What do you think?
Rate this book
The Bogleheads' Guide to Retirement Planning
The Bogleheads are back-with retirement planning advice for those who need it! Whatever your current financial situation, you must continue to strive for a viable retirement plan by finding the most effective ways to save, the best accounts to save in, and the right amount to save, as well as understanding how to insure against setbacks and handle the uncertainties of a shaky economy. Fortunately, the Bogleheads, a group of like-minded individual investors who follow the general investment and business beliefs of John C. Bogle, are here to help. Filled with valuable advice on a wide range of retirement planning issues, including some pearls of wisdom from Bogle himself, The Bogleheads' Guide to Retirement Planning has everything you need to succeed at this endeavor. With The Bogleheads' Guide to Retirement Planning, you'll discover exactly what it takes to secure your financial future, today.
370 pages, Hardcover
First published September 24, 2009
392 people are currently reading
1684 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
June 20, 2015
This is a GREAT book for those about to retire (or in retirement), not for those planning 10 or more years earlier. It's designed in everyday language and doesn't resort to generalities, for the most part. Centered around a sound investment philosophy put forth by John Bogle, the Bogleheads apply strategy to this philosophy in the investment realm.
Another great aspect is the book is set up in easy-to-reference sections to be referred to from time to time, making a great reference book.
The reason for knocking a star off is because when I think of 'planning', I think of preparing years ahead. What would I do in my 30's, 40's, and 50's as I near retirement age to be better prepared and not risk losing time as a resource? However, as stated, this is more for those already retired or about to with little to no advise for those forward thinking about retirement planning that maybe 10 years or more out.
To be fair, the Bogleheads do have another book out on Investing that can help in this area, in part (The Boglehead's Guide to Investing). I would have just like to see more of the retirement-planning-ahead in this book, as well.
That said, when I'm near retirement I will be referencing this book.
Another great aspect is the book is set up in easy-to-reference sections to be referred to from time to time, making a great reference book.
The reason for knocking a star off is because when I think of 'planning', I think of preparing years ahead. What would I do in my 30's, 40's, and 50's as I near retirement age to be better prepared and not risk losing time as a resource? However, as stated, this is more for those already retired or about to with little to no advise for those forward thinking about retirement planning that maybe 10 years or more out.
To be fair, the Bogleheads do have another book out on Investing that can help in this area, in part (The Boglehead's Guide to Investing). I would have just like to see more of the retirement-planning-ahead in this book, as well.
That said, when I'm near retirement I will be referencing this book.
July 15, 2012
Though I don't intend to retire in the foreseeable future, it's never too early to think about it and to plan ahead. This book is a soup-to-nuts guide to just about every issue dealing with retirement, including side issues such as planning for long-term care, how divorce affects retirement planning, and estate management.
The book is a group collaboration of the Bogleheads (www.bogleheads.org), a group of investors who follow the investment philosophy of John Bogle. Bogle is the inventor of the modern index fund, and advocates a no-nonsense style of investing that centers around asset allocation, chasing market returns rather than big bets, and lowering investment expenses as much as possible.
As a group effort, the flow between chapters is a little jumbled; one author will sometimes repeat advice dispensed in another chapter. And there is a section on basic investing I felt wasn't really necessary. I understand why the authors would want to include a basic investment tutorial for sake of completeness, but they have already produced a book on that topic: "The Bogleheads' Guide to Investing", which covers this topic in detail. To me, the investment chapter is wasted page count.
But there were also a few things I was looking for in this book, where I feel it came up short. I wanted advice on how to transition an investment portfolio from "active investor" to "retiree" mode, with specific recommendations for how and when to adjust asset allocations. In retirement, the authors discuss what priority you should follow in tapping your various investment and retirement accounts, taking taxes into account - but I would have liked more strategy advice given to asset allocation, e.g. how to decide whether to sell stocks versus bonds in retirement, versus living off dividends and interest.
For the retirement issues one must plan for, this book is great at making you aware, giving you a primer on the topic, and telling you where to go for more info. Or at least make you conversant if you choose to hire an advisor (which the book also helps with). But I wish more of this book had been given over to investment management topics - which to me seem central to retirement planning - and less on issues such as keeping your estate out of probate.
