How to Retire by Christine Benz

Posted on December 4, 2024 by Jack

Are you planning to retire? Have you already retired and want to make it better? Do you know someone who might be in one of those groups? This is probably a good book for anyone in those groups. Christine Benz, director of personal finance and retirement planning at Morningstar, has written a wonderful book with a series of conversations with experts in various areas related to a successful retirement. The full title is How to Retire: 20 lessons for a happy, successful, and wealthy retirement .

Although the title suggested (at least to me) that this book would mainly be about getting ready for retirement, I was mostly wrong. It is about getting ready but there is so much more. The book is great for those nearing retirement but there is much that is valuable for those of us already retired. And it could also benefit those younger folks who are thinking ahead and considering options like retirement or semi-retirement.


I am over 15 years into retirement now, and still found the book interesting with many useful ideas. I read the advanced reading copy (ARC) on my Kindle before publication but various things came-up and I am just writing the review now. I thank Netgalley for the ARC. The book is easy to read and since each chapter covers one conversation you don’t have to read the chapters in any particular order or you can skip parts that don’t seem to apply to you. I plan on getting a printed copy and keeping it on my bookshelf as a reference for me as well as others.

At the end of each conversation Christine Benz summarizes the main points and gives references for further reading if you want to learn more. Many of the references are online so most readers should be able to access them easily. I liked that several different viewpoints were covered on several of the issues. Foe example, some experts on the financial aspects of retirement liked annuities while others disliked them.

The non-financial aspects of retirement are also well covered.

I highly recommend this book for those who are already retired or getting close to retirement age. Those decades away from retirement could also benefit.

With so many books available on retirement, this one is a breath of fresh air. The author interviews several experts and then ends each chapter with a succinct summary of takeaways. The most enlightening topics are the ones that consider more than finances- what will you do with your time? What are your goals for that stage of your life?

Whilst this is written for the American market so a lot of the references do not apply here in the UK I still found some useful nuggets that have helped me as I look to take early retirement.

Lots of great information. This book shares some ideas I hadn’t heard before which is a nice change.
A quick read with information that will certainly help you plan a great retirement.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

A great informative, easy to follow insight from lots of folks that are experts in their field (finance and retirement). My biggest take away moment is how it tells us to not hang on for the weekend during our transition to retirement but rather do things on a week night, so your life isn’t hanging on for the weekend. I loved this idea, so many hours (evenings) as we think we can’t go out on a school night.
Having said that, the majority of the book is completely skewed to American information and would not be relevant in any other country.

How to Retire was really enlightening. It didn't only include financial information. It included interviews about the importance of community and remaining social in later years. One thing that really struck me was that most healthy people are happiest in their own homes through their 70s and then report being happier in an apartment situation after 80. It really changed my thinking about my future. The social security information was also informative in regards to what spouses should do and when they should start collecting. This isn't one of those "you're screwed if you haven't been saving for retirement" books. It's uplifting, informative, and hopeful. The writing style was very engaging, too. It was a series of interviews with different experts that made it very readable and digestible.

This is a book that I will want to turn to again and again as I move toward retirement age. Christine Benz interviews experts in the field of finance and retirement, then wraps up her interview with key takeaways. The layout of the book is such that a reader can flip to a section and come away with a better understanding, or read straight through and learn more about how various opinions might align better than others.

I highly recommend this to libraries and universities, and anyone who plans to retire.

Although this is an American book and the financial advice is not directly applicable, there is some good thought-provoking advice.
As someone who’s not too far off retirement, there’s some stuff that’s got me thinking, including what it is about being in the workplace that makes me happy and how I can create habits before I retire eg for social interaction.
I’d recommend it with the caveat that the financial advice is not uk-adapted.

Practical questions to consider when approaching retirement. What will your day/week look like and can you afford it? Retirement is not just about whether or not you can afford it, it's a psychological adjustment of perhaps 40+ years of your life.
There is an American bias, so the financial aspects were less useful to UK audiences than the behavioural pointers.

