How to Retire Happy: The 12 Most Important Decisions You Must Make Before You Retire

by Stan Hinden

The Washington Post and New York Times Business Bestseller

“Everyone in the workforce today should read this book!”—HORACE B. DEETS, FORMER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AARP

“Want excellent insights on retirement planning from a professional who’s actually experienced retirement himself? You’ll get just that from Stan Hinden’s book.”—STEVE VERNON, COLUMNIST

“Provides the most important information you’ll need before and during your retirement.”—MICHELLE SINGLETARY, THE WASHINGTON POST

Award-winning Washington Post retirement columnist Stan Hinden’s bestselling How to Retire Happy, Fourth Edition, helps you make the right decisions to ensure a happy, healthful retirement. It delivers all the expert advice you need in an easy-to-understand step-by-step style. How to Retire Happy includes everything that has made previous editions the go-to guides for retirees and near-retirees,

Brand-new material on health insurance and the prescription drug planThe facts about Medicare Part A (hospital), Part B (tests, doctors, preventive care), and Part D (prescription drugs)The author’s personal experiences with the realities of long-term Alzheimer’s careFully updated material on Social Security strategiesHow to handle the financial realities of the post-meltdown economyNew resources you can turn to for extra advice

Genres: Nonfiction, Finance, Personal Finance, Economics, Self Help, Reference

290 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 19, 2000

Reviews

[Chuck Slack · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have read many retirement books. Not that I am that close to retirement (early 50s) but because I find financial planning and by extension, retirement interesting.

This is not a bad book on retirement per se, but, as a Canadian, this book is too applicable to the United States. U.S. social security is similar to our CPP and a 401k is similar to our RRSP but the discussions on estate taxes, tax preferred locales to live, health care I. Retirement, etc. we're too U.S. centric.

Not very applicable to Canadians.

[Joe · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book would be a good starting point for someone who hasn't really thought much about retiring. Not recommended for someone who is already familiar with the concepts of retirement planning, and looking for additional insight.

As someone who is planning to retire early and has done significant reading on preparing for retirement, I was disappointed at the level of information and guidance in the book. The layout of the book and topics addressed in the 12 chapters seemed very promising, but the author seemed to be more intent on relating his personal story and experiences in retirement rather than providing a broader perspective on each individual retirement topic.

Much of the book is spent describing the author's own personal experience and then trying to add a broader discussion of the topic on top of that. I found the result to be lacking in insight and advice for a broader audience, as well as lacking in detail on many of the topics.

[Craig Amason · Rating 3 out of 5]

You won't find anything new here, and in fact, when I downloaded this audiobook, I didn't realize it was written in 2012. Still, there is plenty of important information to digest in this book. The final section about lifestyle is really where Hinden explores what it takes to create a "happy" retirement and may be the most valuable part of the book. The pages are filled with practical advice about finances, healthcare, daily routines, etc. I suggest reading it at least ten years BEFORE you plan to retire.

[Bruce Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

I listened to the 4th edition of this book and unfortunately found it not very helpful. Most of the key information on retirement decisions was very commonly available, and much of this book is outdated. Examples are the author having a life-long career with one company, who not only had a generous pension plan but also matched 401k at 4.5%! And a spouse also with pension & 401k and both with full social security. This pretty much doesn't exist anymore except for government jobs. Outdated information on 401k withdrawals also.

There was a good discussion on long term care, but in general the book did not answer the title "How to Retire Happy" because very little was devoted to the retiree's actual happiness, mostly on money and health care.

[Mskychick · Rating 1 out of 5]

It’s astonishing and appalling how woefully inept and uneducated a WaPo financial columnist was in prepping for his own retirement. I picked this book up hoping to gain some valuable insights into how to think about retirement choices. Mostly what I’m finding is examples of how NOT to behave.

For me, I’m coming into this book already having done a ton of research. I didn’t learn anything new, and this is all very basic information presented at an Easy Reading level that is much below the level I am interested in.

[Ligaya · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reading this ten years after publication, besides understanding that many specifics were out of date, I was really surprised at how dumb a Washington Post financial writer was regarding many financial basics, and not just about retirement. So, warning there. The writing is plain, so therefore it's a quick read, even more so because I was able to skim through the pages dealing with Medicare and Medicaid and IRA required minimum distributions (RMD). There are better books on preparing for retirement, but this will get you started.

[TJ Totland · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the few books that IMHO completely cover the topic of retirement as the author experienced it. It is like talking to a good friend who has been retired for a number of years and he is sharing his experiences and giving you useful and impartial advice.

Overall, I would recommend the book and feel it is worth your time to understand all the good and bad about retirement. I have learned that planning your retirement is almost a requirement and you cannot just wing it. Even if you have plenty of money, retirement is may more then a financial number in your bank account.

[Jiri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good beginner book for thinking about retirement.
For a writer from the Washington Post who published a column on retirement, I had expected more.

If you are just starting to think about retirement and how to prepare, this is a good starting point with additional sources of information listed.

After reading it, I would recommend expanding your research and diving deeper into specific areas.

I did like that he touched on not just the financial part but also health, where to live and how to start preparing socially.