The book is a group collaboration of the Bogleheads (www.bogleheads.org), a group of investors who follow the investment philosophy of John Bogle. Bogle is the inventor of the modern index fund, and advocates a no-nonsense style of investing that centers around asset allocation, chasing market returns rather than big bets, and lowering investment expenses as much as possible.
As a group effort, the flow between chapters is a little jumbled; one author will sometimes repeat advice dispensed in another chapter. And there is a section on basic investing I felt wasn't really necessary. I understand why the authors would want to include a basic investment tutorial for sake of completeness, but they have already produced a book on that topic: "The Bogleheads' Guide to Investing", which covers this topic in detail. To me, the investment chapter is wasted page count.
But there were also a few things I was looking for in this book, where I feel it came up short. I wanted advice on how to transition an investment portfolio from "active investor" to "retiree" mode, with specific recommendations for how and when to adjust asset allocations. In retirement, the authors discuss what priority you should follow in tapping your various investment and retirement accounts, taking taxes into account - but I would have liked more strategy advice given to asset allocation, e.g. how to decide whether to sell stocks versus bonds in retirement, versus living off dividends and interest.
For the retirement issues one must plan for, this book is great at making you aware, giving you a primer on the topic, and telling you where to go for more info. Or at least make you conversant if you choose to hire an advisor (which the book also helps with). But I wish more of this book had been given over to investment management topics - which to me seem central to retirement planning - and less on issues such as keeping your estate out of probate.
April 9, 2024
Well written book, but oriented to citizens of United States for most of the part of it
March 20, 2017
I've been searching for a book that provides something more than, "Create an emergency fund, put money away for retirement, profit." The Bogleheads offer up exactly what I've been missing. This is the intermediate step between the plethora of basic personal finance books and the day-trader, professional investor books that seem to dominate the personal finance landscape. I will be buying my own copy of this one.
February 24, 2023
Practical advice to retirement planning
October 20, 2023
An excellent and thorough reference for planning towards retirement, that's heavily geared towards people in the US but still has bits of broadly useful information. There's a nudge towards understanding taxation, details on retirement accounts, different types of annuities, investment and withdrawal philosophies, health/disability insurance, estate planning and so on. Essentially, every aspect that maybe relevant in retirement is covered in the book in substantial detail. And while much of it can be gleaned from casually perusing the web, the consolidation of "common-sense" information with the less known bits (like SEPP, substantially equal periodic payments) makes this an excellent resource. Even early in one's career, this is still a great guide to make sure common mistakes are avoided and mostly correct, time-tested and data-backed decisions get made.
April 8, 2024
Dry as hell but great advice
March 29, 2018
Must read for everyone that wants to retire :-)
The Bogleheads touch on every aspect of retirement and how to handle it from starting early to taxes after death. Social Security, retirement vehicles, and taxes can get really complicated based upon when you start receiving them, how much money you make and when you made it. There are few people that I would trust more than Bogleheads as this is a nonprofit book and some of the top minds in finance.
The Bogleheads touch on every aspect of retirement and how to handle it from starting early to taxes after death. Social Security, retirement vehicles, and taxes can get really complicated based upon when you start receiving them, how much money you make and when you made it. There are few people that I would trust more than Bogleheads as this is a nonprofit book and some of the top minds in finance.
April 27, 2018
I'm amazed at the sheer amount of information contained in this book. Unfortunately, more than half of it is irrelevant to me, and it's really not the fault of the authors.
Retirement / financial planning involves different investment vehicles and pension plans and funds, most of which are country specific. This book, having been written by American Bogleheads, would have been highly useful for a US citizen.
Retirement / financial planning involves different investment vehicles and pension plans and funds, most of which are country specific. This book, having been written by American Bogleheads, would have been highly useful for a US citizen.
October 10, 2018
Excellent, excellent, excellent. This book had all sorts of nuts and bolts information about a variety of topics related to retirement planning. The information was sometimes dated (especially be wary of tax changes since then), but it has value for everyone. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on how to create and actually write up your financial plan, and the husband and I will be doing so. Highly, highly recommend.
September 28, 2021
Gotta love the Bogleheads. There is a wealth of trustworthy retirement advice in this book, but it may function more as a reference for those already persuaded by the Bogle philosophy of investing. If these ideas are new to you, then first check out The Bogleheads’ Guide to Investing.
