The Buckets of Money Retirement Solution: The Ultimate Guide to Income for Life

Investors, shell-shocked by the "Great Recession" of 2008-2009, are looking for answers, for something fresher than the old 'buy-and-hold' mantra. They hunger for stability, yet yearn for growth to rejuvenate their battered portfolios. Ray Lucia's The Buckets of Money Retirement Solution: The Ultimate Guide to Income for Life provides just that—a reassuring and scientifically proven strategy that gives investors both growth and income. Lucia, a Certified Financial Planner who's helped thousands of people invest more than $2 billion, explains how to spend down 'safe' buckets (containing, for example, Treasuries, CDs, bonds), while leaving a riskier bucket (real estate, stocks and alternative investments) to grow long-term. This strategy shields investors from the short-term ups and downs of the market. And it gives them the courage and discipline to stay invested no matter what the future holds. Written in a breezy, accessible style and loaded with tons of examples and clear, specific calculations, the book explains how to set your financial goals, divvy up your money accordingly, and then invest intelligently. With this book as your guide, readers will learn how to achieve both income and growth while at the same time reducing risk. "All in all," Lucia writes, "this plan is akin to a sports car that seats six, approximating the best of both worlds. In this case by being a conservative strategy that’s also growth-oriented." Almost every kind of investment—stocks, bonds, commodities, real estate—plunged in the past year or two, turning off millions of investors who'd been planning for and counting on a reasonably comfortable retirement. These retirees or near-retirees need solutions ... something fresher than the old 'buy-and-hold' mantra. Yet here's what they hear from the financial-services industry: Set up an asset-allocation model, then take a systematic withdrawal to support your retirement ... remembering, of course, to rebalance the accounts to remain in sync with the model. Wrong! That maximizes the advisors' fees but doesn't protect the investors' assets during the tough times.

Table of Contents:
Foreword by Ben Stein xi Acknowledgments xv Introduction xvii Part I Regain Your Balance Chapter 1 Adapt to the Changing Landscape 3 The End of Easy 3 The Lessons 9 A Final Word 10 Chapter 2 Prepare for Whatever the Future Holds 11 Rebuild Your Savings 12 Rethink Your Retirement Years 17 Retool Your Retirement Savings Plans 23 Reinvent Your Strategy 26 A Final Word 28 Part II Forge a New Plan Chapter 3 Grasp the Buckets of Money Concept 33 Put Time on Your Side 34 Other Risks 35 Wall Street’s Answer 38 Flawed Analyses 40 Main Street’s Myopia 41 “Reverse Dollar-Cost Averaging” 42 Proper Allocation 44 Proper Location 45 A Final Word 47 Chapter 4 Choose the Proper Investments 49 Bucket 1: The Income Bucket 49 Bucket 2: The Relative Safety Bucket, Mid-term Investments 58 Bucket 3: The Growth Bucket, Long-Term Investments 68 A Final Word 76 Chapter 5 Execute the Buckets of Money Strategy 77 First, Check Goals 77 Art and Science 78 Filling the Buckets 79 Bucket 1 80 Bucket 3A 81 Planning for Inflation 82 Bucket 3B 83 The Bottom Line 85 The Fate of the Heirs 85 Another Scenario 86 How Much Risk? 87 How to Allocate 88 The Importance of Bucketizing Now 89 A Final Word 90 Part III Refine the Plan Chapter 6 Take Another Look at Annuities 93 What’s an Annuity? 93 Predicting the Future 102 Good Evidence 102 What Academia Says 103 Recovery Strategy 104 Risks and Opportunities 105 A Final Word 106 Chapter 7 See What REITs Can Do for You 109 What Exactly Is a REIT? 110 Combining the Best Features 110 Public versus Nontraded REITs 113 Another Advantage 114 The Lowdown on Loads 116 Are All REITs Low-Leveraged? 118 What Kinds of Properties Are Best? 120 Differs from Homes 124 The Role of REITs in a Portfolio 124 What Should You Look For? 125 Getting Help 128 My Personal Bias 129 A Final Word 131 Chapter 8 Play It Smart When It Comes to Personally Owned Real Estate 133 Your Home and Your Future 133 Buying Other Real Estate 147 A Final Word 153 Chapter 9 Give Uncle Sam His Fair Share—But No More 155 Tax-Free Municipal Bonds 156 Tax Management of Stock Portfolios 157 Real Estate 157 Roth Conversion 159 Incorporating Your Business 162 Tax-Credit Investing 164 Choosing Smart Location of Assets 166 A Final Word 168 Part IV Live Happily Ever After Chapter 10 Craft a Workable Withdrawal Strategy 173 Beware of Averages 174 Pitfalls Abound 176 Getting Set Up 177 Drawing Down Your Total Retirement Resources 179 Keeping Taxes Low 183 A Few More Thoughts about Stocks 187 A Final Word 191 Epilogue Keep Your Eye on Enjoyment 193 About the Authors 197 Recommended Resources 199 Index 203

About the Author :
RAYMOND J. LUCIA is one of the nation's leading authorities on financial, tax, and retirement planning. Over the course of his 36-year career in the financial services industry, Lucia, a Certified Financial Planner®, has helped thousands of people invest more than $2 billion using his renowned Buckets of Money® retirement strategy. Registered Rep. magazine named Lucia one of the "10 Best Brokers in America." Lucia is the host of the nationally syndicated Ray Lucia Show on Business TalkRadio Network, and is a frequent guest on Fox News, Fox Business, CNBC, and the Today show. He is also a local business editor on TV stations in his hometown of San Diego. DALE FETHERLING has written or coauthored more than fifteen nonfiction books, and has also taught writing and editing at five colleges and universities.