Engineering Your Retirement

Mike Golio has worked in the electrical engineering field for more than thirty-one years. During his career, his job titles included: member of the technical staff, research assistant, assistant professor, senior engineer, manager, and director. He's authored more than 150 technical papers and served as an editor for five books, as well as a reviewer for several professional journals, IEEE conferences, and book publishers. He currently enjoys spending time on technical efforts, participating in professional activities, and serving as Editor in Chief for IEEE Microwave Magazine.

• Preface. Acknowledgments.1. Retire On Your Schedule.1.1. Retirement Options.1.2. Is There a Retirement Crisis?1.3. How Much Do I Need to Retire?1.4. How Long Will it Take Me to Save Enough Money?1.5. Learning Your Own Life Values.2 Analysis Tools and Calculations.2.1. Predictions Based on Average Returns and Inflation.2.2. Spending Models.2.3. Historical Data.2.4. Monte Carlo Simulation.2.5. Historical Simulation and the 4% Rule.3 Live Below Your Means (LBYM).3.1. Spending.3.2. Breaking the Relationship Between Earning and Spending.3.3. Establishing Budget Projections.3.4. Credit Cards.3.5. Increasing Earnings.4 Emergency Funds and Insurance (First Take Care of Stability).4.1. Medical Insurance and Healthcare Budgets.4.2. Emergency Fund.4.3. Personal Financial Concerns.4.4. Documents.5 Investment Instruments.5.1. Bonds.5.2. Stocks.5.3. Real Estate.5.4. Annuities.5.5. Defined Benefit Plans (Pensions).5.6. Cash and Certificates of Deposit.5.7. Social Security.5.8. Mutual Funds.5.9. Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs).5.10. Commodities.6 Your Investment Plan.6.1. Eliminate “Bad” Debt.6.2. Investment Issues.6.3. Tax-Advantaged Accounts and Free Money.6.4. Taxable Investments.6.5. House—Purchase or Rent?6.6. Mortgage Payoff Decision.6.7. Taxes.7 What Will I Do When I Retire?7.1. Work Part-Time.7.2. Travel.7.3. Volunteer.7.4. Recreation and Leisure.7.5. Health and Self-Improvement.8 Final Issues.8.1. Before You Leave the Building.8.2. Where to Live.8.3. Sources of Income.8.4. Taxes.8.5. Rebalancing.8.6. Heirs.Appendix A: Web Site URLs: Information, Online Calculators and Software.Appendix B: Fundamental Financial Equations.Appendix C: Longevity Table.Index.About the Author.

"This book should be of interest to anyone looking forward to retiring comfortably on one's own schedule." (Microwave Journal, October 2007) "Whether a novice or a seasoned veteran…definitely consider adding it to your library." (IEEE Microwave Magazine, June 2007)"…a worthwhile addition to your early retirement library. It's highly recommended." (The Retire Early Online Magazine, January/February 2007)“…Nelson’s compendium has proved to be an essential resource for so many people interested in fishes, for so long…” (Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries, 2006)