Art of Retirement - Softcover

This well-written, comprehensive guide by a financial planner paints retirement in a new light.
The key difference between Gary Williams' engaging book about retirement and so many others written on the subject is the author's perspective: He believes that to enjoy retirement, everyone must create a life that is a "masterpiece." Williams points to Michelangelo as a prime example of an artist who, "created masterpieces, but also understood that his own life was a masterpiece and, at the same time, a work in progress."Williams uses the art metaphor effectively throughout The Art of Retirement, which is divided into two distinct sections: "Creating Your Masterpiece" and "The Art of Investing." In the first part, Williams writes eloquently about making choices in life and maintaining perspective. He doles out insightful advice about finding a purpose in retirement, acknowledging that as much as fifty percent of prospective retirees plan to continue working in retirement. "The key," Williams advises, "is to retire to something, not from something."
One of the more interesting topics in the first part of the book is something the author calls "legacy planning." With a great deal of sensitivity, he discusses leaving a legacy in the broadest sense, not just financially, but spiritually. The notion of passing along one's sense of values to future generations is rarely addressed in a book whose primary focus is investing. For this, the author deserves credit. Williams, a certified financial planner, closes the first part of the book with an excellent chapter offering several helpful "rules of thumb" that helps guide the reader in financially planning for retirement, along with an objective discussion of why and how to choose a financial planner.
The second part of the book is not unlike other financially focused retirement books. Williams provides a detailed discussion of financial concepts, such as risk and diversification, and he offers his own anal

KIRKUS REVIEW
inancial planner Williams offers solid retirement planning advice using examples from the life of Michelangelo.
There's actually an "art" to planning for retirement, Williams writes, and throughout his book, he cites one of the world's most celebrated artists as an example of someone who financed a great lifestyle well into his retirement years. For example, he notes that Michelangelo was past 70 when he got the job as the architect of St. Peter's Basilica. Like Michelangelo, he writes, investors have to be discriminating in their choices of which experts to follow, and the author is not a fan of one-size-fits-all financial advisers on television, calling CBNC's Jim Cramer and Suze Orman financial "entertainers." Although this premise may initially sound gimmicky, Williams has a larger concept in mind, devoting half his book to personal values and half to investing. In the first section, he cites 2005 research showing that baby boomers are much more interested in learning about their parents' ethics and faith than about their parents' financial assets, so Williams offers the idea of an "ethical will," a non-legally binding document which can help people pass along their moral values to their children. The book's second half offers more traditional retirement planning advice, such as how to determine risk tolerance and build the right investment portfolio. Williams notes that too many retirees are afflicted with information overload; when there are too many financial choices--or too many choices that are too similar--it can lead to investment paralysis. For readers who want a professional adviser's help, Williams suggests avoiding those who claim to have cornered the market on results: "Does the advisor brag about market-beating results year after year? If so, get up and walk out." Overall, the author writes in clear, simple language, only rarely veering into jargon. Despite a few typos and occasional unnecessary preludes, his advice isl

What is your definition of a fulfilling life and how does an enjoyable retirement fit into that vision? Retirement planning is much more than making sure you have enough money. The financial aspect of planning your retirement is just part of the picture. Being armed with knowledge of behavioral finance will allow you to avoid costly mistakes due to how our brain deals with money and financial issues. Gain perspective on how investments behave while understanding current and potential future economic trends that may affect the traditional approaches of investment management. Learn when active versus passive management may be the best investment solution and how to implement alternative investments, such as hedge funds and private equity, to potentially minimize risk through diversification while increasing investment performance. Introspectively look at your life to determine if you have the time, training, and temperament to manage your own investments and plan for your retirement.