In 100 pages, here is a single-sit read that explains easy-to-follow principles that can change the course of your life. The problem: The majority of Americans have less than $30,000 in retirement savings. A third have saved nothing at all. Tens of millions of middle-class Americans turning 65 in the next decade are on track to be living in or near poverty after they quit working--on a food budget of $5 a day. The solution: "How to Retire with Enough Money," a blueprint of common financial success for everyone, whether you're in your mid-50s and starting to panic a bit, or 20 years younger and planning ahead. Written by Dr. Teresa Ghilarducci, a professor of economics at the New School, a retirement and savings expert, and a trustee to two retiree health care trusts worth over $54 billion, "How to Retire with Enough Money" cuts through the confusion, misinformation, and bad policy-making that keeps us spending or saving poorly. It begins with acknowledging what a person or household actually needs to have saved--the rule of thumb is eight to ten times your annual salary before retirement--and how much to expect from Social Security, including how to receive the maximum amount.

And then it delivers the basic principles that will make money grow, including a dozen good ideas to get current expenses under control, which not only frees up more money to save, but adjusts lifestyle so that it's more affordable when you retire. Why to "get rid of your guy"--that for-fee (or hidden-fee) financial planner who sucks up valuable assets and whose recommendations never consistently outshine low-fee index funds tied to the market. Why it's always better to pay off a loan or a mortgage. No gimmicks, no magical thinking--just an easy program that works.