The AARP Retirement Survival Guide: How to Make Smart Financial Decisions in Good Times and Bad »

Julie Jason is a personal money manager who began her career as a securities lawyer thirty years ago. She is principal of Jackson, Grant Investment Advisers, Inc., of Stamford, Connecticut, an SEC-registered investment adviser. Jackson, Grant serves conservative retirees who want to create retirement income. A proponent of investor protection, Ms. Jason writes and lectures on investment topics. Her award-winning weekly column, published in the Sunday business sections of the Stamford Advocate and the Greenwich Time, is in its tenth year of publication.

“I promise you this: if you have never invested, never read an investment book, or never worked with a financial adviser, you will not be left behind. No matter who you are or what steps you have or have not taken up to this point, there is always something you can do to improve your situation.” – Julie Jason, from the Introduction

Bank bailouts. Ponzi schemes. Plunging financial markets. Given today’s dire headlines, planning a secure retirement has become a more crtical task than ever.

Now, for Americans seeking safety and stability in a time of wrenching economic change, comes investment educator Julie Jason with this no-nonsense guide offering time-tested, rock-solid retirement advice for people of every income level. In addition to showing those on the verge of retirement how to create their own “personal pension,” Jason deftly guides prospective retirees through the otherwise bewildering process of evaluating their needs, anticipating future expenses (and managing current ones), and converting present assets into future retirement income. To achieve this goal, she assembles—and shares with the reader—an entire tool kit of self-assessments, tables, checklists, and essential questions.

“A fast read on a difficult-to-follow subject. In these tougher times, a guide like this becomes an even more invaluable tool.” —Jonathan Dahl, Editor in Chief, SmartMoney

“Hard-working Americans need a road map through today's bewildering financial world. From the basics of financial planning to understanding how to secure a dignified retirement, Julie Jason has provided a financial GPS for attaining your goals.”
—Joseph Borg, Director, Alabama Securities Commission

“Whether you’re a do-it-yourself investor or want a professional to help you, The AARP Retirement Survival Guide spells out what you need to consider and understand to make informed retirement-income planning decisions.” —Betty Meredith, InFRE Retirement Resource Center

"The AARP brand works extraordinarily well in providing valuable and objective information that readers can put to good use immediately...Case in point: author...and investment counsel Jason thoroughly, accurately reviews the state of retirement 2009 with full consideration of our current economy. That state includes a solid grounding in the basics...What’s unusual is her factual analysis of CDs (featuring a checklist), reverse mortgages, annuities in all shapes and forms (e.g., immediate, equity-indexed, fixed), and guaranteed minimum benefits (in the forms of withdrawal and income benefits). In fact, it’s well worth the book’s cover price to delve into these somewhat arcane financial instruments if only because the author posits, in plain English, the ups and downs...If that isn’t clear enough, she creates a fictional case study with numbers and charts, accompanied by a straightforward assessment on ease of understanding, complexity, risks, safety, costs and taxes, and the salesperson’s motivation. That approach characterizes all of the chapters, whether on tax-deferred accounts or sales scams to avoid. Resources and research cinch the deal to consider this top of the borrower’s pile." —Booklist

Library Journal

These two books are very different in format—Solin (The Smartest Investment Book You'll Ever Read) offers short chapters on a variety of retirement subjects, each concluding with a pithy summarization, while Jason (principal, Jackson, Grant Investment Advisers, Inc.) gives a more explanatory dissertation. But both are clearly written and easy to understand, tackling such topics as stocks, bonds, annuities, pensions, and cash withdrawal strategies (although Solin's book offers a handy section on care costs, Jason's does not). Jason's will be better for readers not as familiar with basic finance concepts, while Solin's may appeal to a more financially literate crowd.

Introduction vii

Part I Understanding the Basics

Chapter 1 Achieving a Secure Retirement 3

Chapter 2 Your Personal Cash Flow 13

Chapter 3 Sources of Retirement Income 23

Chapter 4 Income from Social Security 33

Chapter 5 Will Your Money Last as Long as You Do? 47

Chapter 6 Can You Improve Your Situation? 61

Chapter 7 Enter the Financial Adviser 75

Part II Security for Sale: Evaluating Retirement-Income Products

Chapter 8 Guaranteed Lifelong Income 95

Chapter 9 Creating Your Own Personal Pension 105

Chapter 10 The Promise of Gain with No Pain: Equity-Indexed or Fixed Annuities 123

Chapter 11 It's Not Too Late to Catch Up: The Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit 139

Chapter 12 Guaranteed Withdrawals So You Don't Run Out of Money: The Guaranteed Minimum Withdrawal Benefit, or GMWB 161

Chapter 13 Certificates of Deposit: Not All CDs Are Created Equal 177

Chapter 14 Cashing Out of Your Home 189

Part III Investing in Your Future: Retirement-Income Planning and the Markets

Chapter 15 Tax-Deferred Account Decisions 205

Chapter 16 Making the Markets Work for You 219

Part IV Pulling It All Together: Uncle Sam, Your Adviser, and You

Chapter 17 Taxes in Retirement 239

Chapter 18 Taking Money Out of IRAs and Other Tax-Deferred Accounts 251

Chapter 19 Sales Tactics, Scams, and Bad Advice: A "Perfect Storm" for Retirees 261

Chapter 20 Finding an Adviser Who Is Right for You 275

Chapter 21 The Finish Line 287

Part V More Retirement Resources

Appendix A Prospective Adviser Notepad 299

Appendix B Client Reference Notepad 300

Appendix C Quick-Test Factors for Different Retirement Periods and Rates of Return301

Appendix D Retirement Income Management: A Case Study 302

Appendix E AARP Resources 323

Acknowledgments 324

About the Author 326

Index 327