Review of Reconfigurement

[OTrain Disene]

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

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4 out of 4 stars

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No one likes to sit down and talk about their finances. It is embarrassing and, quite frankly, hurtful to go through your financials and see that you have nothing substantial set aside for your future and the future of your loved ones. But we need to have such difficult discussions because avoiding them or putting them off would be foolish of us, as that wouldn’t help anyone. Reconfigurement is a nonfiction book by an Accredited Investment Fiduciary, E. Alan Fleischauer. The author is a father, husband, and financial advisor to many in his financial advisory firm. With such vast lived experience in the field of finance, especially in retirement and investment plans, he is just the perfect person to be engaged in this topic.

The author opens the book by reminding us and making us aware of the stark fact that life expectancy across the world, more so in developed countries—the USA, for instance—has drastically extended to the eighties and nineties. Pushed from the sixties. Now more than ever, people will need to have sufficient financial plans that will carry them throughout their septuagenarian years and beyond as retirees. One retirement plan has proven to be not enough. He also doesn’t ask us, people, to rethink our approach, but also asks the government and financial industry as a whole. It is their duty to make sure people are informed.

In the second chapter, he urges us to think about what income means and entails to us. He does this by teaching us about budgeting and seeing if there are any unnecessary expenses that we can cut completely off the list. In the following chapters, he touches on each available retirement plan for people as individuals and even as spouses that can work out for them. He addresses each, giving their advantages and disadvantages. He even shares websites that will help you do some work you might find tedious or strenuous to do yourself.

This book was informative and entertaining, unlike any other. The author knew that the topic could be triggering to most readers, so he addressed this problem with the implementation of humour in the book. I loved that the jokes he shared were his and some were not. They were also relevant to the topic of finance. Only a few were not. The jokes did not, by chance, turn the book into a comic or make light of the issues he addressed. They just worked as a breather from an otherwise serious text. After going through the advantages and disadvantages of life policies, wills, estates, IRAs, and payouts that are tax-exempt and those that are not, it only made sense to add some humour so as not to turn the reader off. The book was also short, so the author made sure to be as brief as possible but also not leave out the important parts.

I loved how easy his writing was. It was like he was talking to me directly, on a one-on-one basis, instead of the entire room. This made the book feel intimate. As a reader, I felt respected. The author explained words that will be confusing to someone who is not well-versed in finance matters, like me. Some of the policies and plans he talked about, I didn’t know because I am not from the United States. But he explained them well, and I managed to understand them. The text was friendly and straight to the point. He didn’t beat around the bush, trying to explain some terms. The tone was calm and collected. The pace was steady but quick. If you are a fast reader, you might find yourself on the last page in just one sitting. That’s how captivating it is.

The author emphasised that People have a consultation with their financial advisors because of different laws across the country. This showed that he was sincere in being helpful and that he was not about spreading misinformation. There was nothing I disliked about it. It was a fun book to read.

The book seemed to be professionally edited because I only came across one error that didn’t take away the quality of the book. With everything I have said, it is with happiness that I rate this book four out of four stars. Special Private Book Description states that the ideal readers are people from age 40-50, but I have to disagree. I would recommend it to people in their twenties and thirties. They are still getting into the workforce, and they may need the information in this book sooner than later.

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Reconfigurement
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[Mercy Sos Christopher]

Reconfigurement is one of my best read so far. It's so educating and interactive. It contains alot of financial tips . I will definitely recommend it to older readers and college age readers...Your review however is well written, thank you for the review.

[Amy Luman]

I’ve heard that life expectancy is increasing. It just hit me as I was reading what that means for retirement savings. I donn’t know why I didn’t realize the implications earlier. All the more reason to start saving early.

[R_becca]

Young people frequently don't fully appreciate the value of retirement planning and future planning. This book is educational and helpful.
I also appreciated the range of lessons and practical information this book offers. Thank you for the frank review.

[Benny Rach]

The book's accessible writing style makes it easy for readers of all financial backgrounds to grasp the concepts presented.