Retire Inspired by Chris Hogan
Finances. 256 Pages. 4 Stars
Synopsis:
When you hear the word retirement, you probably don’t imagine yourself scrambling to pay your bills in your golden years. But for too many Americans, that’s the fate that awaits unless they take steps now to plan for the future.
Whether you’re twenty-five and starting your first job or fifty-five and watching the career clock start to wind down, today is the day to get serious about your retirement.
In Retire Inspired, Chris Hogan teaches that retirement isn’t an age; it’s a financial number—an amount you need to live the life in retirement that you’ve always dreamed of. With clear investing concepts and strategies, Chris will educate and empower you to make your own investing decisions, set reasonable expectations for your spouse and family, and build a dream team of experts to get you there.
You don’t have to retire broke, stressed, and working long after you want to. You can retire inspired!
My Review:
I’ve been curious about Retire Inspired since it came out. I’m a long-time listener to the Dave Ramsey show, and have enjoyed watching the Ramsey personalities branch out and discover their own niches. Chris Hogan is a ton of fun to listen to on the podcasts. So, when I finally got around to picking up this book, I had high expectations.
Hogan has his own unique voice and style which draws people in. He’s the coach, Big Pop as he likes to say. He has loads of fantastic stories that are relatable–and really effective illustrations. I like the style with which he gets his point across a lot. He’s encouraging, but straightforward. He’ll give you the good and the bad, but he’ll show you how to change your circumstances for better rather than dwelling in the less-than-ideal situations. Reading through this book was like reading a gigantic pep talk.
Hogan attacks retirement much like Dave attacks everything: it’s 20% head knowledge and 80% behavior. I had really hoped for the nerdy break down of all things investing (cause I’m that nerd), and while Hogan does give lots of very valuable knowledge, recommendations, and information, most of this book is mindset focused. The book is a mixture of both, and I think I struggled with that a little.
See, I don’t really need the mindset shift. I’ve been brainwashed by Ramsey for the last decade and a half of my life. I just wanted the detailed, intricate plan. I want the steps to move forward, the do’s and don’ts to apply to my own life. But that doesn’t negate the necessity for someone who has the patience and heart to share this culture shift with people who haven’t yet heard Ramsey’s message. If your brain has already been rewired by Ramsey, just know going into the book that it’s targeted at an audience that is not quite on the same page as you yet.
The book is excellently written! And it is much needed in our society. Hogan takes the time to show readers what retirement used to be and contrasts that with what it is now. He clarifies all of the terminology and clears up the vague fog of perceptions people have surrounding this mythical thing called retirement, attacking myths and setting forth a plan for people to reach their dreams. He focuses on redefining retirement and opening the eyes of the people so that they realize they must act! He explains pitfalls we fall into and gives us red flags to watch out for as well as shows what we should be aiming for and how we should be approaching this sometimes difficult, but much needed topic.
It’s easy to understand and a good balance of informative and encouraging. I read it before bed over the course of a few weeks and did not find it difficult to understand. I’d highly recommend the book to anyone who is confused about what retirement is, if/when/how to plan for it (the answer is yes/asap/intentionally), and what the different terms, plans, etc. are. If you listen to the podcasts regularly, there’s probably not much new to the book that you won’t hear on the show, but it is nice to have it for reference (and to complete my nerdy collection!).