About Nolo estio Have a legal qu and online lp you e Nolo can he n? Chances ar answer it, both in print e their legal lp people solv has been to he never on nse, and—whe s, Nolo's missi three decade f fuss and expe For a minimum o h confidence, problems wit hout a lawyer done possible—wit u get the job lable to help yo er y tool avai ng all the e’ve offered ev books containi r the years, w l, plain-English ca Ove tasks blishing practi y-to-day legal s, we began pu y to tackle da In the 70 ns necessar step instructio s and step-byform , we got to orld by storm rs took the w er, which pute Living Trust Mak personal com the 80s, when WillMaker and In We as ograms such bits and bytes d developed pr e of all those nc work an and convenie of the speed our books ok advantage s to many of to s and CD sk rm-packed di also added fo get legal at it's best to Recognizing th s useful, oded in the 90 arted making chair, Nolo st e Internet expl fy m Then th your own com ter and a mode while sitting in with a compu to anyone information ation available ate legal inform up-to-d u can find all ter, where yo Download Cen ur ur online t way to yo , we opened o fastest, easies Most recently ctly to roducts The l eP formation dire enient, topica c forms and in of Nolo's conv deliver specifi rk, eProducts own legal wo r your compute As bsolutely not oks in print? A andon our bo redesign ill continue to n we plan to ab expands, we w Does this mea the best d the Internet ss to the law logy evolves an ing your acce ak techno t products, m all our curren and improve it can be “America’s leading source of self-help legal information.” #### —YAHOO! LEGAL INFORMATION ONLINE ANYTIME 24 hh u r s a d a y www.nolo.com AT THE NOLO.COM SELF-HELP LAW CENTER, YOU’LL FIND • Nolo’s comprehensive Legal Encyclopedia filled with plain-English information on a variety of legal topics • Nolo’s Law Dictionary—legal terms without the legalese • Auntie Nolo—if you’ve got questions, Auntie’s got answers • The Law Store—over 250 self-help legal products including: Downloadable Software, Books, Form Kits and eGuides • Legal and product updates • Frequently Asked Questions • NoloBriefs, our free monthly email newsletter • Legal Research Center, for access to state and federal statutes • Our ever-popular lawyer jokes Quality Law Books & Software for Everyone Nolo’s user-friendly products are consistently first-rate Here’s why: A dozen in-house legal editors, working with highly skilled authors, ensure that our products are accurate, up-to-date and easy to use We continually update every book and software program to keep up with changes in the law Our commitment to a more democratic legal system informs all of our work We appreciate & listen to your feedback Please fill out and return the card at the back of this book • • • • Our “No-Hassle” Guarantee Return anything you buy directly from Nolo for any reason and we’ll cheerfully refund your purchase price No ifs, ands or buts Read This First T he information in this book is as up to date and accurate as we can make it But it’s important to realize that the law changes frequently, as fees, forms and procedures If you handle your own legal matters, it’s up to you to be sure that all information you use—including the information in this book—is accurate Here are some suggestions to help you: First, make sure you’ve got the most recent edition of this book To learn whether a later edition is available, check the edition number on the book’s spine and then go to Nolo’s online Law Store at www.nolo.com or call Nolo’s Customer Service Department at 800-728-3555 Next, even if you have a current edition, you need to be sure it’s fully up to date The law can change overnight At www.nolo.com, we post notices of major legal and practical changes that affect the latest edition of a book To check for updates, find your book in the Law Store on Nolo’s website (you can use the “A to Z Product List” and click the book’s title) If you see an “Updates” link on the left side of the page, click it If you don’t see a link, that means we haven’t posted any updates (But check back regularly.) Finally, we believe accurate and current legal information should help you solve many of your own legal problems on a cost-efficient basis But this text is not a substitute for personalized advice from a knowledgeable