Book Review: The Bogleheads' Guide to Retirement Planning

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I've been waiting for this book for a long time. About this time last year, the leaders of the Bogleheads investment forum announced a book project and asked for volunteers. I was selected and assigned to write a chapter on defined benefit pension plans. The book was finally published in September and I got my free book from the publisher last week. This is the first time I got the chance to read the whole book.

The title is The Bogleheads' Guide to Retirement Planning. It covers a wide range of topics on planning for retirement. The emphasis is on planning, not saving or investing for retirement, although there are still a few chapters on investing. It starts off with the planning process. Then it goes over the different savings and investment vehicles, investment strategies, how to make the most of social security, withdrawal strategies once you are retired, insurance, estate planning, how to find help if you need it and what to do if you face divorce or too much debt you can't repay.

I like the broad approach in this book. Retirement planning is a complex subject. There can be full-scale books on each of the topics covered in this book. Every chapter covers the main points in about 15 pages so the size of the book stays manageable. If the reader wants to read more about a particular subject, there are a list of additional resources at the end of each chapter. The book serves as a good roadmap for retirement planning.

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