The First Entry - January 27, 2007

Hello Boomer Retirees!

This blog is my chance to share the wisdom that I have gleaned over the years, and to provide you with a one-stop shop for retirement advice and information. While the first posts may be more of a hello and get to know you, I hope you'll check back daily as I add links and posts that will be updated with new and exciting information. This site is not necessarily about investments, but occasionally I'll put up a chart or two if I think they are relevant.

I know from the many posts that I read that there is a general feeling of uneasiness about Social Security, and I will try to touch on the subject often, and at length. I just read a great article in the weekend (Monday) issue of Investors Business Daily that discusses a question that frequently comes up in the course of my work with retirees - "Should I begin taking benefits at 62, or wait until I'm 65?" The question comes up often, and frequently I didn't have a good answer. The article goes into some detail about the breakeven point of taking SS at 62 vs. 65, and goes a long way toward answering this often asked question. I hope you will read the article and give more thought to a question that many only ponder in passing.

In future posts I'll try to intelligently address issues such as longevity risk, and introduce you to some of my favorite books and articles regarding the subject. I'll provide links to my favorite websites and newsletters online, and update you on current issues. My hope, as I sit here after having put my own children to bed, is to provide you with the best possible site for retirement information on the Planet. It will take me some weeks to do this, and I ask for your help. Those of you that have a favorite, feel free to add a post and a link, and let the rest of us check it out. The idea is the site will become a clearing house for information regarding retirement issues, and I hope to get better with each blog entry.

A little about the Retirement Guy. I am 42 (I'll be 43 this Tuesday), have two children and a wonderful wife who let's me chase my hobbies without complaining, work in the Midwest, don't eat as well as I should, and discuss retirement issues with clients daily. This site is as much about my own concerns for retirement as it is about yours. I recently read statistics that show that as many as 43 percent of those working to age 65 will be at risk of being unable to maintain their standard of living in retirement. That is a stunning statistic, and everyone should take note no matter what the age. I make a decent living, but I too feel woefully unprepared for the end of my working days. I know I am not alone (this is discussed daily) and I hope that a simple blog-site can begin the process of lowering the afore mentioned statistic.

I am near the end of my first entry. I would like to put a link to one of the best books I have read recently, called The Number by Lee Eisenberg. It is an entertaining blogsite with audio and a link to purchase the book. Happy reading.....enjoy, and most of all.

Add Your Comments!