Retire Today: Create Your Retirement Master Plan in 5 Simple Steps

by Jeremy Keil, Emily Guy Birken

Does the thought of retirement bring you more anxiety than excitement?

You’re not alone. 61% of workers today fear retirement more than death!

What if you could retire when you want, how you want, with the confidence that you’ve planned it the right way?

In Retire Today , Jeremy Keil shows you how to move from confusion to confidence in five simple steps. You’ll learn how to maximize your income, minimize your taxes, and most of all, steer clear of costly retirement mistakes.

You’ll discover how
• Find out how much money you’ll need to retire
• Get the most out of your Social Security and pension
• Lower your lifetime tax bill
• Invest wisely by focusing on the things you can control
• Leave a meaningful legacy

Retirement is one of the biggest transitions you’ll ever make — but you don’t have to figure it out alone.

Retire Today gives you the clear steps to retire with confidence, starting now.

Genres: Nonfiction, Business

222 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 21, 2025

About the author

Jeremy Keil, CFP®, CFA®, is the retirement planner you turn to when you’re ready to retire but don’t know how to do it. He’s a retirement-focused financial advisor, the host of the Retire Today podcast, and the face behind the Mr. Retirement YouTube channel.

For over two decades, Jeremy has helped hundreds of people retire with confidence using his signature Retirement Master Plan — a simple process designed to help you make more in come, pay less in taxes, and avoid big retirement mistakes.

Growing up, Jeremy loved solving math and logic puzzles. When he became a financial advisor, he realized retirement planning was just a bigger, more important puzzle — helping you piece together your finances to create a better, more secure retirement.

While serving as an adjunct professor at Concordia University Wisconsin and Wisconsin Lutheran College, Jeremy developed a gift for turning complex financial topics into clear, practical lessons.

Whether in the classroom, delivering educational seminars, or in client meetings, his focus has always been the same: to help you know more about your money so you will feel better about your money and make better money decisions.

When he’s not solving retirement puzzles, you’ll find Jeremy with his wife, Robyn, and their two daughters — likely at a swim meet, soccer game, basketball court, or hanging out with their church family at Lakepoint in Muskego, Wisconsin.

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read! I have read MANY retirement and finance focused books but let me tell you this one gave me such a roadmap to follow and it gave me a few different perspectives when thinking through our plan. I really felt like I learned a lot reading this!

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read a lot about personal finance. There were a few nuggets worth discovering in this book. The book is well written and well laid out.

[AMR CAMI · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty usefull book!

Keil's book takes a compassionate, practical, and thoughtful approach to creating an emotionally and financially independent retirement. Keil goes beyond just the financial aspect of retirement to incorporate relevant ideas to add purpose, balance, and fulfillment into this new phase of life. The book lands successfully on practical and actionable financial strategies integrated with meaningful discussions about mindset, lifestyle design, and values.
Retire Today is no longer buried on its cover, a user-friendly self-help book that integrates a holistic view of retirement planning. Keil attempts to demystify challenging budgeting concepts while establishing that keys to a successful retirement lie within one's finances in service of anything but oneself. This is not only an engaging read to anyone entering the next season of their life, it will give the reader confidence, understanding, and clarity to a future of satisfaction and meaning beyond the next chapter of their lives.

[Fritz Gilbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book presenting a sound strategy to determine when you're able to retire and steps you should take as you move into the Withdrawal Phase. The only thing that kept it from being a 5 star is my desire to see a bit more detail on the calculations for determine Safe Withdrawal Limits from the portfolio. Definitely worth a read if you're within 3 years of retirement.

[Fanny Polchlopek]

'm rushing to recommend it to my children

I am now retired and I truly feel that I have organized my affairs well. However, times have changed and the stress on younger generations is noticeable. I started reading the book out of concern for my children and I must say that it allowed me to breathe easier because solutions do exist; you just have to know which paths to take and be very wise with your time. The book shows us that a well-structured financial life is the key to achieving a comfortable and prosperous retirement. The advice the author gives is essential, clear, easy to understand, and will yield results that will be noticeable in the future.

I really liked his illustrative style, as it encourages readers to focus on all the information they receive. The book is a must-read for young people who are already concerned about their future.

[Daniel Moreno · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book.

I definitely enjoy reading about retirement; it's one of the topics that makes me think the most. I think I speak for everyone when I say that we all want a successful retirement, free of any difficulties. This incredible book is based on that very premise. The author presents the solution to this question in five simple steps that will help us organize our finances, define our goals, and, most importantly, maintain a balanced life from now until retirement. I believe the author truly poured his heart and soul into this book. It's exceptionally well-written, easy to understand, and applicable from the very beginning, all with the aim of creating a better future. Without a doubt, this is a book well worth reading and keeping in our library to always remember its principles.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

We often hear young people say, "I can't wait to retire", but what happens when that moment is about to arrive? Certainly, as in all stages of life, there are doubts and fears, and these have a significant emotional impact on those going through this phase. In "Retire Today", author Jeremy Keil helps readers navigate this time in the best possible way. With clear and concise explanations and real-life examples, Jeremy helps people about to retire plan for this stage of life.

