The Couple's Retirement Puzzle: 10 Must-Have Conversations for Transitioning to the Second Half of Life

by Roberta K. Taylor, Dorian Mintzer

Book We are in the midst of a "longevity revolution" with more than seventy-eight million baby boomers pioneering a new life stage characterized by living and working longer, developing second or third careers and taking advantage - as never before -- of new opportunities for learning and growth. Couples in midlife and beyond are being challenged to redefine retirement and reinvent themselves and their relationships in order to enjoy a sense of meaning, purpose and belonging in the second half of life."The Couple's Retirement 10 Must-Have Conversations for Transitioning to the Second Half of Life" is filled with conversations such • If, When and How to Retire • Let's Talk About Money• Changing Roles and Identity• Time Together, Time Apart• Health and WellnessThe book provides real-life examples as well as tips and techniques that can help couples learn to communicate more effectively and plan together for the next part of life.

Genres: Nonfiction, Finance

306 pages, Paperback

First published January 24, 2011

Reviews

[Jay French · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read a lot of retirement how-to books over the past few years. I'm always looking for things to think about that I might have missed. This was not one of the few books to provide entirely new insights. However, I did find the focus on communications with your spouse/partner to be rare. The topics were broader than many books, more on how to live, from sex to separate vacations, less on money, money, money. Nicely done.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

more something to do than to read for fun, but generally optimistic, engaging take on getting ready for retirement as a team. Many of the issues would be equally applicable to people not in couples (e.g., how to use your time, or in their terms determining what you want to retire "to" rather than "from"), but some are distinctively couples considerations (e.g., how to cope with differences of opinion on where to live, or with drastic changes in how much you're both at home....).

It's short on specific advice -- you'll need to supplement this with other articles/books if you're looking for a rule of thumb on how much to have saved in retirement account, for instance -- but long on raising issues to consider and describing wide range of ways in which real couples have addressed them.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't realize this was a workbook of sorts for couples or singles. I'd give it 2 stars but I picked up a couple of innovative ideas that gave me permission to think out of the box.

I'm way past the point of writing down what I envisioned about retirement. I'm surprised that there is a certain amount of work and discipline required to get it right. If you think it's about sleeping in, watching shows you never got to watch, reading all those books, and walking the dog, you'll be harshly let down in a few months.

You will quickly arrive at the intersection of happiness and boredom . Work is not so bad but it doesn't have to be what you've always done. The point is to shake it up. One couple chose different places to live through the winter and pursued their own interests for 3 months of the year. That was an interesting idea. The point is you don't need to be together if you're with a spouse or partner 365 days a year. It's doesn't even feel right to do that.
So jumping into the great abyss of freedom is like free falling and this little book filled with stories and work lessons can help one prepare.

[Dru · Rating 3 out of 5]

First the good news: this book will help kickstart our discussions about retirement.

Now the bad news: this book has very little practical advice. It is 10 or so chapters, each covering a different topic about retirement, but each chapter follows the same identical pattern:

1) Name the topic
2) Provide a dozen or so random stories about people dealing with said topic
3) Tell the reader “now go talk about it”

I mean…little context, little hard advice. It might as well have been a pamphlet for all I really got out of it. I was looking for hard facts and figures but got nothing but fluff and pseudo-science.

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

This seems to be a very useful book, but in fact, its usefulness will depend naturally on each person's circumstances. Certain chapters had topics that we have already dealt with (e.g. when to retire), but several others will require that we return to this resource frequently.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF. I hoped to pull more from this book than I did. The book is written for traditional retirement and leans heavily on traditional gender roles and stereotypes. I really didn't find anything relatable or useful and so did not finish the book.

[Sadie Borkowski · Rating 1 out of 5]

It didn't really focus on retirement issues so much as how to not yell at your partner as you argue about who's supposed to do the dishes now you are both retired. It was a bit disappointing.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good advice although a little dated. You should read this several years before retiring!

[David Provost · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not very helpful!

[Mike Andrewartha · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing style and approach seem simplistic but there are some things to think about. Not sure if the structured conversations they prescribe are viable for us but we’ll see

[Tima · Rating 4 out of 5]

Retirement is something couples look forward to long before it arrives. But often after retirement arrives the couples find themselves in situations that they didn’t anticipate. Retirement isn’t just about quitting your job. It is about a complete lifestyle change. This book will take couples looking at retirement through 10 questions that will start conversations and help prepare the couples for what is ahead.
I was impressed with the depth and thought put into the questions and presentation of this book. The questions are all across the board and are about topics such as financial, health, family, new hobbies, and downsizing. Each chapter begins with a story that illustrates the question that will be discussed. The chapter is then filled with stories, advice, and thoughts surrounding the question. Each chapter ends with a special section designed to make the chapter more personal. It starts with “talking it out”, has several exercises, and ends with a puzzle piece and fun work. While I am quite a few years from retirement, I enjoyed reading the book and learned a lot. I will be keeping this book for the future and think everyone nearing retirement should read it.

I received this book free of charge from Goodreads in exchange for my honest review.

[Andrew J. Dutka · Rating 4 out of 5]

useful advice for retirement planning

I acquired this book because my wife and I are talking about retirement and not getting very far. I will ask her to read it because it does have some good suggestions, and offers a structure for conversation. I think it tends to favor solutions that are politically liberal and more suited for educated professionals. The prose flows smoothly but its readability relies on extensive use of cliches. I did not think it was profound

[Dean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good guide to retirement and the issues to be faced, especially communication. One of the high points of the book is the organization by topics. Within the topic each author adds their personal example not the several other real life examples from their professional life.

I will recommend this to friends, especially those in AARP to pass on to others.

[Darcee Kraus · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this novel in the First Reads giveaways! I was so exciting to receive the book and thoroughly enjoyed working through the topics presented. I did not do the book in order, however I am very pleased with the results.

[Kathleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very basic re couples interactions. (Can't have been married long if these chapters help you) Only chapter found useful was on thinking about the legacy you want to leave.

[Terry Mccagh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful! A smart read for anyone who is considering retirement.