Review of Reconfigurement

[DANIJEL DUBICANAC]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Reconfigurement" by E. Alan Fleischauer.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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You are not getting any younger. Even if you are 25, and still think getting old is an avoidable mistake, you can not run away from old age. In the best-case scenario, you will work most of your life and dodge disabling injury. Fun statistic from the book: your chances of such harm are 1 out of 21. Are you still reading this despite the existential terror stirring in your stomach? Well, this does not get prettier. The retirement age was calculated back when people lived much shorter than today. When you reach retirement age, your savings will not suffice for medical costs, living expenses, life emergencies, or long-term care. Then what? You will have to reconfigure, and what better way to start than reading Reconfigurement by E. Alan Fleischauer?

Honestly, I would rather read about heroic astronauts saving humanity from alien invasion than think about disability, old age, and retirement. Then there are joys of still working after 70 in the profession where my abilities are still of use, and eventually dying. The author is fully aware of the gravity and does his best to lighten things up with jokes and lots of them. They are not water cooler material but are a nice distraction to ease your mind.

Before reading this book, I was ignorant of American life insurance, social security, and investment funds. After reading the Reconfigurement I have a basic understanding of these concepts and their history. I can even apply some of that knowledge to the EU situation. The author will not teach you everything you need to know to invest wisely on your own but will help you master the basic concepts. When you come to someone for financial advice, you will ask better questions and maybe recognize when you are encouraged to take higher risks. I got lost in the text couple of times, but since I am next to illiterate with the finances, this is probably on me and not the author's fault.

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. It got me thinking about the uneasy subject and taught me the basics of navigating toward safer and happier old age. I almost wrote “retirement” instead of "old age", but I guess I’ll be reconfiguring away after my retirement age anyway.

I recommend this book mostly to working folks in the USA but will not stop there. What you learn here will help you adapt to the changes in your life wherever you might be.

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Reconfigurement
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