By Mike Piper: Can I Retire? How Much Money You Need to Retire and How to Manage Your Retirement Savings, Explained in 100 Pages or Less

by Mike Piper

Find all of the following, explained in plain-English with no technical

Genres: Finance, Nonfiction, Personal Finance, Economics

Unknown Binding

First published November 15, 2010

Reviews

[Lynn Schluns · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have recently read three different retirement books. This was the baby bear of the group. Light on content but a good place to start.

[Allison H · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very basic

If you know nothing on the subject this may be a good starting point, otherwise it's a quick but unhelpful read.

[Raghdan fawakhiri · Rating 3 out of 5]

simple in the beginning, but (to no fault of the author's) it became too complex at the end. The intricate and nuanced fine points of the tax laws in the USA make spending in retirement, and planning taxes during retirement, a nightmare.
So, if complexity is inherent to the subject, and not a fault of the author's, why then 3 stars?! Well, because the author took it upon himself to simplify it, but it was a tall order for him.

He admitted at the end, that his advice is to hire a financial advisor as one approaches retirement. But then, why write a book about the subject, if your conclusion, in the end, is: this is too complex and hard to do, get professional help!?

I liked the first 2 parts of the book's 4 parts. Informative and easy to follow.
I also liked another book by this author (Investing Made Simple).
This book... not so much!

[Jennifer DiMotta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would suggest this very short book to anyone around my age, mid 40s, who wants a very simple breakdown of what it takes and how much money you need to retire. Besides my financial advisor, this will be my go-to guide on how much to save, when to take out money for retirement and how to handle the order of distributions. It's not complex and can get you basics you should know regardless of whether you have a financial planner or not. Great book!

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this book does a decent job for its stated purpose. Definitely geared toward those who have not had much exposure to the concepts of retirement investing. I didn’t learn anything new, but I’m not the target audience. I’ll probably recommend it to a few of my friends who want to learn more about retirement planning without getting too overwhelmed.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

These 100 pages are some of the most worthwhile pages I've read. Not because it tells someone exactly what to do but it provides information so that one knows what to think about and where to focus depending upon the situation. I'm thinking differently as a result of reading it.

[Robert Bradbury · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read in one evening. This is a good book to revisit and clarify basic concepts and strategies. It will help you remember what your plan needs to focus on if it doesn’t come naturally for you, like me.

[Brandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good simple book on retirement planning. Reviews some basics of investing, how much is enough to retire, when to take social security, how to manage traditional vs roth vs taxable accounts, and how to draw down accounts.

[Bertha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very informative

Good information. I learned a lot about how to prepare for retirement. I wish I’d read it a few years sooner.

[Cameron Gleed · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wasn’t kept simple enough for a 100 page guide.

[Joy Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Older but still solid advice

[Jared · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you want a short overview of many topics that help answer the title question of this book, this book (which can be read in a single sitting) is a good place to start. But you will definitely need to look elsewhere to get all your questions/concerns addressed.

First off, I love Mike Piper's "Investing Made Simple". I recommend it constantly as a great first stop in a self-directed investment journey. So I had high hopes about this book (hoping it could become a second auto-recommend for people approaching retirement age).

"Can I retire?" covers (briefly) how to determine how much money you need in retirement, how to ensure the necessary income (or what to do if you can't afford it), example passively managed retirement portfolios, and tips to prevent you from spending more on taxes than necessary. All great information.

The problem is that there are many other important topics that aren't covered in this book: when to start taking Social Security, how to deal with uncertainty around medical costs, what kinds of insurance you might want (e.g. long-term care insurance), and estate planning (esp. basic info on how to avoid probate). Perhaps some of these aren't strictly "retirement" topics, but I feel like the target audience of "Can I Retire?" is mostly people who also deal with these concerns.

Overall, if you're looking for a quick overview of many (but not all) financial aspects of retirement, this is a good place to start. But plan on continuing your education well beyond this book.

[Santhosh Kumar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Its a good book.But just a sort of appetizer.I read it after john bogle's book so i don't know if that had an impact on rating.But i would definitely recommend this to a friend who has no clue about starting to build an retirement portfolio.

[Bill Dreisbach · Rating 5 out of 5]

This should be ready by anyone considering retirement who doesn't have a clue what they need. I tend to read a lot in this area, so it wasn't as important to me. However I'd recommend this to anyone.

[Shayne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Achieved its objective of being short. Would recommend to someone who's never read a thicker, more detailed and useful book on the topic.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read and I learned quite a bit, as I have not been particularly interested in financial planning, but am now.