Its inspiring, down-to-earth nine-step program has empowered hundreds of thousands to transform their relationship with money, reorder material priorities, achieve financial freedom, and live well for less. Now, in Getting a Life, authors Jacqueline Blix and David Heitmiller, a married couple, explain how they gradually transformed their lives over the past six years by using the program. Jacque and David tell how they left their hectic, fast-track lives - two corporate jobs, expensive cars, exotic trips, thoughtless overspending - for an existence that reflects their true values and life purpose. These self-styled "reformed yuppies" are joined by more than two dozen individuals and families of diverse backgrounds who share their own stories of frugality and fulfillment. Here, with an inspiring introduction by the authors of Your Money or Your Life, are dispatches from the front on such issues as paying for health care, raising children in a materialistic world, and breaking the link between what you do for a living and who you are. Here too are proven, practical ideas on how to use each step of the program: the toughest challenges, the most common pitfalls. And here are frank insights into some of the deepest philosophical issues that arise when one adopts this wholeness of livelihood and lifestyle called Getting a Life.

    Wall Street lost more than 49% of the typical investor's money—twice—since the year 2000. And studies show that because they followed the conventional wisdom, almost half of all Boomers won't have enough money to cover even basic living expenses during their retirement years. Now the financial gurus whose advice got you into this mess in the first place are telling you to "take more risk," "work till you drop," and "plan on spending less in retirement." Don't let them fool you again!In The Bank On Yourself Revolution, financial security expert Pamela Yellen details how hundreds of thousands of people of all ages and incomes have bucked the system to secure their families' financial futures without gambling in the Wall Street Casino or taking any unnecessary risks. You'll discover a proven step-by-step plan for growing your wealth safely, predictably, and guaranteed every single year—even when the markets are tumbling. And you'll learn how to bypass banks, credit card and financing companies to become your own source of financing for cars, vacations, a college education, business expenses and other major purchases.The Bank On Yourself Revolution isn't a "get-rich-quick" scheme; it's about having real wealth and financial security for as long as you live. You can finally know how much money you'll have next year, in 10, 20 or 30 years—and at every point along the way. Join the Revolution and take control of your own financial future!

    Stan was a "Washington Post" financial reporter for 20 years, and after he retired, he wrote the "Post"'s 'Retirement Journal' column for which he was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. What I like about Stan's book is that it combines good financial planning information with his story about his own retirement. He's candid about the mistakes he made and how he'd do things differently with the benefit of hindsight." --Steve Vernon, columnist, CBSMoneyWatch.com"Everyone in the workforce today should read this book!" --Horace B. Deets, former Executive Director, AARPAward-winning "Washington Post" retirement columnist Stan Hinden's bestselling "How to Retire Happy" helps you decide if you can retire now, or whether you have to stay on the job for a few more years.This trusted guide has been fully updated to address the stomachchurning issues created by financial market volatility and the economic recession.Will you have enough money for health care? Do you need--and can you afford--a longterm care policy? How much income can your savings produce?The third edition of "How to Retire Happy" provides answers to these questions--plus all-new information about: A new menu of Medigap insurance policies New strategies for maximizing Social Security income Making your money last through a long retirementApply Hinden's reliable, easy-to-understand advice and experience a happy, healthful retirement for years and years to come.

    You’ve probably heard both good and bad things about it. Still, you want to learn more about the stock market. It could also be that you want to start investing but don’t know where to begin or how much to invest. If you’re already investing, you want to learn better ways to grow your investments, because you want to be more confident about your financial future. Up until now, you probably didn’t have enough time to learn about investing and it might seem too confusing, because there is so much information out there about investing. You also don’t want to lose your money or don’t have enough money to begin investing. What if you had the confidence to start investing on your own, so you could show off your investment performance to family and friends? Leave the stress of an insecure financial future behind you and create sustainable wealth, which you can pass down to your family. In this book I give you a quick overview about what you need to know about the stock market, how to begin, what to do if you don’t have enough cash, how to generate passive income, and how to analyze companies. I also give you a list of companies I personally invest in and I try to answer all the questions you might have that are stopping you from getting started or progressing in your investing journey. I'll show you why you need to watch out with investment vehicles such as the 401K and index funds. This book is a quick read and great to keep as a reference. Best of all, you can get started immediately after reading it. **Don’t wait and buy the book now. It’s on sale, but the price will increase in the near future.**

