Personal Finance For Seniors For Dummies »

Eric Tyson is a nationally recognized personal finance counselor, writer, and lecturer. He is the bestselling author of Personal Finance For Dummies and Mutual Funds For Dummies. Bob Carlson is editor of the monthly newsletter "Retirement Watch" and author of The New Rules for Retirement.

The fast and easy way for Baby Boomers to protect their financial future

Are you nearing (or already basking in) retirement? Are you aware of the unique financial opportunities and challenges you'll face in your golden years? This hands-on, practical guide empowers you to chart your financial course with targeted advice for investing, spending, and protecting your wealth for the decades to come.

• Plan, plan, plan — understand just how important it is to plan ahead for retirement (and how it'll give you more attractive financial options in the future)
• Tackle the issues — discover the best ways to manage your annual expenses and budget so you'll have enough to live on now and in the years ahead
• Know your benefits — get the lowdown on government programs available, like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid
• Tie up loose ends — find out how to plan your estate (no matter how large or modest), prepare a will, and determine considerations for a living will, medical powers of attorney, and more

Open the book and find:

• Advice on when to retire and guidance on estimating expenses
• Your best investments for retirement money
• Plain-English explanations of retirement account options
• How to adjust spending when life throws you a curve ball
• Tips on choosing pension options
• Housing choices in retirement
• The best Social Security and healthcare benefits for you
• Ways to reduce your estate taxes
• Create a budget for retirement
• Wisely invest, spend, and protect your wealth
• Plot the windy road of pension plans, Social Security, healthcare, and Medicare

Introduction.

Part I: Working toward Retirement.

Chapter 1: Looking Ahead to Your Future.

Chapter 2: Protecting Your Employment Income and Your Health.

Chapter 3: Developing a Retirement Plan.

Chapter 4: Identifying Retirement Investments and Strategies.

Chapter 5: Grasping Retirement Accounts and Their Rules.

Part II: Making Money Decisions in Retirement.

Chapter 6: Managing Budgets and Expenses.

Chapter 7: Guiding Investments and Distributions in Retirement.

Chapter 8: Making Important Housing Decisions.

Chapter 9: Considering Your Long-Term Care Insurance Needs and Options.

Part III: Dealing with Government Programs.

Chapter 10: Making Your Best Choices under Social Security.

Chapter 11: Getting the Most Out of Medicare.

Chapter 12: The State Health Care System Backup: Medicaid.

Part IV: Estate Planning: It's More than Just Dead People and Lawyers.

Chapter 13: The Basics on Estate Planning.

Chapter 14: Eyeing Wills and Other Legal Documents.

Chapter 15: Tackling the Federal Estate Tax When You Have Too Much Money.

Chapter 16: Focusing on Estate Taxes and the Many Types of Trusts.

Part V: The Part of Tens.

Chapter 17: Ten Common Retirement and Estate Planning Mistakes.

Chapter 18: Ten Things to Know About Working in Retirement.

Chapter 19: Ten (or So) Tips to Know About Caring for Your Aging Parents.

Index.