Promising New Book: “How To Retire” by Christine Benz

[Markola]

I’m on preorder for the 9/17 release.

How to Retire: 20 lessons for a happy, successful, and wealthy retirement Amazon.com

Benz interviews 20 leading figures in retirement planning on essential topics, from JL Collins to William Bernstein to Wade Fau to Ramit Sethi.

Here’s her interview on the Bogleheads on Investing podcast that got me interested. Episode 73: Christine Benz discusses her new book, How to Retire, host Rick Ferri

 

[aja8888]

I’m on preorder for the 9/17 release.

How to Retire: 20 lessons for a happy, successful, and wealthy retirement Amazon.com

Benz interviews 20 leading figures in retirement planning on essential topics, from JL Collins to William Bernstein to Wade Fau to Ramit Sethi.

Here’s her interview on the Bogleheads on Investing podcast that got me interested. Episode 73: Christine Benz discusses her new book, How to Retire, host Rick Ferri

Thanks! May just buy it and see if it has value to my being single situation .

 

[Koolau]

Yeah, my first thought was "Hey. I'm already retired 19 years." But perhaps there is good info in the book on what I'm calling "Succession Planning." I've started on my own but it's a bit daunting - even to think of all the ins and oust once one partner goes to their final reward.

 

[Markola]

Thanks! May just buy it and see if it has value to my being single situation .

Yes, she mentions in the interview a chapter on how the spouse who may live longest can prepare.

 

[TheWizard]

Caution, Christine Benz has been an avid bucketeer for quite a few years, so I suspect this approach will be presented in her new book as well ..

 

[aja8888]

Yes, she mentions in the interview a chapter on how the spouse who may live longest can prepare.

I'm kind of beyond that since my wife died in December 2022 but I'm sure that can be of value to others. That is a good topic and should be looked into by everyone who has a spouse and are retired or close.

 

[Markola]

Caution, Christine Benz has been an avid bucketeer for quite a few years, so I suspect this approach will be presented in her new book as well ..

Sorry, why would that approach disqualify an author? She leads Morningstar’s personal finance and retirement planning, so it’s not like she’s some random flake .

 

[aja8888]

Caution, Christine Benz has been an avid bucketeer for quite a few years, so I suspect this approach will be presented in her new book as well ..

Well, that is ONE approach that some readers may like to consider.

 

[TheWizard]

Sorry, why would that approach disqualify an author? She leads Morningstar’s personal finance and retirement planning, so it’s not like she’s some random flake .

Not a disqualification, just something to be aware of. I've not seen the book yet so perhaps she presents the Bucket Method a just one of a few ways to manage your retirement finances.

Back when I was withdrawing from portfolio for expenses, I did monthly pro-rata withdrawals, no big cash bucket...

 

[Markola]

Not a disqualification, just something to be aware of. I've not seen the book yet so perhaps she presents the Bucket Method a just one of a few ways to manage your retirement finances.

Back when I was withdrawing from portfolio for expenses, I did monthly pro-rata withdrawals, no big cash bucket...

Perhaps it’s possible that there is more than one way to do things.

 

[Markola]

I’m about 2/3 through this remarkable book. It’s not one to rush through. It features interviews with leading experts on each of the lifestyle, emotional, healthcare, financial topics and more that we discuss here on the ER Forum. Highly recommend!

 

[audreyh1]

Christine Benz should be retiring herself one of these days. I read her articles since the 90s. Hopefully she manages to retire early.

 

[grasshopper]

Big fan of Christine, she sometimes makes a point that I just didn't know or I have just forgotten. My financial plan is the willy nilly plan, but works for me.

 

[Dtail]

I’m about 2/3 through this remarkable book. It’s not one to rush through. It features interviews with leading experts on each of the lifestyle, emotional, healthcare, financial topics and more that we discuss here on the ER Forum. Highly recommend!

Don't know about this book, but on the topic of SWR, she has changed her numbers often enough, sometimes with large changes depending on the most current market scenarios. As we all know, a current large gain or loss doesn't indicate that a 30 year analysis should be changed.
Most of her changes were going below the 4% guidance and then coming back up to it.
The last 4% starting year of retirement where the 4% guidance failed is 1966.

 

[Markola]

The book really isn’t about her views. She has one chapter among several dozen interviews

 

[Luvtoride]

Caution, Christine Benz has been an avid bucketeer for quite a few years, so I suspect this approach will be presented in her new book as well ..

Why caution about bucketeer approach? I bought the book and am reading it now and it has lots of good information.

 

[Sanstar]

Ordered this book and am half way through. Nice add to my ebookshelf. This forum is such a great resource!

 

[latexman]

Would it be good for the younglings, ages 25-38?

 

[38Chevy454]

Based on replies that it seems a good book, I sent the link to a good friend that is (finally) retiring in Jan 2025. Timing may help him as he goes from full time working to retired.

 

[Harpy Eagle]

I’m on preorder for the 9/17 release.

How to Retire: 20 lessons for a happy, successful, and wealthy retirement Amazon.com

Benz interviews 20 leading figures in retirement planning on essential topics, from JL Collins to William Bernstein to Wade Fau to Ramit Sethi.

Here’s her interview on the Bogleheads on Investing podcast that got me interested. Episode 73: Christine Benz discusses her new book, How to Retire, host Rick Ferri

Great book. I have it on my Kindle right now going through it.

 

[Sanstar]

Latexman: good for younguns? Yes, it has good information for wherever you are on the ‘work to retire to end of game path’. Steven Covey reminds us “to begin with the end in mind”. So, if living past working years is the plan, this would be a useful resource.

 

[Markola]

Latexman: good for younguns? Yes, it has good information for wherever you are on the ‘work to retire to end of game path’. Steven Covey reminds us “to begin with the end in mind”. So, if living past working years is the plan, this would be a useful resource.

I would say the intended audience is those within a 5 year window on either side of retirement.

The greatest book I’ve seen for younger people is JL Collins’ “The Simple Path to Wealth.” He wrote that for his twenty-something daughter. Excellent.

 

[Yoheadden]

Here is a short interview with the author.
I receive regular email newsletters from Morningstar and have heard about this book for awhile now. It’s a collection of interviews with “professionals” concerning different retirement topics. From what I’ve read and heard. It could be useful for some people.

 

[audreyh1]

I don’t read Morningstar like I used to in the late 90s and early 2000s, but I thought Christine Benz wrote great articles, and she is really the only one who ever made sense about how to use a bucket approach.

 

[Markola]

I don’t read Morningstar like I used to in the late 90s and early 2000s, but I thought Christine Benz wrote great articles, and she is really the only one who ever made sense about how to use a bucket approach.

She says that she, herself, is a risk-averse investor. She asks a lot of the experts in her book their opinions about annuities, for example, but doesn’t advocate them for everyone. And she makes a pretty good case for the psychological benefits to certain conservative investors of bucketing. She doesn’t pretend it’s for everyone or even necessarily optimal mathematically. Fine with me. Different strokes for different folks.