Book Review:
“ How to Make 10 Million Before You Are 60 ”

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          More people will grow old this century than ever before. This will change the nature of retirement as we know it. The average retired person in the developed world now spends more than 20 years without a salary income, demands a better retirement than his or her parents and plans to retire earlier than past generations could contemplate. More than ever, individuals have to take responsibility for their own retirement as well as the lifestyle that they enjoy along the way.

          This book is all about today’s retirement reality and how to prepare for it. After having been in the fund management business all my life, I decided to write this book in order to help readers get a grip on what it will take to achieve that elusive goal of a comfortable and “financially worry-free” retirement. Quite frankly, I do not think many people will be able to achieve anywhere near a traditional work-free retirement given the way they invest their retirement nest eggs. Not only are we living longer but believe me it is not easy to save so much money during your working years that you can forgo work completely for 20 to 30 years.

          Retirement is a journey not a destination. How you spend your retirement is determined in your 20s and 30s and not during the last 5 years of your working career. By then it is almost always too late to do anything about any financial shortfalls in your retirement saving funds. Admittedly, not many people give much thoughts to retirement planning when they are in their 20s but far too many people do not give any thoughts to retirement at all through their working lives! As the old saying goes “Enjoy life when you can and earn it when you can’t”and unfortunately many people still think they can get by somehow in their 60s hoping to be looked after by their children or grand children.

          The book is divided into 15 chapters. The first chapter outlines the absolute essentials on what retirement planning is all about. While the second chapter will require you to visit my company’s website at www.finansa-asset.com in order to play with retirement planning calculators. Chapters 3 to 5 emphasize on life in general. As we all know too well that working life in the 21st century is not plain sailing like before. Mergers, recessions, cost-cutting exercises are the norm and “survival of the fittest” is the new game in town. Money alone may not be enough to buy you a happy retirement, as you will find out in Chapter 3 and make sure you do not skip chapters 4 and 5 in case you are faced with early retirement prospects and some of the seven major retirement threats.

          Many readers will find the contents in Chapters 6 through 8 useful when it comes to putting theory into practice. Planning for retirement is one thing but how to get there takes perseverance and discipline. Monitoring and evaluating your investment holdings can be time consuming and, to some, overwhelming. In order to meet all your investment needs from capital appreciation, wealth protection to short-term cash management make sure you read these chapters carefully.

          Lastly, there is live after work after all. Chapter 9 deals with post-retirement planning i.e. how to make sure you do not run out of money before you die! I also throw in a few useful tips on how to stretch that retirement cheque and income management when you no longer have an income. And in the final Chapters 10-15, say goodbye to the traditional retirement plans as we know it. Pension plans are no longer around. Registered provident funds are going through a major make-over with “Employee’s Choice” and portable pension is the shape of things to come in the 21st century.

The book is now on sale (Baht 280) at all leading book stores nationwide.