[Colin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great primer on all aspects of the road ahead. This includes financial, estate planning as well as how to consider relocating and where to locate to if so. There are some great resources listed. Although this is not comprehensive, it does help set the path for your next step. I'm turning 50 years old and the author himself says he wished he knew more at 50 than he did when he retired.

[Marilyn Sue Michel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very informative book. Some of the advice is outdated or not quite correct. The author is a journalist who writes a lot of articles and may have collected several to make this book. There are sourcebooks and websites listed for your further inquiry. Most of all, the author cautions us to think about these issues and do something, at least have a plan, because if you live long enough, you will have to deal with them.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very useful resource - a "Keeper"

This book is packed with useful information. The author has a conversational style that makes for an easy, enjoyable read, packed with useful lists, tips, and resources. I'm sure I'll often be referring to this book as I transition into retirement. Well done

[Mark Lindsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good coverage of all the important topics for retirement, including what you want to do when you get there. The financial stuff was pretty complete, had a nice section on Long Term Care which helped me by giving a hint on LTC for military folks. Not in depth, not prescriptive, but good for getting you thinking comprehensively.

[Hillary Chapman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very helpful book on how to prepare for retirement. Although I am 20 years away from the event, I wanted to make sure I was "getting all my ducks in a row". I found this insightful and what to consider for the future. I appreciated the vignettes on illuminating some of the drier financial information. It made the concepts easier to understand.

[Dona · Rating 2 out of 5]

This publication was updated and re-released in 2010. Obviously many of the points he made have changed since that time with our current economy and changes in tax laws and regulations. Mr. Hinden passed away at the age of 90 in January of 2018. He seemed concerned about outliving his retirement investments; hopefully his advice helped him keep from doing that.

[Bill Sleeman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good basic information. I found the chapter on wills and probate particularly interesting as my wife and I both wonder how to divide whatever we might have left between our boys. A long way off (I hope) but "How to Retire Happy" had just the right amount of tips that I had not considered to make it a useful read.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this to be a good, easy-to-understand introduction to some of the planning that goes into a successful retirement, and it primes my interest to read more, and more deeply on the subject. The only problem I had with this book, reading it 10 years after publication, is that some of the information is now obviously outdated. Wish I'd read it several years earlier.

[Wicked · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found that it was very American focused (obviously) so all of the specific advice such as taxes and Social Security wasn't personally helpful. However the general ideas gave me a real eye opening moment or two and have definitely made me think about retirement planning sooner rather than later.

[John McPhee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good framework ... updated version will be even better.

For children with retired parents THIS is an invaluable read ... Stan’s real-life experiences both good and bad make this an easy read. Use the framework. Get updated content. How the world has changed since 2012!!

[Lucinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

while i’m 10 years from retirement, i found many of his decisions useful to read now. his point about taking several years to relocate is one i hadn’t considered and will now, along with the high cost for getting your own health insurance.

[Kristen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very basic.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great advice for retirees

The author covered twelve very essential subjects, giving common sense advice and very detailed descriptions of items everyone needs to consider.

[Dennis O'Leary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly obvious information. A few helpful learnings and appreciated the honesty about how they wished they'd planned earlier.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

Most of this was, for me, pretty standard info. The thing is, the data in here is from 13+ years ago.

[M. Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read enough on the topic that it wasn't revelatory, but it covers many essentials. This edition is now almost eight years old.

[Michal · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was written in 2012 and has a lot of outdated information. Some good info but I'd recommend finding something more relevant.

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too old to be really useful, but did glean some basic topics to review in more up-to-date resources.

[Jen Juenke · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a 24 year old book. It had some good information but most was outdated. Quick and easy read

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a good starting read if you are contemplating retirement. A bit dated since written over ten years ago. But a place to start.

[Susan Morrissey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of great information even though I retired 6.5 years ago.

[Sarah Kelsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is about 60% the author's personal retirement experience (He was a sports reporter who retired in the 1980's) and about 40% conceptual information. The book has 12 subjects:
1. Am I [psychologically] ready to retire?
2. Can I adfford to retire?
3. When should I apply for Social Security?
4. How should I take my pension payments?
5. What should I do with my money in my company savings plan?
6. When do I have to take moneybout of my IRAs? [BTW, 71 1/2 yrs old to avoid big penalties]
7. How should I invest during retirement?
8. What should I do about health insurance?
9. What should I do to prepare for an illness that requires long-term care?
10. Where do I want to live after I retire?
11. How should I arrange my estate to save on taxes and avoid probate?
12. How can I age successfully?

I ended up skipping several chapters that did not apply to my situation. This books was not particularly useful to me personally as my state job defines a lot of this with zero wiggle room for me; however, it is always beneficial to hear someone else's experience with a process I face. To that end, this was valuable.

I will say that this book seemed a bit dated at times, like getting retirement advice from Don Draper. For example, in the tenth chapter he assures the reader that, once you have moved to a new community, the welcome wagon invitations will come rolling in and you will be awash in offers for canasta parties and Rotary shindigs. I am not sure my Gen-X crowd even knows what those things are. I suppose online meet-ups will cover the same purpose.