lawyer If you want the help of a trained professional, consult an attorney licensed to practice in your state 4th edition Get a Life You Don’t Need a Million to Retire Well by Ralph Warner FOURTH EDITION SEPTEMBER 2002 Editors MARY RANDOLPH STEPHANIE HAROLDE TERRI HEARSH Illustrations MARI STEIN Cover Design TONI IHARA Book Design TERRI HEARSH Index JEAN MANN Proofreading MU’AFRIDA BELL Printing BERTELSMANN SERVICES INC Warner, Ralph E Get a life : you don’t need a million to retire well / by Ralph Warner 4th ed p cm Includes index ISBN 0-87337-837-7 Retirement income United States Planning Old age pensions United States Social security United States Finance, Personal United States I Title HD7125.W375 2002 332.024’01 dc21 2002071924 Permissions: Material from The Art of Friendship, by Christine Leefeldt and Ernest Callenbach, which appears in Chapter 4, is used with the permission of the authors Material from Simple Living Investments, by Michael Phillips and Catherine Campbell, which appears in Chapter 4, is used with the permission of the authors and Clear Glass Publishing of San Francisco, CA Copyright © 1996, 1998, 2000 and 2002 by Ralph Warner ALL RIGHTS RESERVED PRINTED IN THE USA No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without prior written permission Reproduction prohibitions not apply to the forms contained in this product when reproduced for personal use For information on bulk purchases or corporate premium sales, please contact the Special Sales Department For academic sales or textbook adoptions, ask for Academic Sales Call 800-955-4775 or write to Nolo at 950 Parker Street, Berkeley, CA 94710 Acknowledgments Many people have generously helped me deepen my understanding of what it really means to enjoy a successful retirement and how people in midlife can best prepare to enjoy life after 65 In both regards, I’m particularly indebted to Ernest Callenbach, Afton Crooks, Bernie and Bob Giusti, Arthur Levenson, Babette Marks, Henry and Althea Perry, Hazel Peterson, Yuri Shibata, Cecil Stewart, Carol Thompson and Peter Wolford, whose fascinating observations appear throughout this book I’m sure you’ll agree that this would be a far lesser work without their wisdom I have also received valuable suggestions and guidance from Leslie Armistead of the Career Action Center, Palo Alto, California; Gail Drulis, Director of the Albany, California, YMCA; Doris Sloan, a friend from the Board of Directors of the Save San Francisco Bay Association and Amy Ihara, my inimitable and inspirational mother-in-law Thanks, too, to Linda Hanger, Denis Clifford, Naomi Puro, Rod Duncan and Sarah Stromeyer, all of whom made helpful contributions to my research and factgathering efforts Beth Lawrence has also been of huge assistance by contributing Internet savvy to this third edition Much inspired research for this book was done by Stanley Jacobsen, a twiceretired librarian who, at age 70+, cheerfully arrives at work at Nolo every morning at least an hour early Stan’s skill at mining online databases for golden nuggets about retirement and aging has been particularly helpful I’m also greatly indebted to Michael Phillips and Catherine Campbell, whose groundbreaking little book, Simple Living Investments (Clear Glass Publishing, San Francisco), I first read over 15 years ago Still in print, this excellent work was one of the first to emphasize that when it comes to enjoying a successful retirement, who you are is far more important than how much you earn Finally, I owe mega-thanks to my good friends and editors Stephanie Harolde, Terri Hearsh, Mary Randolph and Susan (Lulu) Cornell Each of them has cared about this book almost as much as I have By dint of numerous suggestions and lots of hands-on editing, they have coaxed, cajoled and sometimes flat-out demanded that I work harder to make it better Every author should have such wonderful colleagues Dedication For my kids: André, Andromache, Eddie, Joe and Vilaylock It would be hard to find a nicer bunch Table of Contents Introduction 1 What Will You Do When You Retire? Plan to Keep Busy The Importance of Thinking Ahead Making an Action Plan 16 Working Part-Time 17 Volunteering for a Good Cause 24 Pursuing Personal Interests 29 Continuing Your Education 31 Can You Buy an Action-Packed Retirement? 