It is the first in a series titled 'Financially Fit'. My motivation for writing this series came from seeing thousands of people, including close friends and family, struggle with money throughout their working lives, never reaching a point of financial freedom. At the surface it seems so simple: provide for yourself today, whilst building your wealth to a point where you are financially secure enough to support yourself for the time when you no longer want, or are unable, to work. However, the reality is very different for most people. Very few ever achieve true financial security and the majority of the population find that "money worries" rob them of their day-to-day peace of mind. From a young age I saw my parents struggle with this as well. Arguments over money - how and where it was being spent, and worry over whether there would be enough to last until the next payday, let alone trying to save extra for the future placed tremendous stress on their marriage. This was ultimately a major factor in their divorce when I was in my early 20s. This shocked me. I couldn't understand why they were not able to get this part of their lives together. It shouldn't have been that hard. I made a commitment to myself that I would not make the same mistakes - I would have a different future. This commitment marked the beginning of my journey to discover the differences between those that have and the have-nots, the people who did become financially secure versus those that did not. What I discovered is that the pathway to financial security is actually quite simple. However, "simple" doesn't necessarily mean "easy." Like any fitness program, it involves re-training and discipline. For most people this means un-learning the wrong financial habits, and learning some new and effective strategies to develop financial fitness. The great news is that just about anybody can learn these new habits, put them into action and become financially fit within just a month or two. What I have tried to do in this series is to create a simple step-by-step "how-to" guide. My original motivation of putting 'pen to paper' was, and still is, to produce a blueprint that my children can follow. This book provides the way forward to how they can start providing for their futures today. The books in this series go further than just discussing the principles and values of becoming financially secure; they also offer practical tips and techniques that you are able to apply in your own life. My wish is for you to experience the peace of mind that comes with giving yourself permission to enjoy your life now, with the confidence of knowing that you're becoming financially secure with each passing day.

Everyone with a view to retirement has received and continues to receive unending financial advice on retirement. The advice comes from family, friends and professionals. There is such a plethora of advice on the subject that you invariably wonder what is correct. Your parents probably started the conversation on saving for your future by saying something like: "Put aside something for a rainy day " or "Don't put all your eggs in one basket " While there are many very financially astute family members and friends, every individual retirement case is different, and a non-professional may easily overlook factors that do not personally affect them, or that they have not encountered. The truth is we need to get retirement financial advice from a trusted professional who deals with financial planning for a living. In this book, Jeff Cirino, EMBA, CFP(r), a professional financial planner and Celebrity Expert(r), gives you much to ponder over. He has a wealth of experience and will guide you to review your portfolio carefully. An advocate of fee-based financial advice, his is an objective approach to your most important r etirement decisions. You owe it to yourself to read this book. You will make better financial decisions and you will better understand the questions that need to be as

In his book, Having The Talk: The Four Keys to Your Parents' Safe Retirement, Jack Tatar provided a game plan for having one of the most necessary and vital family conversations-the talk between adult children and their retired or retiring parents. As Jack stresses, the talk is best done sooner rather than later and his approach to having the talk goes beyond just the financial aspects to also consider what he calls the Four Keys to a Safe Retirement. In this concise and informative book, Jack collects recent articles and excerpts from his book on this topic to provide the reader with an easy to read book that can be read and shared between families in order to ensure that "the Talk" occurs. In this book, Jack covers the following: What are the Four Keys to a Safe Retirement? How do you Begin the Talk? What are the Six Vital Financial Questions to ask? What are the Danger Signs for Elderly Investors? What are the 5 Critical Health Questions to Ask? Should we discuss Long-Term Care Planning? How do you Leave a Legacy in Retirement? How Can You Find Purpose in Retirement? What is the Secret to a Longer Retirement? How Important is Social Networking for Retirees? Should My Parents Move Closer to Me? And more This book also contains a special offer for all readers to gain 50% off of Jack's innovative home study program that helps retirees and pre-retirees to achieve a Safe Retirement.

"The transition from saving for retirement to living in retirement involves many different pieces that need to interact appropriately to safeguard your retirement assets. Figuring out how to assemble those pieces can be like trying to construct a 500-piece puzzle without a picture as your guide. This book will serve to oer some guidance to make your transition to retirement a little less puzzling." Danny Harlow

What does a woman want to do when she retires? Travel? Pursue hobbies? Spend time with friends and family? We all have dreams about what those days will be like. But when it comes to turning those dreams into reality, women's retirement confidence and know-how is low. According to a 2012 survey, 92 percent of women of all ages in this country don't feel they're educated enough to reach their retirement savings goals. For the woman who doesn't know where to start or would like a knowledgeable guide who speaks her language, financial expert Mary Hunt offers a comprehensive but approachable resource for saving and planning for retirement. Whether she feels entitled to retire at age 65, hopes she'll be able to stop working someday, or is convinced she'll never be able to retire, every woman will find real help in these pages. With her signature no-nonsense, energetic style, Hunt assures women that it's only too late if they don't start now. She clearly covers every aspect of retirement planning during every season of a woman's life, giving women the confidence they need to shape their futures.

We've been trained, advised and educated that the key to enjoying a long and prosperous life in retirement depends upon our ability to maximize the growth of our assets so that we have as much retirement income as possible. But as we know, retirement is not the same as it was years ago. Investment challenges, the complexity of investment vehicles, and government intervention have changed the retirement landscape for all of us looking towards a long and thriving retirement. Yet what hasn't changed is the fact that we continue to do the same things that we've done for years when it comes to retirement. So, if you were doing something wrong, when would you like to know about it? Early enough to be able to do something, or do you want to wait until the last possible moment? Currently there are millions of people planning for their retirement and unfortunately what they are doing is wrong. There are many factors for this, including 3 obscure rules from the Federal Government, changes to the cost of healthcare and other items that most Americans are unaware of, that will force people to change their thinking about saving and funding their retirement in the future. In order to help people to save their Social Security benefits, lower their tax obligations, maximize their retirement income and control their health costs in retirement, we've gathered seven of the leading retirement experts writing today to point out the realities of the new rules of retirement and what you can do to take back control of your future. Seven of the leading retirement experts provide the facts, realities and solutions around these topics: oDan McGrath: The New Rules of Retirement oMichael Gerali: The REAL Truth about Medicare and Social Security oRobert Ryerson: Financial Planning for the New Retirement oRobert Klein: The Truth about Annuities oJustin Belair: The New Approach to Estate Planning oJohn Marroni: What to Know about Reverse Mortgages Mike Padawer, author of What's the Deal with Long-Term Care?: The Economic Realities of Long-Term Care With an Afterword by Jack Tatar, author of Safe 4 Retirement: The Four Keys to a Safe Retirement and Having The Talk: The Four Keys to Your Parents' Safe Retirement