It's Never Too Early: A Guide to Planning and Enjoying Your Retirement Lifestyle

Kathleen H. Brown, a financial consultant, was an associate professor of
Family Studies at the University of Guelph.

Writing in a conversational manner, the authors address many of the salient issues that need to be considered as one makes plans for a successful adjustment to retirement. Emphasizing the positive aspects of freedom from the constraints imposed by labour force participation, the book also focuses attention on the need to make preparations for a satisfying retirement. As one of the major change points in one’s life, retirement will usually be more enjoyable if some of the major consequences are anticipated.

Which activities will provide the social, emotional, physical, and status benefits previously obtained from work? How will the days be filled? Rather than wait until the time comes, plans must be made for the phasing in of replacement activities. The chapters devoted to health, both mental and physical, sexual activity, diet, and exercise include work sheets as guides to planning.

The section devoted to financial and legal planning is good as far as it goes, but the treatment is quite cursory. Although the authors admit that financial concerns rank highest among retirees, they do not offer any depth in the subject. The need to review expenses and income, and then predict changes after retirement, is stated without much guidance about how to do the necessary financial planning. A short chapter on ways to earn money in retirement mentions a few possibilities for increasing resources.

About one-third of this book is devoted to the evaluation of housing options and the merits of living, for part of the year at least, in various places in the southern United States. The information on climate, costs, housing, investing in property and recreational activities in five different states is very detailed and should be most helpful to anyone considering becoming a “snow-bird.” The concluding chapters address the issue of being single and retired, and discuss problems associated with having elderly parents at the time of retirement.

The salience of the issues and the informal writing style tend to engage the reader and should successfully motivate any prospective retiree to start doing some planning. The varied work sheets suggest specific steps to take either to evaluate the present situation or to project future activities. It is made quite clear that retirement years can be most fulfilling, provided attention is given to financial security, health, and activities to replace the work role. If supplemented with other materials on the financial aspects of retirement, this book should be most helpful for either personal use or retirement planning courses and programmes.