Includes bibliographical references and index.

Understanding the basics. Achieving a secure retirement ; Your personal cash flow ; Sources of retirement income ; Income from Social Security ; Will your money last as long as you do? ; Can you improve your situation? ; Enter the financial adviser -- Security for sale : evaluating retirement-income products. Guaranteed lifelong income ; Creating your own personal pension ; The promise of gain with no pain : equity-indexed and fixed annuities ; It's not too late to catch up : the guaranteed minimum income benefit ; Guaranteed withdrawals so you don't run out of money : the Guaranteed Minimum Withdrawal Benefit, or GMWB ; Certificates of deposit : not all CDs are created equal ; Cashing out of your home -- Investing in your future : retirement-income planning and the markets. Tax-deferred account decisions ; Making the markets work for you -- Pulling it all together : Uncle Sam, your adviser, and you. Taxes in retirement ; Taking money out of IRAs and other tax-deferred accounts ; Sales tactics, scams, and bad advice : a "perfect storm" for retirees ; Finding an adviser who is right for you ; The finish line -- More retirement resources. Appendix A. Prospective adviser notepad ; Appendix B. Client reference notepad ; Appendix C. Quick-test factors for different retirement periods and rates of return ; Appendix D. Retirement income management : a case study.