Only a few years ago, the question on many Americans’ minds wasn’t “how will I retire” but “when.” Now, with 401(k)s and IRAs at a fraction of their previous value and health-care costs soaring, it’s time for a definitive guide book that walks you through the fundamentals of retirement.

With his biweekly “Seniority” column in The New York Times, Fred Brock has earned a reputation for providing frank and pragmatic advice on the changing landscape of retirement. In chapters written exclusively and originally for this book, he offers updated thinking on all the essentials for a smart and secure retirement, including how to

• determine new personal finance and investing goals

• find untapped asset streams, such as reverse mortgages

• deal with the tangle of taxes on pensions, family gifts, and other income

• work during retirement

• choose a community and housing

• maximize your health insurance

• assess long-term assisted-living arrangements

He offers indispensable tools for analyzing your true costs of retirement, independent of the mutual-fund industry hype and Social Security scares. And a substantial list of national, regional, and online resources as well as worksheets allow you to customize and realize your retirement plan.

New York Times. He has also covered business and finance issues for The Wall Street Journal, the Houston Chronicle, and the Louisville Courier-Journal. He lives in New Jersey.