The Retirement Savings Time Bomb . . . and How to Defuse It: A Five-Step Action Plan for Protecting Your IRAs, 401(k)s, and Other Retirement Plans from Near Annihilation by the Taxman

As far as I'm concerned, Ed Slott is the go-to guy when it comes to deciphering the ins-and-outs of retirement accounts. He covers Traditional IRA's, Roth IRA's, 401(k)'s, 457's, and others, and knows how to get to the important stuff in an informative, and relatively easy-to-understand way. There's even a little CPA humor thrown in ever now and then to help keep you focused. He covers taxes, timing, using insurance, and other topics that everyone that has one of these accounts MUST know in order to get the most out of them(literally). He also makes a compelling case for using Roth IRA's instead of Traditional IRA's; and I gotta say, I'm convinced! Make mine a Roth! Get the latest version of this book, and you won't be disappointed. Thanks Ed!

Following a careful read, I concluded the advice in the book is valid, but not for everyone . The copy I read was current in 2007, therefore somewhat dated. Some of the advice did not apply partly because the copy was five years old and partly because my financial situation is unique. For instance, the exemption for federal estate tax is now five million dollars, much higher than in 2007 (two million then). I discovered this by going to the internal revenue service web site. Of course, the law could be changed again and the exemption lowered, perhaps in an attempt to lower the national debt. Also, there were no tables giving the state estate tax laws (exemptions and tax rates, etc). I found that the estate tax in the state where I reside is at most 9.5 percent. I'm guessing this is probably much lower than estate taxes for most states in the northeast (possibly the basis of some of the estate tax estimates given in the book). So where you live could determine how much insurance you will want to leave to your heirs to cover estate taxes. Bottom line is you need to read the book and then do a little research to determine your best course of action, rather than blindly following the advice given. Or better yet, hire someone to help you with your estate plan. Having read the book, I feel better equipped to talk to a professional intelligently and present my unique situation. I consider the time taken to read the book well spent, and I would recommend the latest version to friends with IRA accounts.

This book could not be more informative about the construct and framework of an IRA (and its taxation) if it was named, 'The Dictionary of IRA Taxation'! If you are looking for a step by step way to save your retirement funds from future pitfalls and get your beneficiaries (and their loved ones) off to a running start in their life, look no further than this text! Concise, and to the point, with some examples and personal stories thrown in to balance the dry topics of accounting and taxes, Mr. Slott takes you from Retirement 101 to the upper division courses in one fell swoop! Leverage the knowledge that's in here and use it to safeguard you and your families! Thank you for this tome on how to keep what's ours!!!

Very good book. Well written and informative. This was recommended by my financial planner. The only issue I see is that if most individuals invest in Roth IRA's, this book is uesless. The information only pertains to traditional IRA's. So if you have a traditional IRA, you may want to consider this book. If you have a Roth IRA, then pass on this book and purchase something else.

Ed's humor and anecdotal stories made reading and understanding the retirement concepts a pleasure. My retirement financial areas of concern were each well represented and explained within the book. This resource would be great for anyone interested in the lifetime planning of/for their hard-earned financial assets.

Chapters are well laid out. Can look at it quickly to get important information. Some of the stuff is for younger people just starting to think about retirement. I'm 66 and am looking for ways to save what I have. But I saw Slott on PBS during pledge week and he seemed to make a lot of sense so I'm going to try some of his suggestions.

My wife and I have found this book a great reference for protecting assets during our retirement. I would recommend this book for those that want to protect what they have saved and to ensure that you don't pay taxes unnecessarily while in retirement. Helping you save more always makes more sense and the author provides a number of practical examples as well as examples of what not to do. With the 2018 tax law changes this book is a little out of date but overall the message of this book is still well within scope for those that want to save and extend their retirement savings.

The advice in this comprehensive book is worth many times the price of the book. Ed knows his stuff but more importantly...is a powerful communicator. He understands people and uses humor to drive key points home. You walk away retaining key points.