cover image The Motley Fool's Money After 40: Building Wealth for a Better Life

The Motley Fool's Money After 40: Building Wealth for a Better Life

David Gardner, Tom Gardner. Fireside Books, $25 (272pp) ISBN 978-0-7432-2999-9

Co-founders of The Motley Fool financial education company, the Gardner brothers have built an empire out of their ability to make matters of personal finance so simple that any""fool"" can learn to sort through them with a sense of confidence. Four of their last 10 books have been bestsellers; their latest offers comprehensive advice on the issues faced by the over-40 set, shared in their typically irreverent, blunt and highly informative way. From their clear explanation of why saving for retirement is more important than saving for a child's college education to their instructions on how to assess financial advisors based on their fee structures, the Gardners arm readers with sufficient background and direction--not to mention prodding--to realistically improve their balance sheet regardless of how much or how little they have already saved. And true to their hands-on philosophy, the authors have designed their volume to be""a to-do book, not a how-to book"": it overflows with Action Plans and references to additional sources (including their own Fool.com website). In their attempt to address every possible financial aspect of a reader's future, the Gardners even cover one of the most important and most overlooked aspects of retirement planning--the""why"" behind the whole retirement concept. In doing so, they drive home the point that attaining the""good life"" in retirement requires more than just a solid savings plan: it requires a plan for what one will be living for as well. Only a wise fool could have put the matter so frankly.