37 A Conversation With Ernest Callenbach 41 Health and Fitness 49 Some Immediate Ways to Improve Your Health 51 Stop Smoking 52 Clean Up Your Diet 52 Maintain a Healthy Weight 53 Control Your Blood Pressure 55 Control Your Cholesterol 57 Prevent Brittle Bones 60 Manage Stress 60 Get Needed Medical Tests 61 Exercise Often 62 Finding Time to Exercise 65 Make the Commitment 65 Work Less 66 Cut Down Commute Time 69 Squeezing Out a Few Hours to Work Out 69 A Conversation With Arthur Levenson 71 Family 77 The Value of Close Family Ties 78 How Healthy Is Your Family? 81 Ways to Improve Family Functioning 83 Spend More Time With Your Children 83 Work for a Family-Friendly Employer 84 Keep Your Family Unit as Extended as Possible 86 Don’t Take Family Leadership for Granted 88 Try to Develop a Sense of Humor About Lifestyle Differences 91 Don’t Give Up on Black Sheep 92 For Couples: Improving Your Relationship 95 Bernie and Bob Giusti 96 Getting Close Again 97 For Men Only: Look Beyond Your Paycheck 102 A Conversation With Henry and Althea Perry 105 346 GET A LIFE Social network and post-retirement satisfaction, 116 See also Friends Social Security amount of benefits from, 230–232 dire predictions about, 4, 47, 204, 228–229 and inflation, 220, 231 and long-term care insurance, 191, 193 and pensions, 234 as source of income, 47, 51, 228–232 workers not covered by, 230, 234 and working after retirement, 232 Solitude, ability to enjoy, 74 Space, personal, post-retirement, 44 Spiritual life, as component of fulfilling retirement, 110–111, 303 Spouses death of, and friendships, 124–125, 132–133, 223 and friendships, 124–125, 133, 225 and geezer/geezelle groups, 170 retired, with working mates, 100–102, 148 Staying busy after death of spouse, 223 by continuing to work, 241, 242 with early retirement, 198–199 importance of, 8–9, 148 Stockbrokers, 329 Stock market, 308–309, 314, 325–326 Stocks of individual companies, 327–330 investing in, 319–320 in mutual funds, 321–327 Stress, 60–61, 149 Strokes, 33, 55, 56, 57, 185 Student loans, 293 Substance abuse and family relationships, 93 and groups discussing retirement, 170 Support from family, 80–81, 110 from groups, 165–167 from personal retirement coaches, 167 for widows and widowers, 133 See also Friends T Taxes capital gains, 263, 328, 330 estate, 259 and gifts, 259 income, 218, 317, 330–331 on interest from municipal bonds, 317 on mutual funds, 323–324 property, delayed paying of, 262 on real estate investments, 333 on tax-deferred retirement accounts, 236–240, 309–311 on variable annuities, 330–331 Television exercising in front of, 66 and group membership, 126 and marital relationship, 96–97 time spent watching, 31, 70 Thompson, Carol, conversation with, 175–180 TIAA-CREF, 326 Time as benefit of retirement, 180 commute, 69 for day-to-day family activities, 103 finding, for exercise, 65–70, 72 for learning, 36 for pursuing personal interests, 29–31 reducing, at work, 66–68 spent with children, 68, 69, 83–84 spent watching television, 31, 70 TIPS See Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) Toughness, value of, 144, 147–148, 226 Transition from career to volunteer work, 176–178 past experience with, 163–164 to retirement, 158–159 INDEX joining group to discuss, 165–167 personal coach to help with, 167 Transportation, reduced expense for, 215 Travel as activity in retirement, 46, 110, 200 estimating post-retirement expenditure for, 218–219 reducing expense of, 47, 215 Treasury bills, 315 Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS), 316 U Used cars, 288–290 U.S government bonds and notes, 315–316 U.S government treasury bills, 315 U.S Supreme Court justices, V Vanguard Group, 315, 317, 325, 326 Variable annuities, 330–331 Veterans, benefits for disabled, 235 Volunteer work, 24–29 benefits of, 25–27, 268–269, 271 education for, 15–16, 177, 178 transition from career to, 176–178 unrealistic expectations about, 14–16 W Walking, 63, 65–66, 271, 302 Wealth, retirement purchased with, 37–40 Websites helpful information for seniors, 129, 169 long-term care insurance policy rates, 189 low-cost stockbrokers, 329 mutual fund information, 318, 321, 326–327 personal health information, 59 Weight and blood pressure, 56 healthy, 53–55 Widows/widowers coping with death of spouse, 132–133, 222–223 friendships for, 124–125, 132–133, 223 Wolford, Peter, conversation with, 299–303 