Can you afford to retire and live on 50% of your current salary? Have you mapped out an actionable plan to retire with some level of security? Are you reviewing your 401(k)-account balance regularly and more importantly, do you have an investment strategy in place to generate income after you retire? If you answered “no” to any of these questions, you should read on. Like the American Dream, your retirement is based on an ideal. One that gives you freedom. You can choose to retire at 35 or 85 or somewhere in between. Making the choice is easy if you are armed with the critical information you need to know to make good decisions. But what if you only have been given part of the big picture? Will you still be able to make good decisions about your retirement benefits? “Retire Not Expire” is written from the perspective of an employee benefits professional who counsels employees rather than the perspective of a financial planner. The goal of the book is not to sell you a financial services product. The goal is to give you the information about retirement benefits so that you can ask the tough questions of yourself and your financial advisors before making the leap into retirement. We will delve into the difference between guaranteed income benefits versus tax advantageous savings accounts. We cover topics such as making the transition from an active employee to a retiree and we will demystify your benefits calculation. We will touch on the velvet handcuff known as health insurance as well as discuss the importance of asking the right questions of your retirement plan administrator, your human resources advisor and your financial advisor. Most importantly, we will give you a roadmap for making the transition into your best life. Retirement is a mindset. It is not a death sentence.