December 26, 2024
Very practical. Covers a lot of ground without getting distracted or lost in details or low levels rules that will get out of date. Not condescending to the uninitiated. Pretty boring, let’s be honest. Recommend it overall. I liked that it’s impersonal and not filled with anecdotes.
May 31, 2011
More of a focus on later stage retirement with lots of good info for those in that age range.
April 22, 2020
IF YOU'RE NOT USING BOGLEHEADS ADVICE TO PLAN FOR YOUR FUTURE TF YOU DOING. THIS IS 100% THE REAL DEAL
January 5, 2021
If you are looking for a basic guide to retirement planning, look no further. Even though this is more than a decade old, the principles are the same. The Bogleheads' Guide to Retirement Planning will give you pointers on every aspect of planning, regardless of your age. For items that constantly change, such as tax law, this book will give you a starting point and help you formulate questions to ask.
Every person should have a guide such as this.
Every person should have a guide such as this.
April 3, 2021
If you are a fan of John Bogle, this is an excellent book for retirement planning. Although it is written by a number of different people, it’s a fairly thorough review of key retirement planning processes. I really needed no other resource other than occasionally googling specific tax laws to complete my transition from employed to retired.
December 27, 2017
Excellent, thorough guide to financial planning in retirement
It may not be sexy our get you rich quick but the advice is at once practical and detailed. I only wish I'd read it about ten years ago!
It may not be sexy our get you rich quick but the advice is at once practical and detailed. I only wish I'd read it about ten years ago!
May 13, 2018
A good primer, although changes in the law since publication in 2010 mean parts are outdated, most notably the section on social security. Still, lots of good information, presented in an accessible way.
December 13, 2019
Had to return to the library, only finished about 3/4 of it. Some of it was useful, a little repetitive since a different person wrote each section. Some of it’s out of date. Will need to re-check it out to finish the last bits, and update the rating.
January 27, 2020
I dinged this book one star just because it was written in 2009 and a lot has changed in the past decade. That said, I learned a number of things about how to address various retirement situations.
Recommended if you need more info on retirement financial planning.
Recommended if you need more info on retirement financial planning.
Want to read
July 11, 2020Starts off with the planning process. Then it goes over the different savings and investment vehicles, investment strategies, how to make the most of social security, withdrawal strategies once you are retired, insurance, estate planning, how to find help if you need it, etc.
October 19, 2023
4.5 - Great book that saved me a lot of money.
Overestimate medical costs. It is most efficient to put international funds in taxable accounts due to tax credits. 457 can be invested in on top of a 403b. When close to RMD age rollover the rest into a Roth IRA to lock in the taxes and avoid RMDs.
Overestimate medical costs. It is most efficient to put international funds in taxable accounts due to tax credits. 457 can be invested in on top of a 403b. When close to RMD age rollover the rest into a Roth IRA to lock in the taxes and avoid RMDs.
April 14, 2025
Lots of good ideas and steps in here! Almost too much though, it was a far more complex guide than I would ordinarily consume.
As an audiobook, the narration was pretty dull. It is probably better as a read.
**This is also an old edition, be sure to read the latest one**
As an audiobook, the narration was pretty dull. It is probably better as a read.
**This is also an old edition, be sure to read the latest one**
July 6, 2017
Retirement research continues. This is a no nonsense look at investing for retirement. It is a little outdated regarding laws, etc., but the philosophy is still very sound.
November 12, 2017
good read for anyone wanting to empower themselves for good retirement planning
January 3, 2018
Good reference guide, keeping in mind that the laws/taxes have changed (& keep changing). Plenty of updated info on the website.
March 21, 2018
A really good book to read for those who are not only approaching retirement, but are interested in early retirement planning as well.
September 4, 2018
The go-to guide to retirement. This simplifies the complexities of retirement and provides tons of references for further reading.
December 9, 2018
I'm reading lots of books about investing and financial planning and money in general. I found this to be one of the best, not just for retirement planning but also for estate planning.
December 31, 2018
It was ok - but it's dated. I found Master the Money Game had more information on the same topics, and more useful.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews