Across the Reference Desk
Retirement is a topic which will eventually be a concern for all of us and happily it is one that is easily researched at the Goshen Public Library. A quick check of the online catalog reveals a large number of titles on the topic, approximately 30 of which we own right here in Goshen.General planners abound, such as The Second 50 Years by Walter Cheney or Retiring Right by Lawrence J. Kaplan or The Retirement Sourcebook by Edward L. Palder. All are good overviews and contain a little bit on all aspects of retirement planning. Kathryn Petras' The Only Retirement Guide You'll Evert Need would have you believe that these kinds of overviews are exhaustive but we really recommend considering more than one source and also books on sub-topics as well.
One sub-topic to consider is that of the various places to consider retiring to, if one would like to relocate at that time as well. 50 Fabulous Places to retire in America by Lee Rosenberg, The Retirement Places Rated and Retirement Living Communities by Deborah Fine Freundlich are good examples of guides that nicely fill this need.
There is a vast wealth (no pun intended) of material on financial planning. James P O'Shaughnessy's How to Retire Rich. Ken Scholen's Your New Retirement Nest Egg and John Wasik's Late-start Investor are good recent titles that are of a general nature. Specific titles on 401k plans, home equity kits and other financial strategy types are also available.
Social Security and pensions are also discussed in specific books. The Social Security Handbook is excellent for everything one might need to know about that topic. For pensions, Pensions in Crisis by Karen Ferguson and Don't Count on It by Thomas G. Donlan are good choices issuing stern warnings on the problems associated with many pension funds and plans.
Health information is always available at the library. In reference there is the Complete Guide to Symptoms, Illnesses and Surgery for People Over 50. In the regular collection there are many wellness and fitness titles such as I'm Too Young To Get Old by Judith Reichman, or for men, Look 10 Years Younger, Live 10 Years Longer by Dr. David Ryback. Successftil Aging by Rowe and Kahn is another good choice in this area.
There are even career books such as Retirement Careers by DeLoss Marsh for the semi-retired. And of course, for those already retired and considering a new hobby or sideline, the library has books on just about any pastime or business one might like to start. So, just think of the possibilities, and then, as always, explore them at the library!