Why Swim with the Sharks? An Unconventional Guide to Early Retirement

by Diana Salomaa

Don’t think you can afford to retire early? Conventional wisdom assumes baby boomers will continue consuming their way through life. This requires the right mix of investments earning high returns, so you can save that million you need. Why swim with the sharks? is an alternative guide to your early retirement. It’s full of common sense financial wisdom that will keep you firmly on track to early retirement, 10 years sooner than you think. Forget conventional retirement advice. You don’t need complicated investment strategies or high-risk mutual funds. There is an easier way to riches, and retiring early. Curb your spending instead. You can retire early even if your investments are only earning 3% returns and you just started saving in middle age. In Why swim with the sharks? you’ll learn how - Avoid 7 retirement myths that will keep you working and saving years longer than you need to. - Take control of your money and re-order your priorities. - Live a greener and more sustainable way of life. - Live for today so you can enjoy tomorrow. If early retirement is your dream, this is the only retirement guide you’ll need.

Genres: Finance

Paperback

Published May 1, 2005

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although the underlying ideas presented in this book are solid, it's a product of its age and is due for an update. The authors don't seem to like spreadsheets or computers (whose use vastly improves retirement olanning efficiency) and their paper-and-pen methods of record keeping and graphing are outdated -. even for 2005! A free mint.com account is a huge improvement to any tracking solutions suggested in this book.

Even though the sentiment is spot-on, the book contains a lot of unnecessary repetition and just plain filler. Unless they target audience is the absolutely financially illiterate, the whole text could be presented in about 50 pages.

Despite all this, it's still worth reading if only to evangelize a culture of conversation over consumerism, and to encourage everyone to crunch their own numbers!