PRELIMINARY OUTLINE:
The Bogleheads’ Guide to Retirement Planning By “The Bogleheads”
Foreword: Jack Bogle
Introduction: Written by the Editorial Committee Members
Chapter 1: Meet the Bogleheads –by Taylor Larimore and Mel Lindauer
SECTION ONE – IT’S NEVER TOO EARLY TO START PLANNING
Chapter 2: Facts about Future Retirement
Overview of the state of retirement in the US
Government statistics on saving
Studies of retirement shortfalls
When Will You Be Able to Afford Retirement?
Chapter 3 Retirement planning process
Overview of the retirement planning process
How to start a retirement plan
Budgeting for retirement savings
The time value of money and other important concepts
Chapter 4 Social Security
Facts about the state of Social Security
Where Social Security dollars go
Minimum age, full retirement age, and mandatory payment
When is the ideal time to start collecting?
SECTION TWO – TYPES OF SAVINGS ACCOUNTS
Chapter 5 IRS Qualified Personal Retirement Accounts (non-taxable)
Personal IRA Accounts
IRA Rollovers
Roth IRAs
Personal 401k
Chapter 6 Personal Savings Accounts (taxable)
Personal accounts
Joint accounts
Trust accounts
Family LLC accounts
Chapter 7 Employee accounts (Defined Benefit plans)
The status and funding of DB plans in America
Who owns the money in a DB plan?
Who directs the investment in DB plans?
What happens when you change employers?
Chapter 8 Employee accounts (Defined Contribution plans)
401(k) plans
403(b) plans
529 plans
Roth 401k plans and others
Chapter 9 Fixed and Variable Annuities
Immediate and deferred annuities
Fixed and variable annuities
Annuitizing a contract
How safe are annuities?
SECTION THREE – INVESTMENT CONSIDERATIONS
Chapter 10 Basic Investment Principles
Diversification
Rebalancing
Low cost
Tax management
Chapter 11 Investing for Retirement
Life cycle investing
Taxable verses non-taxable accounts
Behavioral finance and saving for retirement
Real estate and other assets as part of your retirement nest egg
Chapter 12 Investing in Retirement
Distribution rules, alternatives, and taxation
Lump sum distributions from retirement plans
Income generating investments
Annuity options
Chapter 13 Investing for College
College Savings Plans
529 Plans
UGMA Accounts
Investing CRTs and CITs
SECTION FOUR – PROTECTING YOUR ASSETS WITH INSURANCE
Chapter 14: Life insurance
As a wealth accumulation substitute
As a replacement for estate tax
Types of policies
Fees and expenses
Chapter 15 Health insurance
Personal policies for individuals and self-employed
Employer policies (group medical)
Medicare and Medicaid
Supplemental policies for retirees
Chapter 16 Long-term Care insurance
Benefits and disadvantages
Who should buy and when
Things to look for and look-out for
Self-insuring long-term care
Chapter 17 Property and casualty insurance
Disability insurance
Home insurance
Auto insurance
Other insurance
Chapter 18 Personal liability insurance Who needs it?
How much do you need?
Understanding the policies
Where to shop
SECTION FIVE – ESTATE PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS
Chapter 19: Essential Estate Planning
Current status of estate law
Characteristics and consequences of property titling
Methods of property transfer at death
Probate
Avoiding probate
Chapter 20: Estate planning documents
List of assets and insurance
Wills, Powers of Attorney (also see Incapacity Planning)
Trusts (types, owners, beneficiaries)
Business Buy-sell agreements
Chapter 21 Estate Taxes
Estate tax compliance and tax calculation
Estate tax filing requirements
Defining what goes in the gross estate
Sources for estate liquidity for taxes
Chapter 22 Gifting
Gifting Appreciated property
Annual exclusion and Applicable credit amount
Tax implications and filing requirement
Generation-skipping transfer tax (GSTT)
Chapter 23 Incapacity Planning
Powers of attorney; health care; asset management
General or limited powers
Advance medical directives (e.g. living wills)
Guardianship and conservatorship
SECTION SIX
Chapter 24 Seeking help from professionals
Understanding professional acronyms
Understanding how professionals are paid
Questions to ask during an interview
Knowing when to take the advice or walk way
Chapter 25: Pearls of Wisdom from the Bogleheads
Pearls from experienced retirees
Pearls from the newly retired
Pearls from those still working and accumulating
Pearls from young Bogleheads
APPENDIX
Investment Gems
Book Recommendations
Website Recommendations
