The Last Chance Millionaire

April 23, 2007
B
aby boomers, take note: traditional retirement savings wisdom won’t yield you enough to live on in your golden years, warns financial adviser Andrews (Missed Fortune
, etc.). Today’s boomers are facing retirement with savings of (on average) an inadequate $50K and are relying on outdated financial strategies to carry them through. In a clear, firm tone, Andrews explains that socking away all your savings in a 401(k), paying off your mortgage and buying a vacation home only after your primary home is paid off are all worn-out Depression era truisms that no longer apply when boomers may live 20 or even 30 years past retirement age. Andrews’s last-minute catch-up plan for safely generating a livable income within the years, not decades, left until retirement mixes familiar wisdom—take advantage of compound interest, tax-favored growth and safe, reliable leverage, and don’t depend on Social Security—with a refreshingly down-to-earth plan for becoming a “Thriver,” whose money is busily working away, tax-free or tax-reduced to provide stability and enjoyment in the golden years. This is no bathtub reading—the text is heavy on charts and graphs and percentages—but the conversational, sympathetic voice serves as a wakeup call for boomers without enough saved.