RETIREMENT BIBLE

Your one-stop guide for all you need to know about the ins and outs of planning a successful retirement -- it's never too early to start. Indside the Retirement Bible you'll find:
* How to play the retirement savings game -- putting together and sticking to a retirement check list
* Tips on cutting through the clutter of financial advisors -- your best sources for finding them, the questions to ask them, matching their services with your needs
* The inside scoop on private money managers -- should you hire your own?
* 401K contribution strategies -- getting the 401K you deserve, escaping a potential 401K nightmare, and alternatives for your 401K when you leave a job
* Stock picking 101 -- how stocks measure up, value versus growth, mutual funds, and new alternatives
* Establishing trusts -- ten steps in creating a great trust
* and much, much more!

About the Author Lynn O'Shaughnessy, the author of The Unofficial Guide to Investing, has been writing about personal finance for nearly a decade. The former Los Angeles Times reporter has contributed countless articles to Mutual Funds Magazine, Bloomberg Personal Finance Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes Magazine's Web site, and other magazines and Web sites. She is also a popular guest on Sage Online, a highly successful financial Internet site on America Online. She is currently finishing up her third book, Investing Bible. Lynn lives with her husband and two children in San Diego.

Acknowledgments.

Introduction.

PART I: Planning Your Retirement: What You'll Need and What You'll Get.

Chapter 1: Get in the Game! Starting Your Savings.

Chapter 2: Gambling on Social Security.

Chapter 3: The Nation's Disappearing Pensions.

PART II: Getting Directions: A Guide to Financial Experts.

Chapter 4: The Best Advice That Money Can Buy: Wealth Management Services.

Chapter 5: Finding a Financial Planner.

Chapter 6: Working with Specialists.

Chapter 7: Instant Advice: Four Simple Shortcuts to Financial Success.

PART III: Vehicles to Get You There Safely.

Chapter 8: Managing Your 401(k) Like a Pro.

Chapter 9: The Forgotten Retirement Plans: 403(b)s, 457s, and Small Business Plans.

Chapter 10: The ABCs of IRAs (Individual Retirement Accounts).

Chapter 11: Inherited IRAs: What You Should Know.

PART IV: Stocks and Mutual Funds for the Savvy Investor.

Chapter 12: Stocks: Who, What, When, Where, and How.

Chapter 13: Stock Picking 101.

Chapter 14: Selecting the Right Mutual Funds.

Chapter 15: Index Funds and Exchange-traded Funds.

Chapter 16: Protecting Stocks and Mutual Funds from Taxes.

PART V: All About Bonds.

Chapter 17: A Bond Primer.

Chapter 18: Building a Bond Portfolio.

Chapter 19: Beyond Bonds: Other Income Alternatives.

PART VI: Cashing in Your Chips.

Chapter 20: Investing and Spending Strategies for Retirees.

Chapter 21: Wise Withdrawal Tactics for Retirement Funds.

Chapter 22: The Role of Annuities in Retirement.

Chapter 23: Estate Planning: Why It's Such a Big Deal.

Chapter 24: More Estate-Planning Basics.

Chapter 25: A Primer on Trusts.

Chapter 26: Hiring and Firing Trustees.

PART VII: Being Generous for All the Right Reasons.

Chapter 27: Managing the Family Dynamics of Inheritance.

Chapter 28: Getting Involved with Charitable Organizations.

Chapter 29: Charitable Gifts That Give Back to You.

PART VIII: Insuring Your Financial Health.

Chapter 30: The Impact of Insurance on Your Retirement Plans.

Appendix: Resource Guide.

Index.