This is a book you can write after a lifetime of forming connections, reading deeply, and gaining the wisdom to integrate it all. I cannot think of a single thing I’d change in this book if I were writing it. It combines clear writing with up-to-date accurate information. I’ve read entire books on subjects she covered in a chapter and feel like she nailed it concisely. Annuities? Life Insurance? Becoming a landlord? When to start social security? Should you pay off your mortgage? It’s all in there.
The only problem is that it’s ALL in THERE. There aren’t many examples or graphics, it’s densely written factual data. Pulling it out to make it be usable for you is the tough part. It’s like knowing that you need to plan, cook and eat healthy meals and get three kinds of exercise over the course of each week. Yep, that’s totally correct. Now how to make it happen in YOUR case? That part is missing.
But, still, good clear factual information is worth lauding. I think I’m going to give this book to my people, because she’s such a clear writer. I’ll be able to talk to them about a subject and then say, “this is covered in Chapter 11 if you want to see it discussed again from another direction.” I have a variety of books that I keep on hand to give out to people, recommended ones that I think might be useful to people with their specific issues. This one will join them.
I particularly liked the section untangling whole and universal life insurance policies. She has a footnote in the chapter mentioning that writing, fact checking and editing that chapter drove her nuts. I believe it. It was dense going. I really appreciated the depth at which she covered this, and I recognized the work that went into keeping it all straight.