This was an interesting book, despite being American and therefore in parts (e.g. relating to social security, taxes etc) slightly less relevant for UK readers. However, I kept finding myself quoting sections of it to my husband (whose mother is in her late 70s but still working because she is burying her head in the sand rather than facing the various retirement issues head on!) Thought provoking and well worth a read even for those who are several years / decades from retirement; it's never too early to start pondering this stuff.

How to Retire has received rave reviews and I can see why. Ms Benz has put together an easy to read book, with chapters that can be referred to again and again. Her interviews are easy to read and informative. I will be using this book over and over and it will be recommended. Many thanks to NetGalley, Ms Benz, and Harriman House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Very interesting read for those of us approaching retirement.
While the financial advise is more relevant to those in the US I found the practical advise invaluable

Some useful nuggets of wisdom here to provoke thought when approaching retirement - particularly on having purpose, being able to adjust plans as life takes a different course from the one you may have planned, and thinking about what your daily and weekly calendar might look like, as well as the big activities you want to spend time on. There’s also some sound advice on having a ‘trial run’ of your retirement plans, to see whether they do actually work out as well as you hope they will!

However, most of the book is devoted to financial planning, and is clearly aimed at US readers with fairly significant wealth. Some of the more general advice will apply internationally, but the rest really needs localising to UK tax and pension systems to be relevant for a UK readership.

An interesting skim-read, from which I will take away a couple of thoughts to bear in mind. But unless you’re a US citizen sitting on a substantial investment pot, this isn’t the book for you.

This is an interesting book with a US focus. A lot of it is about finance, which is t quite what I was expecting, but the first chapter about your vision for retirement is invaluable. It really draws out how to have a happy retirement, one you can realistically achieve on a day to day basis rather than having a few big ideas but basically thinking that retirement is like a weekend or holiday. I found the book worth reading for these insights even before you go more in depth about finance.

Very well structured and highly readable. Each of the twenty lessons is set up as a conversation between Christine Benz and a leading expert in a distinct aspect of retirement. Each lesson finishes with a summary of 'key take-aways' and a 'related resources' section (featuring additional links to podcasts, pdfs etc. with further detailed information). Although some of the finance bits are quite US-specific (US Social Security, US tax etc.), the general principles and 'behavioural' suggestions on how to ensure a happy retirement make this book well-worth reading for those considering retirement in the next few years. Special thank you to Harriman House & NetGalley for a no obligation digital advance review copy.

Having myself retired in May 2024 at the age of 65 having the previous two years reduced my working week to three days I was intrigued what advice this book would bring. Being written by someone with a background in the financial world the balance of the book is definitely towards financial aspects of retirement but does consider many other aspects such as dealing with dementia, planning for care etc. For me the key things I have dealt with have been returning to things I love that I have not had enough time to indulge in such as theatre, reading, golf, visiting National Trust properties. Adding to these a more relaxed approach to things I already enjoy such as following my rugby team, gardening both on my allotment and for customers and writing and presenting charity quizzes. I feel that is important to maintain and look for new friends and these can happen through the above activities or joining groups such as U3A. This book is written by and for an American audience and hence some of the ideas are not what we in Britain would do but the basic advice still holds good. I think more non financial discussions could have been included.

Some bits are too American to make them directly useful in the UK. But it is filled with good practical advice and I have made notes. Some of the information about planning windows and priorities are really worth taking on board.

This book has done seriously great tips and content, I learnt a lot.

recommend.

Many thanks to Netgalley, for my ARC.

Lots of great ideas! Highly recommend.

Many thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

As a 30-year-old, Christine Benz’s “How to Retire” is a great read to start thinking about the future. The book offers practical advice on financial planning and emphasizes the importance of personal fulfillment in retirement. It’s not just about saving money but also about living a meaningful life. This book is a helpful guide to set you on the right path for a happy and successful retirement! It’s never to early to plan for the future :)