The Hard Times Guide to Retirement Security: Practical Strategies for Money, Work, and Living »

Mark Miller is an expert on aging, retirement, business, and economics. He writes the syndicated weekly column "Retire Smart," contributes to CBS Moneywatch.com and the Huffington Post, and publishes RetirementRevised.com, which was named the best retirement planning site on the web by Money magazine. Miller speaks regularly at conferences on aging and retirement. He can be reached at markmiller@hardtimesretirement.com.

America's baby boom generation has done a poor job preparing for retirement. Now, the economic crisis has ushered in a new reality that will be with us for years to come. Boomers must reexamine their retirement outlook: income, the role of work, and lifestyle expectations.

The Hard Times Guide to Retirement Security details realistic strategies for money, work, and living that can be interwoven and leveraged for retirement security despite the tough economy.
• Money: annuities and Social Security, 401(k)s and IRAs, taxes, health care
• Work: reinvent yourself, job-hunting strategies, entrepreneurship
• Life: indulge your passions, voluntourism, returning to school

Acknowledgments ix

1 Rethinking Retirement in Hard Times 1

Money 13

2 The Great Wake-Up Call 15

3 Getting the Most from Social Security 19

4 The Old-Fashioned Pension on Life Support 31

5 Income Annuities: Another Way to Get a Guarantee 41

6 Resuscitating the 401(k) 49

7 Managing Your Health-Care Expense Burden 65

8 Taxes and Retirement 83

9 Coping with Post-Bubble Real Estate 91

10 How to Hire a Financial Adviser 105

Work 115

11 How Working Longer Helps 117

12 The Fifty-Plus Job Market: Good News, Bad News 125

13 Six Rules for Job Hunting 133

14 Fifty-Plus Enterpreneurs: Launching a Lifestyle Business 145

15 How to Hire a Career Coach 159

Living 167

16 Making a Difference: Encore Careers 169

17 Volunteering in Retirement: Getting Engaged 183

18 Learning and the Path to Brain Fitness 199

About the Author 211

Index 213