    The earlier we choosetosave(R), the sooner we can stop saving, and the later we start saving the more we need to know in order to catch up. What you need to know; where you can find the answers; how you can take action. It is all here." -Dallas Salisbury, CEO, Employee Benefit Research Institute and American Savings Education Council (www.choosetosave.org) "Bookstores are full of tomes advising people how to save for retirement, yet millions of people are still hopelessly confused about what they should do. Gail MarksJarvis breaks it down into simple steps that anyone can do to ensure a more comfortable retirement. Read this book and prosper!" -Liz Pulliam Weston, MSN Money Personal finance columnist and best-selling author of Your Credit Score "This book offers a sensible, sophisticated approach for tackling the daunting challenge of saving for retirement. The good news? You can retire-without living on canned food or buying lottery tickets-if you follow Gail's realistic strategies for saving, investing, and ultimately spending money in retirement." -Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press "You can wallpaper a warehouse with all of the awful investment advice offered up every year in newspapers, magazines, and books. One of the most difficult tasks is to separate the get-rich-quick hype from the truly worthwhile knowledge that will make you wealthy over time. I'm thrilled to say that Gail MarksJarvis has cut through the claptrap of investment cacophony and provided not only a solid plan for retirement saving, but a realistic, common-sense approach to personal finance in general. This is a triumph." -John F. Wasik, Bloomberg News personal finance columnist and author, The Merchant of Power Drawn from responses to questions from over 20,000 readers of the author's personal finance columns. Over the years, Chicago Tribune financial columnist Gail MarksJarvis has taken the time to listen and respond to thousands of her readers about the issues, questions, and concerns that are most important to them. Saving and investing for retirement has never been more important...and with this book, it's never been clearer what you need to do and how to do it. Don't wait another day! Discover...How much you'll need and how to get there...even if you've fallen behind Exactly how to set up IRAs, 401(k)s, or 403(b)s in minutes and pocket your tax money How to harness the money-making power of the stock market How to pick the right mutual funds confidently with simple strategies and specific recommendations Incredibly easy, safe investing strategies based on professional money-management techniques "Gimmick-free" investing shortcuts that won't backfire on you How to keep debt from making you poor How to get reliable help if you need it...and avoid incompetents or scam artists How the new 2006 pension laws affect you MarksJarvis eliminates the insider jargon, confusion, and math...takes the mystery out of the stock market...simplifies investing techniques...answers all your questions...clears away every obstacle in your way so you make money without taking foolish risks. She's already done it for millions, in the nation's top newspapers and most popular financial radio and TV shows. Now, she'll do it for you, too! Introduction 1 Start Investing Early, or Start Now 1 2 Know What You'll Need 9 3 Savings on Steroids: Use a 401(k) and an IRA 39 4 An IRA--Every American's Treasure Trove 59 5 IRA Decisions: How to Start, Where to Go 65 6 Why the Stock Market Isn't a Roulette Wheel 89 7 What's a Mutual Fund? 105 8 Making Sense of Wacky Mutual Fund Names 115 9 Know Your Mutual Fund Manager's Job 127 10 The Only Way that Works: Asset Allocation 151 11 Do This 163 12 How to Pick Mutual Funds: Bargain Shop 181 13 Index Funds: Get What You Pay For 189 14 Simple Does It: No-Brainer Investing with Target-Date Funds 209 15 Do You Need a Financial Adviser? 219 Index 229

    This is a story about one couple who made that dream come true. The author shares what it feels like to experience ultimate freedom, and outlines the steps they took to get there. The story includes tales from their travels, social commentary on the state of today's American society, and a simple financial plan that will benefit anyone, regardless of their future goals. Throughout the narrative the reader is treated to dolphins and manatees, pelicans and osprey, blue skies, blue water and white sand beaches. Tropical music plays a role as well. Read how music inspired them to execute their plan. Follow along as they transform from everyday working drones to carefree boat bums and beachcombers. This book will make you rethink how you look at life, and money.

    That won’t happen if you use a few tricks for squeezing higher payments from your assets—from your Social Security account (find the hidden values there), pension (monthly income or lump sum?), home equity (sell and invest the proceeds or take a reverse mortgage?), savings (should you buy a lifetime annuity?), and retirement accounts (how to invest and—critically—how much to withdraw from your savings each year?). The right moves will not only raise the amount you have to spend, they’ll stretch out your money over many more years.You will also learn to look at your savings and investments in a new way. If you stick with super-safe choices the money might not last. You need safe money to help pay the bills in your early retirement years. But to ensure that you’ll still have spending money 10 and 20 years from now, you have to invest for growth, today. Quinn shows you how. At a time when people are living longer, yet retiring with a smaller pot of savings than they’d hoped for, this book will become the essential guide.

    This book will help you understand the various types of mutual funds, their comparison with other assets, ways to invest in mutual funds and identify the type of funds that fit your profile the best. The focus of the book is on simplifying myriad concepts of mutual funds and demystifying myths around these investments. The author has approached this book in a question-answer format with lots of recent examples.

    Early Retirement Extreme shows how I did it and how anyone can formulate their own plan for financial independence. The book provides the principles and framework for a systems theoretical strategy for attaining that independence in 5-10 years. It teaches how a shift in focus from consuming to producing can help people out of the consumer trap, and offers a path to achieving the freedom necessary to pursue interests other than working for a living. The principles in Early Retirement Extreme show how to break the financial chains that hold people back from doing what they truly want to do. The framework has been used by many people over the last few years to accomplish a variety of goals. It provides people a means to achieve almost any goal, whether it's debt-free living, extended travel, a sabbatical, a career change, time off to raise a child, a traditional retirement, or simply a desire for a more resilient and self-sufficient lifestyle. The book was initially written for people in their 20s and 30s, but its ideas aren't limited to early retirees. Middle-aged people in the grips of consumerism can use the principles to take back control of their lives. People closer to retirement age who don't feel adequately prepared can use it to set themselves up for a comfortable retirement in a relatively short period of time. Anyone worried about their financial future can use the principles in Early Retirement Extreme to make their future more secure.

