Whether you're in retirement, just getting ready toretire, or 5, 10, or 40 years out, this book can help you investsmarter your whole life and yes, plan better forretirement.Harmful mythology abounds about retirement investing.Many retirees or soon-to-be retirees have heard a plethora ofadvice. Take 100 (or 120) and subtract your age to get your equityallocation, put the rest in bonds or cash. Buy only bonds.Buy only high dividend stocks. Or some combination! Buyequity-indexed annuities or some "guaranteed" incomeproduct. All examples of a potentially harmful myth many folksbelieve to be smart, strategic moves.Investors believe preparing for retirement requires a radicallydifferent set of tools or a dizzying array of products. Navigatingthe world of retirement products and services can be a full-timejob. But investing for retirement is, in practice, not much (if atall) different from investing. In Your Retirement Plan, KenFisher will give readers a workable strategy to either developtheir own retirement investing plan or work more successfully witha professional to increase the likelihood of achieving long-termgoals while avoiding common pitfalls. The book will includeeasy-to-follow steps like* How to think, correctly, about investing time horizon.* How to better figure how much income you need* How to determine if a portfolio can provide that income* How to figure how much to save each year to achieve retirementgoals* What pitfalls to avoid* And more. . . .In this retirement planning book that's not just for retirees,Fisher will hand readers the tools and confidence they need tobetter plan for the future.

Acknowledgments ixChapter 1: What? Me? Retire? 1The Imagined Dichotomy 3Two Goals ... and Some Non-Goals 4Definitions and a Pencil 9Start Immediately. Now. Right Away 13Plan Your Prosperity 14Chapter 2: My Goals Are ... What? 17Why Is This So Hard? 20Your Investing Goals, Simply 24Potential Pitfall: Capital Preservation and Growth 26Inflation's Insidious Impact 29Three Percent, Compounded 35Chapter 3: The Secret Code--Asset Allocation orBenchmark? 37Benchmark--A Road Map and Measuring Stick 40Picking a Benchmark 42The Big Decision--Asset Allocation 45Potential Pitfall: Age Doesn't Equal Asset Allocation49Benchmark Versus Asset Allocation--What's theDifference? 50Chapter 4: Time Horizon--Longer Than You Think59Potential Pitfall: Ignoring Opportunity Cost 62Time Horizon--What Is It? 64Time Horizon and Benchmark 68Chapter 5: What's in a Return? 73Growth Defi ned 77The Past as a Guide? 81Gordon Moore and Endless Innovation 90Potential Pitfall: Unrealistic Expectations 92Chapter 6: Getting That Cash Flow 97Potential Pitfall--The All High-Dividend Portfolio 100How Much Do You Need? 103Monte Carlo--Not Just a Casino 107Let's Get Bootstrapping 109Chapter 7: Can I Get There? 117How Much Do You Have? 120A Savings Plan 123Chapter 8: Putting It All Together 131To Benchmark or Not to Benchmark 134State Your Goals 136Know Where You Are 137Picking an Appropriate Benchmark 138Finding Professional Help 140Avoid Being a Fraud Victim 143And You're Off! 143Appendix A: All Hail the Mighty Dow 145Appendix B: Cash Flow Versus Expenses 155Appendix C: Expense Categories 161Appendix D: Personal Balance Sheet 165Notes 169About the Authors 173Index 175