Seriously, what is your biggest fear? That depends, of course, where you are in life. When I was a little kid, I would have dreams of falling. I would wake up in the middle of the night, shaking, damp from sweat, and indented in my bed about a foot deep as if I really did fall. Once, I swear I even felt a hand grasping my right forearm, but that's a story for another book.
As I grew older, those fears were naturally replaced with wanting to be liked in school, hoping to find love, and then, well, the fear of love. Maybe you had similar anxieties, or you are afraid of heights, alien abductions, or the most common, snakes. Whatever they were, I'm sure you have your own memories; with many you'd like to forge--just as I would.
However, as we grow older and our financial goals change from growth and accumulation of our assets to that of preservation and distribution, our concerns change with them. At this point, we move into the first two mature phases of life. The first phase encompass typically those from approximately 55-65, and then the second phase is made of those who are generally retired from about 65 on up. Although this book provides guidance and insight for all investors, its recommendations are primarily for these two groups.
Something clicks inside us as we turn 50. Whether it's watching celebrities that we grew up with starting to die or the simple realization that we better get our act together if we don't want to work until the day we die that gets us concentrating on retirement. Studies consistently show that it is at this point in our lives that the fears of our younger years are replaced by worries about our health and running out of money in retirement. The good thing is that both of these worries can be overcome with proper planning and execution.
