Though it is cliché, Retirement for Mortals is the book I wish I’d had when (or better, just before) I retired. I knew something about the money side but the gaps between leaving work and Medicare and Social Security, let alone the chasms between the now and the distant then were all obscure and confusing. I read everything I could find and watched countless videos and presentations. Different pundits had different ideas, as they do.
In the end, I decided that retirement cannot be optimized. Retirement is not just a new beginning where we become our own boss, it’s also when we understand that we are going into that good night regardless of how much we rage.
We’re mortal and mortality makes optimization impossible: we don’t know who is calling the next tune so the best we can do is sing along and enjoy the dance. We’re not trying to maximize our money, we’re trying live a full and abundant life. Acknowledging mortality honestly lets Retirement for Mortals address the whole picture while still showing that mere mortals can plan and manage retirement. Yes, the title is a pun.