Eric Tyson & Robert C. Carlson 
Personal Finance After 50 For Dummies 

Manage your finances in your golden years–enjoy your retirement!

Numerous life changes come with the territory of getting older–as we’re reminded every day by anti-aging campaigns–but one change the media doesn’t often mention is the need for a shifting approach to personal financial management. Personal Finance For Seniors For Dummies, 2nd Edition offers the targeted information you need to make informed decisions regarding your investments, spending, and how to best protect your wealth. You’ve worked your whole life for your nest egg–why not manage it as effectively as possible?

Enjoying your golden years hinges on your ability to live the life you’ve dreamed of, and that’s not possible unless you manage your finances accordingly. The right financial decisions may mean the difference between a condo in a more tropical climate and five more years of shoveling snow, so why leave them to chance?

* Explore financial advice that’s targeted to the needs of your generation

* Understand how changes in government programs can impact your retirement

* Consider the implications of tax law updates, and how to best protect your assets when filling out tax forms each year

* Navigate your saving and investment options, and pick the approaches that best fit the economic environment

Whether you’re heading into your senior years or your parents are getting older and you want to help them take care of their finances, Personal Finance For Seniors For Dummies, 2nd Edition offers the insight you need to keep financial matters on the right track!

Table of Content

Introduction 1

Part I: Working toward Retirement 7

Chapter 1: Looking Ahead to Your Future 9

Chapter 2: Protecting Your Employment Income and Your Health 21

Chapter 3: Developing a Retirement Plan 41

Chapter 4: Identifying Retirement Investments and Strategies 61

Chapter 5: Grasping Retirement Accounts and Their Rules 87

Part II: Making Money Decisions in Retirement 105

Chapter 6: Managing Budgets and Expenses 107

Chapter 7: Guiding Investments and Distributions in Retirement 129

Chapter 8: Making Important Housing Decisions 147

Chapter 9: Considering Your Long-Term Care Insurance Needs and Options 159

Part III: Dealing with Government Programs 193

Chapter 10: Making Your Best Choices under Social Security 195

Chapter 11: Getting the Most Out of Medicare 235

Chapter 12: The State Health Care System Backup: Medicaid 275

Part IV: Estate Planning: It’s More than Just Dead People and Lawyers 303

Chapter 13: The Basics on Estate Planning 305

Chapter 14: Eyeing Wills and Other Legal Documents 331

Chapter 15: Tackling the Federal Estate Tax When You Have Too Much Money 357

Chapter 16: Focusing on Estate Taxes and the Many Types of Trusts 387

Part V: The Part of Tens 401

Chapter 17: Ten Common Retirement and Estate Planning Mistakes 403

Chapter 18: Ten Things to Know about Working in Retirement 415

Chapter 19: Ten (or So) Tips to Know about Caring for Your Aging Parents 423

Index 429

About the author

Eric Tyson is a nationally recognized personal finance counselor, writer, and lecturer. He is the author of the bestselling Personal Finance For Dummies.
Bob Carlson is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Fairfax Country Employees’ Retirement System.