Again, I was just surfing audiobooks to download via the library and came across How to Make Your Money Last: The Indispensable Retirement Guide by Jane Bryant Quinn. I was surprised to see that it was actually geared toward people who are already close to retirement. Not a lot of books tackle the issue of needing to plan for a future when the bulk of your work life is already over.

In researching for the book, Quinn changed her thinking on several things related to retirement and she spells them out. She gives good news for those of you who fear you will outlive your retirement income.

Quinn also breaks down retirement by how long you have been in it. There is decidedly different behavior between the first ten years of retirement and the last ten years. The desire to travel drops way off. The desire to re-do the living room etc. Your expenses go way down.

This book also spends a great deal of time dealing with Social Security. From how delaying the start of taking Social Security can turn into much more money, to things like the cost of living adjustment (COLA.) There is a lot of information about survivor benefits, spousal benefits – even benefits for exes, parents etc.

Quinn includes much more information than Social Security and retirement. There is a bunch of info on health care and other useful items as well. Some of the information about the Affordable Care Act will likely be obsolete quickly but there is still a lot of great information.

How to Make Your Money Last does get in the weeds at times so you have to reread (or relisten) to some sections to get a complete understanding, but it is all really good information. This is a good book to own because there is so much information.

by Chris Doelle

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