12 Ways to Retire on Less: Planning an Affordable Future

by Harriet Edleson

Overview

Learn how to save and prepare for retirement no matter your age or your income.

12 Ways to Retire on Less offers a roadmap for anyone seeking financial security and peace of mind for their retirement years ahead, regardless of savings or income in the present moment.

In a time when fewer retirees have the kind of pension many of their parents had, those looking to retire can be especially vulnerable. But here, the author outlines those steps people can take to ensure their security and enjoy those activities they look forward to in the future. Offering case studies and actionable steps in the form of bullet points, questions and lists, the book focuses on the importance of planning and analyzing one’s total financial picture in the context of goals, hopes, and dreams.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781538114759
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	05/29/2021
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	144
File size:	454 KB

About the Author

Harriet Edleson is an expert on baby boomer retirement strategies. She has written the Retiring feature for The New York Times and the Where We Live feature for The Washington Post. A former staff writer/editor/producer for AARP and contributing writer for Kiplinger’s Retirement Report, she began her writing career at Gannett Westchester (NY) Newspapers and the Houston Chronicle. She lives in Bethesda, Maryland. Learn more at her website, Howtoretireonless.com.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

I. Not Your Parents’ Retirement: Why Yours Will Be Different

II. Evaluating Your Resources: Creating a Budget

III. Reframing Your Golden Years as Adventure: What Do You Really Want to Do?

IV. Funding Your Retirement Dream: Analyzing the Cost

V. Working as Long as You Can

VI. When to Claim Social Security: Maximizing Your Monthly Check

VII. Aging in Place or Not: Housemates, Roommates and More

VIII. Using Your Home to Fund Your Retirement Dream

IX. Housing Options Other Than Your Long-Term Home

X. Choosing Your Dream Location: Where to Live

XI. How You’ll Get Around: In Case You Can’t Drive

XII. Exploring the World: Deciding Where to Go and How to Pay for It

Appendix: Vanguard Worksheet

Appendix: Resources

Bibliography

Notes

Index

About the Author

Editorial Reviews

Because of my work as a retirement coach, I read more books on retirement than most people. I found 12 Ways to Retire on Less to be a breath of fresh air. It’s a well-written, no-nonsense, comprehensive guide to planning for retirement in today’s challenging environment…. It’s a pragmatic, reality-check on retirement today that shows how there are still ways to make it work. The strength of the book is on how to make savvy moves to optimize your resources in funding what for many people promises to be a longer retirement than previous generations enjoyed. However, my favorite parts of the book were when Edleson goes beyond those core financial topics to emphasize the importance of keeping the dreams you have for retirement in focus…. I recommend this book as a valuable resource that will help you reframe how you’re thinking of your next chapters and retire smarter.

Retirement Wisdom

This book provides wonderful suggestions about how to make the most out of retirement by ensuring that your dollars go as far as possible in terms of budgeting, finding fulfillment, and making choices about work, Social Security, housing, and travel. I learned quite a bit.

Wade D. Pfau

Harriet Edleson has written a concise guide for those who have not budgeted nor saved enough to continue their current lifestyle when they retire, or who do not have any retirement benefits other than some level of social security. Her book 12 Ways to Retire on Less, is a good primer for those who are not on track to be able to maintain their current lifestyle when they retire. She provides a guide to help the 40% of the population between 55 and 64 years of age who do not have retirement accounts. This book is an imperative for anyone who questions if they will have “enough” as well as those who may feel fairly comfortable, but would like to learn how they can retire on “less.” It is well written, straight forward and a compelling read.

Margaret Wylde

Edleson helps map out a proactive, purpose filled and deliberate retirement. These steps help readers understand many of the details which are faced in retirement.Andrew J. Feldman, CFP, president, AJ Feldman Financial

Andrew J. Feldman

After years of writing about retirement for magazines and newspapers, Bethesda journalist Harriet Edleson pulled together the advice she's learned in 12 Ways to Retire on Less: Planning an Affordable Future (Rowman & Littlefield, May 2021). She encourages readers to create a budget, consider the best time to claim Social Security, and carefully review housing options--which will likely be their biggest expense. "People are fearful of running out of money in retirement," says Edleson, who is a regular contributor to Marketwatch.com and The Washington Post. "If you plan, then you will be more likely to know what you have coming in, how much you are spending, how much you are earning, what is your guaranteed income, and you can sleep better."

Because of my work as a retirement coach, I read more books on retirement than most people. I found 12 Ways to Retire on Less to be a breath of fresh air. It's a well-written, no-nonsense, comprehensive guide to planning for retirement in today's challenging environment.... It's a pragmatic, reality-check on retirement today that shows how there are still ways to make it work. The strength of the book is on how to make savvy moves to optimize your resources in funding what for many people promises to be a longer retirement than previous generations enjoyed. However, my favorite parts of the book were when Edleson goes beyond those core financial topics to emphasize the importance of keeping the dreams you have for retirement in focus.... I recommend this book as a valuable resource that will help you reframe how you're thinking of your next chapters and retire smarter.

Edleson helps map out a proactive, purpose filled and deliberate retirement. These steps help readers understand many of the details which are faced in retirement.Andrew J. Feldman, CFP, president, AJ Feldman Financial

Harriet Edleson has written a concise guide for those who have not budgeted nor saved enough to continue their current lifestyle when they retire, or who do not have any retirement benefits other than some level of social security. Her book 12 Ways to Retire on Less, is a good primer for those who are not on track to be able to maintain their current lifestyle when they retire. She provides a guide to help the 40% of the population between 55 and 64 years of age who do not have retirement accounts. This book is an imperative for anyone who questions if they will have "enough" as well as those who may feel fairly comfortable, but would like to learn how they can retire on "less." It is well written, straight forward and a compelling read.

This book provides wonderful suggestions about how to make the most out of retirement by ensuring that your dollars go as far as possible in terms of budgeting, finding fulfillment, and making choices about work, Social Security, housing, and travel. I learned quite a bit.

From the Publisher

After years of writing about retirement for magazines and newspapers, Bethesda journalist Harriet Edleson pulled together the advice she’s learned in 12 Ways to Retire on Less: Planning an Affordable Future (Rowman & Littlefield, May 2021). She encourages readers to create a budget, consider the best time to claim Social Security, and carefully review housing options—which will likely be their biggest expense. “People are fearful of running out of money in retirement,” says Edleson, who is a regular contributor to Marketwatch.com and The Washington Post. “If you plan, then you will be more likely to know what you have coming in, how much you are spending, how much you are earning, what is your guaranteed income, and you can sleep better.”

Bethesda Magazine