Your Safe Retirement Roadmap

2. REIGN GODDESS SECURING YOUR RETIREMENT How do you intend to spend your retirement years? What financial plans do you have to mitigate against any unforeseen financial obligations? What legacy do you intend to leave for your children and/or dependents? Your Safe Retirement Roadmap: A powerful guide to planning and living a deeply fulfilled and prosperous retirement by Frank Gutta is the ultimate manual to educate you on how to guarantee lifetime income streams that will cushion you against returning to work after retirement. Most senior citizens expect that their savings alone will help them lead comfortable post-retirement lives. Others bank on the stock market to reliably fund their lifestyles long after retirement. However, most retirees forget how an increase in inflation or a crash in the stock market can ruin their financial plans. Others fail to make the correct decisions, for example, by choosing cheaper health insurance policies, whose premiums may never fully cover their medical expenses. This book explores the need to list things you intend to do upon retirement. It will also help them draft a budget based on estimated costs required to fund their retirement lifestyle, be it hobbies, expenditures, or travel excursions. The author also cautions people against retiring with a huge debt that will eat into their savings plan. What I loved most about this book is the simple and concise presentation the author uses to frame his discussions. He employs intertextual elements like pictures and images to complement his narration and simplify information for his readers. In addition, some arguments are presented in point form, which simplifies his arguments and enhances comprehension of the subject. Frank also provides figures from previous research and statistics to authenticate the facts shared in this book. I especially loved his use of a table contrasting how taxes can significantly reduce your savings. His graphical representation of increased living expenditure using a trolley could not be more vivid. The author uses rhetorical questions to elicit the reader's thoughts on his arguments. He makes an example of the fact that some people may not be able to understand some financial subjects well enough or quickly enough, but this does not mean that it is impossible for anyone else to learn and retain the information and even benefit from it. He also points out that it is important to understand how financial markets work and why they are important. For example, on investment returns, he asks questions like, “Are you chasing investment returns? Are you trying to find the next hot stock or hot mutual fund? Are you looking at or investing in Bitcoin or other volatile cryptocurrencies?” There is nothing I liked least about this book, and I award it the maximum rating. If you are yet to think about your future, this is a good place to start. The book is extremely well-written, and the information is presented in an easy-to-read format. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about retirement planning and to save money for their future. The author's tone is friendly and conversational, which enhances the reading experience. He displays extensive knowledge in financial matters, owing to his credentials as a practicing Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Personal Financial Specialist for over 35 years. There are also plenty of examples to illustrate his points. Frank has provided his contacts and expressed willingness to guide anyone in planning for their retirement. The book is also useful for young people, underscoring the message that it's never too early to plan for retirement.

3. PIARAS STRATEGIES FOR A SECURE RETIREMENT – A MUST-READ! The term "retirement" makes the transition into the next chapter of one's life seem like it would be a piece of cake; nevertheless, this is not the case. And to tell you the truth, not everyone finds it to be that simple. You will finally have the opportunity to accomplish everything you've ever dreamt of doing, such as traveling, visiting relatives, volunteering, remodeling your house, relocating to the country, or writing the book you've always wanted to write. However, there is a nagging sense of uncertainty as the retirement age approaches. Can I spend that much money on these things? Can I afford to take my golden years? Will I have enough money to get by? Author Frank Gutta, CPA, PFS, has been in public practice for over 35 years as a certified public accountant and a personal finance expert. Before that, he worked for a large national CPA firm. For him, nothing is more important than ensuring that retirees don't have to worry about outliving their savings or taking excessive stock market risks. In the book, he offers a solution based on a "4-bucket system" to this problem. This methodology not only teaches you how to secure a lifetime income but also how to hedge against stock market volatility and come up with novel solutions to the cost of long-term care. This method also tackles the issue of how to minimize the tax burden of passing wealth to future generations. When you are getting close to retirement, you begin to realize how valuable each year really is. Every year, every month, and every day flies past, and if you don't gain the clarity and the confidence to start living this way right now, another decade will slip by, just like the last decade did. Consequently, make retirement planning a priority right now. Create a plan for your life that will get you where you want to go. Think about where you want to live, the kind of people you want to be around, the kinds of things you want to do, the kinds of services you want to provide, and the kind of health you want to have. You have many years ahead of you to plan and experience something really remarkable. Your Safe Retirement Roadmap by Frank Gutta is a quick, clear, and concise read that will help you on that journey. Very highly recommended (especially for young people) and a well- deserved five stars from me.

4. LYNELLE PLANNING IS THE KEY “To be able to enjoy a successful retirement, you must have a well-thought-out game plan. But, do you really understand how your cash flow needs and investment strategy are related and intertwined?” The author, Frank Gutta asks valuable questions throughout the book, and then answers it. Being on the steps of retirement myself, I found the information highly valuable. Living with two retirees, I see first-hand the money troubles they have. The shortages and expenses, especially medical bills, are an eye opener. This petrifies me as I know that my old age is not far away, and I am not halfway ready to even think of retiring. I will confess there are times my mind refuses to be still and sleep a vivid memory. “Retirement isn’t something to fear or dread—it’s the start of a whole new chapter of your life with levels of freedom that you’ve probably never experienced before. Hopefully, this book has provided you with insights on effective retirement planning that you can use to enjoy a more financially secure retirement. My goal is to help my clients safely maximize their income in retirement and keep their taxes as low as possible. To live a happy, successful, and fulfilled retirement, you must prepare in many ways: physically, mentally, emotionally and financially.” This quick read is very informative, and though I live in South Africa, he has given me a few pointers to look at. I found the helpful advice soothing, knowing with God’s help I will enter my old age with the knowledge I have done all to cope and that with God’s help I will not have to dread the golden years. Each chapter is a valued edition as he describes what the roadblocks are, how to plan your retirement and what to look for to grow your investment portfolio to minimize any lack. The Four-Bucket system is definitely an eye-opener and one I endeavour to follow.

5. IRENE ROTH AN INVALUABLE GUIDE TO PLAN FOR RETIREMENT The whole idea of retirement scares many of us. And that’s because we haven’t planned financially for that time in our lives. There seems to be so much going on in our lives and we are overspending and not saving. Adding to the issue are the rising interest rates and cost of living, making it almost impossible for even the most dedicated people to save money. In this book, Frank Gutta, CPA, PFS, has over 35 years of experience as an accountant and personal finance expert. Prior to that, he worked for a large national CPA firm. Nothing is more important for him than ensuring that we don’t outlive our savings. In this book, Gutta offers a “4-bucket system” solution to the problem of saving for retirement. His methodology not only teaches us how to secure an income so that we don’t have to rely on the volatility of the stock market, but also how to derive new solutions to the cost of long-term care. It also tackles the issue of how to minimize the tax burden of those passing wealth to future generations. As we get close to retirement, we begin to realize how valuable each year is. Time goes by so fast. If we don’t attain the clarity and confidence that we need to start saving and being mindful of our spending habits right away, another decade will slip by, and we won’t have enough saved for our retirement. Therefore, it’s important to make retirement planning a priority in our lives. The earlier we start, the better. We need to create a savings plan as early as possible in our lives so that when we retire, we won’t have the financial burden of not knowing if we have enough for the rest of our lives so that we could live a good quality of life. This book is a must-read for all people, especially those in their 20s and 30s. It can be hard to save for retirement. However, Gutta gives us a clear and concise roadmap that we can rely on to embark on that journey. I wish I had this book when I was in my twenties. It is an invaluable resource.

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