    Read this book. -- Clark Howard, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Living Large in Lean Times"Financial planner Wes Moss offers you something different -- not just a plan to retire, but a way to do it sooner and to be happy when you do. - Atlanta Journal ConstitutionIf you think you need to win the lottery or work until you're 75 to retire with financial stability, Money Matters host Wes Moss has very good news for you. You Can Retire Sooner Than You Think reveals the secrets for ensuring a successful retirement--sooner rather than later.After conducting an intensive study of happy retirees to learn the financial practices they hold in common, Moss discovered that it doesn't take financial genius, millions of dollars, or sophisticated investment skills to ensure a safe, solid retirement. All it takes is five best practices:Determine what you want and need your retirement money forFigure out how much you need to saveCreate a plan to pay off your mortgage in as little as five yearsDevelop an income stream from multiple sourcesBecome an income investorGetting on the fast track to a great retirement is a lot simpler than the retirement professionals would have you believe. You Can Retire Sooner Than You Think provides the proven-effective, five-step formula for creating the retirement of your dreams.

    “I work hard, I deserve this.” “I bought it on sale.” But at twenty-two, the recent college graduate was $18,000 in debt and sinking fast. It was time to take control. Patrice educated herself about finance, adopted a new attitude toward money, and most importantly, adjusted her spending habits. By twenty-five she was debt free—and used the wisdom she gained to start her own successful real estate and mortgage brokerage—and by twenty-nine started her own financial counseling business.Patrice’s former bad spending habits aren’t unique, and women find themselves in financial hot water for a host of reasons. Women earn less than men and have to stretch those hard-earned dollars further. They contribute more to caregiving and aging parents, live longer, and many—including most African American women—are choosing to stay single.Real Money Answers for Every Woman teaches you how to take responsibility for your financial future, whether you’re just starting out or need a fresh start. In a handy Q & A format, it offers relatable and easy to understand and implement advice on everything from managing credit cards, home ownership, and student loans to affordable childcare and even negotiating for a higher salary. Following Patrice’s practical advice, you’ll learn to form “wealthy” habits, establish an “opportunity fund,” stop collecting STUFF that causes debt, and discover the freedom that comes from feeling financially secure.

    In HOW TO RETIRE HAPPY, WILD, AND FREE, best-selling author Ernie J. Zelinksi shows that the key to enjoying an active and satisfying retirement is dependent on much more than just having adequate financial resources. It means paying attention to all aspects of life, including leisure activities, creative pursuits, physical and mental well-being, and solid social support. With its friendly format, lively cartoons, and captivating quotations, Zelinski'¬?s guide offers inspirational advice on how to follow your dreams instead of someone else'¬?s, how to put your retirement in proper perspective, and how to enjoy life after work. A retirement guide from best-selling author Ernie J. Zelinski. Features tips for taking early retirement; in fact, the earlier the better. Ernie J. Zelinski'¬?s best-selling THE JOY OF NOT WORKING has sold more than 150,000 copies in 15 languages.

    Let Deduct It! show you how to maximize the business deductions you're entitled to -- quickly, easily and legally. This comprehensive, yet easy to read book is organized into practical categories featuring common deductions, including: start-up expenses operating expenses health deductions vehicles travel entertainment meals inventory equipment and many more The 6th edition is completely updated with all the latest tax information, eligibility requirements and tax rates for 2008 returns. Whether your business is just starting or well-established, Deduct It! is indispensable to your venture.

    The premise is simple: Enjoy a happier, healthier, more fulfilling retirement than you could possibly afford in the U.S. or Canada by finding the right overseas retirement haven. The book reveals those affordable havens and the strategies for successfully making the move that could save your retirement. Aimed at retirees and near-retirees in the U.S. and Canada, this book's strategies apply just as well to younger people and people with families who are looking for ways to improve their quality of life while at the same time lowering their cost of living. It includes solutions for the challenges of continuing to work and earn money abroad, too.As long-time contributors to the acknowledged leader in the field, "International Living," authors Suzan Haskins and Dan Precher have at their disposal more than thirty years of International Living experience and expertise in the topic. They've been writing about living overseas for more than 12 years and have created their own broad and deep body of work, including regular blogs on the topic for Huffington Post and AARP. The authors include information and strategies that can be successfully applied by anyone regardless of their political or economic opinions. For anyone who wants a happier, healthier, more affordable life, "The International Living Guide to Retiring Overseas on a Budget" shows you how to enjoy the romance and excitement of living abroad on an affordable budget.