I really liked this book, especially because my mother is about to retire, and I think it will be very helpful for her. The explanations are dynamic and not at all monotonous. It's certainly a book I recommend to everyone about entering retirement.

[Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of The Money Guy and very much enjoyed Jeremy Keil's ideology when it comes to personal finance and retirement as it reminded me so much of them: using money as a tool to reach your goals, not stressing too much over every detail in order to squeeze every dime out of countless spreadsheets, and getting creative in utilizing different account structures and not just defaulting to the same distribution options as everyone else in the office. I'm quite a way off from retirement and am now in the "accumulation" phase, but I liked how this was a different kind of book - not just about how to invest and where to put your money before retirement. It's a guide on what to do once you're on the threshold, how to determine if you're there, and shows you options for determining how to best reach your goals once you stop working. I'm sure a lot of these account structures and rules will change in the next 20-30 years when I'm ready to retire so I don't think a lot of the details are 100% relevant to me although it was nice to have an idea of what to consider down the road and the kinds of questions I should ask as I get closer to retirement age.

Thank you to Goodreads for the free copy in return for my honest review.

[Grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Optimizing and maximizing every part of your finances’ – A welcome guide!

Wisconsin author Jeremy Keil is a retirement-focused financial advisor, sharing his advice in the classroom, seminars, on his popular podcast and now in this invaluable book – RETIRE TODAY. His Retirement Master Plan is a simple process designed ‘to help you make more income, pay less in taxes, and avoid big retirement mistakes.’ For those of us already in the retirement years, reading this excellent and immensely helpful book provides reflection on how retirement could be made easier. His wise five step plan - Spend (How much you need and when), Make (Max your monthly lifetime income), Keep (lower your lifetime tax bill), Invest (short and long term money), Leave (protect against risks and create family legacy). Written in an easy to understand and incorporate manner, this book deserves wide recognition for planning for retirement. Very valuable book – a must read!

[Eric F · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked Retire Today by Keil because it makes planning for retirement feel a lot easier and less stressful. What stood out to me most is that the book isn’t just about money, it’s about peace of mind. It’s not focused on getting rich, but on feeling safe and confident with a plan that actually works. The part about deciding when to take Social Security and how to handle taxes really made me think, because it shows how small choices can make a big difference in the long run.

I also really connected with the idea of Financial Confidence, learning to worry less about money and feel more secure about the future. I’ve felt anxious about finances before, and this book helped me realize that when you have a clear plan, it’s much easier to stay calm and in control.

[Pipe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Retire Today is a very helpful and easy-to-read book for anyone thinking about retirement. The author explains five simple steps to plan your future in a clear and friendly way. I liked how he talks not only about money but also about what kind of life you want to live after work. It made me think about my parents, who are now retired and trying to figure out how to spend their days with purpose and joy. The book gives great advice on saving, investing, and enjoying your time without stress. I really liked the examples and stories, which made the ideas feel real. After reading it, I felt more confident about how to plan my own future. It’s a great guide that makes retirement sound exciting, not scary.

[Marina Lujan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve always felt uneasy about retirement, but this book came at just the right time. Jeremy Keil breaks down the process of preparing for retirement in clear, simple steps, without overwhelming you with technical details.

The author made me feel that, with the right information, I can make more informed decisions and stop putting off something important. Specifically, I feel this book will help me organize my finances, make better use of my income, and plan my future with more confidence. "Retire Today" left me with the feeling that retirement doesn't have to be scary; it can be a time of freedom and peace if you prepare well. I recommend this valuable reading.

[Yolanda Gomez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every time I'm drinking coffee with my family or my friends the topic of retirement is named, something that really concerns us and that actually I don't quite know much about the subject, that is why this book for me was a life saver. Understanding everything you have to start doing to assure you will have a secure retirement is fundamental, knowing how to know how much money you would need to really retire and what's more important for me is how to lower my taxes and also invest wisely. A book you should read now to prepare yourself for this important stage in life, even if you think you're too young you can start changing some bad financial habits.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommend! Jeremy points out the "goal of creating your Retirement Master Plan is to enjoy your life". Easy to read book addressing common questions & beliefs about retiring.
Love the examples of real life clients (names changed) to share different perspectives, choices & results.
Jeremy's Five Step plan helps you walk through the process - what things do you need to think of, what do you do first, and then what's the next step.

[Rayfes Mondal · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't identify with the people profiled and the anecdotal writing style took a long time to make points I've read in other places so I got very little out of this book though I don't disagree with any of it.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read! Jeremy does such a great job explaining these steps in detail without it feeling overwhelming. The examples he gives were really relatable. Highly recommend.

[Lavender]

Placeholder.

I won this book via Goodreads Giveaways.

[AMAO · Rating 5 out of 5]

💯💯💯💯💯

[Jeremy Keil · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed Retire Today! You'll learn how to create your retirement master plan in 5 simple steps.