Women alcohol consumption by, 57 homemaking responsibilities of, 148 maintaining identity separate from husband, 125, 133, 225 medical tests for, 61–62 osteoporosis in, 60 pre-menopausal, and cholesterol, 58 retired, with working spouses, 100–102 Work after retirement age and coping with “older self” identity, 159 famous examples of, 8, 10 finding, 20–23, 260–261 for nonprofits, 24–29 part-time, 17–23, 42–43, 135, 232, 240–241 and Social Security, 232 as source of income, 240–243 at home, 86 for family-friendly employers, 84–85 friendships formed at, 123 midlife obsession with, 3–4, 37 part-time, as preparation for retirement, 36, 42 spending fewer hours at, 66–68, 70, 86 See also Volunteer work Writers’ groups, 164 Writing, autobiographical, 164 Y Yoga, 60, 164 Younger people, friendships with benefits of, 45, 74, 116, 142, 155 making, 119–120, 242–243, 269, 302 ■ 347 CATA LO G more from nolo PRICE CODE BUSINESS Avoid Employee Lawsuits (Quick & Legal Series) $24.95 AVEL The CA Nonprofit Corporation Kit (Binder w/CD-ROM) $59.95 CNP Consultant & Independent Contractor Agreements (Book w/CD-ROM) $29.95 CICA The Corporate Minutes Book (Book w/CD-ROM) $69.95 CORMI The Employer’s Legal Handbook $39.95 EMPL Firing Without Fear (Quick & Legal Series) $29.95 FEAR Form Your Own Limited Liability Company (Book w/CD-ROM) $44.95 LIAB Hiring Independent Contractors: The Employer’s Legal Guide (Book w/CD-ROM) $34.95 HICI How to Create a Buy-Sell Agreement & Control the Destiny of your Small Business (Book w/Disk-PC) $49.95 BSAG How to Form a California Professional Corporation (Book w/CD-ROM) $59.95 PROF How to Form a Nonprofit Corporation (Book w/CD-ROM)—National Edition $44.95 NNP How to Form a Nonprofit Corporation in California (Book w/CD-ROM) $44.95 NON How to Form Your Own California Corporation (Binder w/CD-ROM) $39.95 CACI How to Form Your Own California Corporation (Book w/CD-ROM) $34.95 CCOR How to Form Your Own New York Corporation (Book w/Disk—PC) $39.95 NYCO How to Form Your Own Texas Corporation (Book w/CD-ROM) $39.95 TCOR How to Write a Business Plan $29.95 SBS The Independent Paralegal’s Handbook $29.95 PARA O R D E R H O U R S A D AY @ w w w n o l o c o m Call 800-728-3555 • Mail or fax the order form in this book PRICE CODE Leasing Space for Your Small Business $34.95 LESP Legal Guide for Starting & Running a Small Business $34.95 RUNS Legal Forms for Starting & Running a Small Business (Book w/CD-ROM) $29.95 RUNS2 Marketing Without Advertising $22.00 MWAD Music Law (Book w/Disk—PC) $29.95 ML Nolo’s California Quick Corp (Quick & Legal Series) $19.95 QINC Nolo’s Guide to Social Security Disability $29.95 QSS Nolo’s Quick LLC (Quick & Legal Series) $24.95 LLCQ The Small Business Start-up Kit (Book w/CD-ROM) $29.95 SMBU The Small Business Start-up Kit for California (Book w/CD-ROM) $29.95 OPEN The Partnership Book: How to Write a Partnership Agreement (Book w/CD-ROM) $39.95 PART Sexual Harassment on the Job $24.95 HARS Starting & Running a Successful Newsletter or Magazine $29.95 MAG Tax Savvy for Small Business $34.95 SAVVY Working for Yourself: Law & Taxes for the Self-Employed $39.95 WAGE Your Limited Liability Company: An Operating Manual (Book w/Disk—PC) $49.95 LOP Your Rights in the Workplace $29.95 YRW CONSUMER Fed Up with the Legal System: What’s Wrong & How to Fix It $9.95 LEG How to Win Your Personal Injury Claim $29.95 PICL Nolo’s Encyclopedia of Everyday Law $28.95 EVL Nolo’s Pocket Guide to California Law $15.95 CLAW Trouble-Free Travel And What to Do When Things Go Wrong $14.95 TRAV ESTATE PLAMNING & PROBATE Ways to Avoid Probate (Quick & Legal Series) $16.95 O R D E R H O U R S A D AY @ w w w n o l o c o m Call 800-728-3555 • Mail or fax the order form in this book PRO8 PRICE CODE Ways to Avoid Estate Taxes (Quick & Legal Series) $29.95 ESTX Estate Planning Basics (Quick & Legal Series) $18.95 ESPN How to Probate an Estate in California $49.95 PAE Make Your Own Living Trust (Book w/CD-ROM) $34.95 LITR Nolo’s Law Form Kit: Wills $24.95 KWL Nolo’s Simple Will Book (Book w/CD-ROM) $34.95 SWIL Plan Your Estate $39.95 NEST Quick & Legal Will Book (Quick & Legal Series) $15.95 QUIC FAMILY MATTERS Child Custody: Building Parenting Agreements That Work $29.95 CUST The Complete IEP Guide $24.95 IEP Divorce & Money: How to Make the Best Financial Decisions During Divorce $34.95 DIMO Do Your Own Divorce in Oregon $29.95 ODIV Get a Life: You Don’t Need a Million to Retire Well $24.95 LIFE The Guardianship Book for California $34.95 GB How to Adopt Your Stepchild in California (Book w/CD-ROM) $34.95 ADOP A Legal Guide for Lesbian and Gay Couples $25.95 LG Living Together: A Legal Guide (Book w/CD-ROM) $34.95 LTK Using Divorce Mediation: Save Your Money & Your Sanity $29.95 UDMD GOING TO COURT Beat Your Ticket: Go To Court and Win! (National Edition) $19.95 BEYT The Criminal Law Handbook: Know Your Rights, Survive the System $29.95 KYR Everybody’s Guide to Small Claims Court (National Edition) $24.95 NSCC Everybody’s Guide to Small Claims Court in California $24.95 CSCC Fight Your Ticket and Win! (California Edition) $24.95 FYT How to Change Your Name in California $34.95 NAME O R D E R H O U R S A D AY @ w w w n o l o c o m Call 800-728-3555 • Mail or fax the order form in this book PRICE CODE How to Collect When You Win a Lawsuit (California Edition) $29.95 JUDG How to Mediate Your Dispute $18.95 MEDI How to Seal Your Juvenile & Criminal Records (California Edition) $34.95 CRIM Nolo’s Deposition Handbook $29.95 DEP Represent Yourself in Court: How to Prepare & Try a Winning Case $34.95 RYC HOMEOWNERS, LANDLORDS & TENANTS California Tenants’ Rights $27.95 CTEN Contractors’ and Homeowners’ Guide to Mechanics’ Liens (Book w/Disk—PC)—California Edition $39.95 MIEN The Deeds Book (California Edition) $24.95 DEED Dog Law $14.95 DOG Every Landlord’s Legal Guide (National Edition, Book w/CD-ROM) $44.95 ELLI Every Tenant’s Legal Guide $26.95 EVTEN For Sale by Owner in California $29.95 FSBO How to Buy a House in California $29.95 BHCA The Landlord’s Law Book, Vol 1: Rights & Responsibilities (California Edition) (Book w/CD-ROM) $44.95 LBRT The California Landlord’s Law Book, Vol 2: Evictions (Book w/CD-ROM) $44.95 LBEV Leases & Rental Agreements (Quick & Legal Series) $24.95 LEAR Neighbor Law: Fences, Trees, Boundaries & Noise $24.95 NEI The New York Landlord’s Law Book (Book w/CD-ROM) $39.95 NYLL Renters’ Rights (National Edition) $24.95 RENT Stop Foreclosure Now in California $29.95 CLOS HUMOR 29 Reasons Not to Go to Law School $12.95 29R Poetic Justice $9.95 PJ O R D E R H O U R S A D AY @ w w w n o l o c o m Call 800-728-3555 • Mail or fax the order form in this book PRICE CODE IMMIGRATION How to Get a Green Card $29.95 GRN U.S Immigration Made Easy $44.95 IMEZ MONEY MATTERS 101 Law Forms for Personal Use (Book w/Disk—PC) $29.95 SPOT Bankruptcy: Is It the Right Solution to Your Debt Problems? (Quick & Legal Series) $19.95 BRS Chapter 13 Bankruptcy: Repay Your Debts $34.95 CH13 Creating Your Own Retirement Plan $29.95 YROP Credit Repair (Quick & Legal Series, Book w/CD-ROM) $19.95 CREP How to File for Chapter Bankruptcy $34.95 HFB IRAs, 401(k)s & Other Retirement Plans: Taking Your Money Out $29.95 RET Money Troubles: Legal Strategies to Cope With Your Debts $29.95 MT Nolo’s Law Form Kit: Personal Bankruptcy $24.95 KBNK Stand Up to the IRS $24.95 SIRS Surviving an IRS Tax Audit (Quick & Legal Series) $24.95 SAUD Take Control of Your Student Loan Debt $24.95 SLOAN PATENTS AND COPYRIGHTS The Copyright Handbook: How to Protect and Use Written Works (Book w/CD-ROM) $34.95 COHA Copyright Your Software $24.95 CYS Domain Names $24.95 DOM Getting Permission: How to License and Clear Copyrighted Materials Online and Off (Book w/Disk—PC) $34.95 RIPER How to Make Patent Drawings Yourself $29.95 DRAW The Inventor’s Notebook $24.95 INOT O R D E R H O U R S A D AY @ w w w n o l o c o m Call 800-728-3555 • Mail or fax the order form in this book PRICE CODE Nolo’s Patents for Beginners (Quick & Legal Series) $29.95 QPAT License Your Invention (Book w/Disk—PC) $39.95 LICE Patent, Copyright & Trademark $34.95 PCTM Patent It Yourself $49.95 PAT Patent Searching Made Easy $29.95 PATSE The Public Domain $34.95 PUBL Web and Software Development: A Legal Guide (Book w/ CD-ROM) $44.95 SFT Trademark: Legal Care for Your Business and Product Name $39.95 TRD RESEARCH & REFERENCE Legal Research: How to Find & Understand the Law $34.95 LRES SENIORS Beat the Nursing Home Trap: A Consumer’s Guide to Assisted Living and Long-Term Care $21.95 ELD The Conservatorship Book for California $44.95 CNSV Social Security, Medicare & Pensions $24.95 SOA SOFTWARE Call or check our website at