288 pages, Paperback

First published July 13, 2010

Reviews

[Fiona · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really helpful for planning retirement. I thought it was going to be all about tax, savings and net worth. But instead it started off with What are your Values and kept reinforcing these themes throughout the book.

[Ken · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been dipping into books about retirement. This one stands apart. It has little to do with personal finance unlike the other books, this one is about your defining your values. There are chapters on psychology, health (not healthcare expenses), where to live, how to spend your time, and oh yes money. This is valuable because it treats retirement not just as a financial challenge but as a way of rethinking your life and how you spend your time.

[Marian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite what I expected....not the nuts and bolts most books are, which are necessary. This one is more the underpinnings, fleshing out the whys of decisions based on who you know yourself to be. Thought provoking.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

What Color is Your Parachute is a classic and now this book delves into shaping your life in retirement. I have to admit that I didn't do all the exercises so I suggest that someone really taking this seriously could spent loads of time delving deeply into self reflection. What I found really interesting was that the book explored not just "what will I do next" but also important issues about finances, psychology, where you decide to live and even how to build up a social network/community in retirement. The latter two discussions were especially rich. I guess it was comforting to understand that there is no ready made social community in retirement that there automatically was in school and work. One has to make community intentionally. Lots of great suggestions in the book and good food for thought.

[Julie Capell · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you've read a lot of other self-help books, much of this material will be extremely familiar. I actually skimmed a lot of the content, particularly the section on "values clarification" which seems to go on and on. There are separate chapters on different issues, including finances, geography, relationships and health care. The focus in each topic is on getting your head around your own values and how to use them to inform decisions in each area. It's an interesting approach, that I can see would be beneficial for anyone who is relatively new to retirement planning.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember this book from back at the beginning of my career . . . and here we are already nearing the end of work life! This version was very helpful - not that I haven't been thinking about this stuff. But the worksheets help to dial you in to a 1-page summary of what you should be aiming for in the next 30 years. Conclusion: my fundamentals are in good shape. But what will actually make me happy and give me well-being? That part has yet to be worked out!

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am reading several books on retuirement and am finding nuggets of wisdom in every one. This one had me evaluate my values and strengths to help think about what I want to do with my time. I am glad I read this and I think it willl be helpful as we get closer to retirement. Funny thing I am pretty much the same as I was the day after college graduation. :-) At least I am consistent!

[Tricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Think I'll buy this one so Doug & I will be ready!

[Bryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Average book about retirement. What I liked the most is how it broke retirement up into two phases, as it has grown a lot as life expectancy has increased dramatically over the past 100 years.

[Julius Evans · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not going to say it's the same old story, but I will say that it's up to you to put a concerted effort in planning your retirement!

[Debbie Hoskins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had some good exercises. Didn't like the financial stuff, but I'm not too interested in financial stuff unless it's necessary

[db · Rating 4 out of 5]

So useful and informative!! Chock full of ideas.

[Mmoreira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of excellent ideas.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not very profound but it was good to see all of this info in one place.

[Yalonda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this book as I started to seriously consider retirement in 5 years. Isn't retirement the cessation of work and a time to simply enjoy life? What should I be doing now to ensure that I have the best financial situation possible - I certainly don't think I can afford to retire even though I desperately want to do so. This book reaffirmed my desires for my retirement...to make a life change that allowed me to be closer to my family, to spend more time doing things that make me happy with the people I wish to be around, and to continue working but on my own terms. As a definite left-brain individual, this book gave me some insights I desperately needed and helped me create a course of action to review my retirement date. It encouraged me to do what feels right in my soul and assured me that if I start considering the details now, I can be prepared for my retirement in the not too distant future. I do not have head off into the sunset to be forgotten, bored, and waste away as I age; there is so much I can look forward too and that is a liberating thought!

[Saltydog 01 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Different Views

So many retirement planning books focus on the finance and math. Richard Bolles had an ability to bring out the more esoteric and intangible assets, and define a quantitative method to measure and evaluate those assets.