www.nolo.com for special discounts on Software! LeaseWriter CD—Windows $129.95 LWD1 LLC Maker—Windows $89.95 LLP1 Personal RecordKeeper 5.0 CD—Windows $59.95 RKD5 Quicken Lawyer 2002 Business Deluxe—Windows $79.95 SBQB2 Quicken Lawyer 2002 Personal Deluxe—Windows $69.95 WQP2 O R D E R H O U R S A D AY @ w w w n o l o c o m Call 800-728-3555 • Mail or fax the order form in this book SPECIAL UPGRADE OFFER Get 35% off the latest edition of your Nolo book It's important to have the most current legal information Because laws and legal procedures change often, we update our books regularly To help keep you up-to-date we are extending this special upgrade offer Cut out and mail the title portion of the cover of your old Nolo book and we’ll give you 35% off the retail price of the NEW EDITION of that book when you purchase directly from us For more information call us at 1-800-728-3555 This offer is to individuals only Order Form Our “No-Hassle” Guarantee Name Address Return anything you buy directly from Nolo for any reason and we’ll cheerfully refund your purchase price No ifs, ands or buts City State, Zip Daytime Phone I Check here if you not wish to receive mailings from other companies E-mail Item Code Quantity Item Unit Price Total Price Subtotal Method of payment Add your local sales tax (California only) Check VISA MasterCard Discover Card American Express Shipping: RUSH $9, Basic $5 (See below) “I bought 3, ship it to me FREE!”(Ground shipping only) TOTAL Account Number Expiration Date Signature Shipping and Handling Rush Delivery—Only $9 Basic Shipping—$5 We’ll ship any order to any street address in the U.S by UPS 2nd Day Air* for only $9! Use for P.O Boxes, Northern California and Ground Service * Order by noon Pacific Time and get your order in business days Orders placed Allow 1-2 weeks for delivery U.S addresses only after noon Pacific Time will arrive in business days P.O boxes and S.F Bay Area use basic shipping Alaska and Hawaii use 2nd Day Air or Priority Mail For faster service, use your credit card and our toll-free numbers Order 24 hours a day Online www.nolo.com Phone Fax Mail 1-800-992-6656 1-800-645-0895 Nolo 950 Parker St Berkeley, CA 94710 h Visit us online at www.nolo.com m o r e f r o m N O L O Law for All Social Security, Medicare and Pensions Get the Most Out of Your Retirement and Medical Benefits by Attorney Joseph Matthews & Dorothy Matthews Berman This book reveals what you need to know about Social Security and health coverage later in life Discover how to claim everything you’re entitled to, decipher the fine print, and unearth other benefits In plain English, the book covers retirement and disability benefits; Supplemental Security Income; Civil Service retirement benefits; Medicare, Medicaid and Medigap health insurance; veterans benefits and much more $29.99/SOA IRAs, 401(k)s & Other Retirement Plans Taking Your Money Out by Twila Slesnick, PhD, Enrolled Agent & Attorney John C Suttle, CPA This one-of-a-kind book helps you make sense of the rules that govern distributions from retirement plans, and avoid the stiff penalties that lurk in the fine print In plain English, IRAs covers retirement tax strategies, penalties for taking your money out early, methods for avoiding penalties, distributions, and much more Covers the new distribution rules! $34.99/RET Choose the Right Long-Term Care Home Care, Assisted Living and Nursing Homes by Attorney Joseph Matthews Beat the Nursing Home Trap helps you understand the many alternatives to nursing facilities and shows you how to fit the care you need to the funds you have available Learn how to arrange home care, find a nonnursing facility residence and choose a nursing home Find out how to get the most out of Medicare and other benefit programs, evaluate longterm care insurance and protect as much of your assets as possible $21.99/ELD 0 -7 - 5 o r www.nolo.com m o r e f r o m N O L O Law for All Make Your Own Living Trust by Attorney Denis Clifford Book with CD-ROM Create your own living trust You will find out how a living trust works, how to establish one, and how to determine what kind of trust is right for you Contains all the forms and instructions you need to: LER BESTSEL • transfer property quickly & easily • eliminate attorney fees • cut estate taxes with an A-B trust Good in all states except Louisiana $39.99/LITR Estate Planning Basics by Attorney Denis Clifford This book provides straightforward explanations of the major components of estate planning, so that you don’t have to spend hours wading through endless options Learn about: • choosing beneficiaries • estate taxes, and tax reduction methods • living trusts • estate planning by parents with minor children • wills • other probate-avoidance methods Good in all states except Louisiana $21.99/ESPN Ways to Avoid Estate Taxes by Attorney Mary Randolph This book presents nine major methods people can use to avoid or reduce federal estate taxes that kick in when an estate exceeds $675,000 Find out how you can save your family money by: • making gifts of under $10,000 • making gifts for tuition or medical expenses • giving or leaving property to a spouse • establishing a bypass (AB) trust • transferring ownership of your life • establishing a QTIP trust • establishing a QDOT trust • contributing to charity • using disclaimers • insurance policies $29.95/ESTX 0 - 728- 3555 o r www.nolo.com About Ralph Warner Ralph Warner is a co-founder of Nolo and one of the pioneers of the self-help law movement A graduate of Princeton University and the Boalt Hall School of Law (U.C Berkeley), he is the author of many books and articles aimed at making our legal system more accessible and democratic Which raises an interesting question: What is Warner up to writing a book about retirement, an area he has never previously worked in? Here is his answer “Several years ago, while doing a three-month house trade and minisabbatical in England, I read a U.S magazine article someone had sent me entitled ‘The Perils of Retiring Poor’ which claimed that almost no one was saving enough money to retire decently Nowhere in the article—which explained in great detail how expensive it is to travel widely and indulge in other expensive hobbies—was there a word about the things that I believed really mattered after age 65—good health, having lots of interests, enjoying close family and friendship networks and having a sense that at least some of your efforts are helping make the world a slightly better place ”When I realized that ‘The Perils of Retiring Poor’ was typical of what Americans in their 40s and 50s were being told about retirement, I got mad enough to put down my other work and try to set the record straight This led me to embark on a fascinating 18-month study dedicated to trying to figure out what people in midlife really can to enhance their chances of enjoying a fulfilling retirement For example, I tried as best I could to understand why a significant percentage of retirees are sedentary, lonely and often depressed, while others from similar backgrounds are enjoying some of the most active, pleasant and productive years of their lives “As part of my work I talked to a great many retired people, visited retirement centers and senior housing projects and spent many inspiring hours listening to energized, involved seniors explain how they go about leading satisfying lives Surprisingly, I had been at work for about nine months before I realized that, in addition to writing a book about retirement, I was trying to create a blueprint for my own later years (Born in 1941, my retirement isn’t too far off.) Once I understood and accepted this selfish aspect of my work, I was able to see that my interactions with successful retirees were beginning to result in my changing some of my own habits—for example, I began getting more exercise, eating better, paying more attention to my family and friends and even trying (not completely successfully) to make more time to develop new personal interests And all this despite the pressure to finish this book on schedule.” ... pamphlets on age discrimination You can check out AARP’s AgeLine Database at www.aarp.org It contains a searchable electronic database that includes references to books, journal and magazine articles... means it adds to the computational reserves in your brain.” Things as simple as learning to operate your computer’s mouse with your left hand or taking a walk in an unfamiliar area are small and... something you can part-time and— should you want to relocate—isn’t tied to a particular geographical area Assuming you come up with a new career idea that meets at least some of these criteria, or