“This book should be given to everyone approaching retirement.”
Sir Muir Gray
YouTube Videos
If you're planning your retirement or already retired and need to better understand you're money.
Listen to the Podcast
Tune in to almost 200 episodes for inspiration on how to plan for and live a successful retirement.
Retire Successfully
Find out how Justin could help you to retire successfully.
How will this book help you?
Whether you're just starting to think about retirement or you're already there, The Retirement Café Handbook will help you navigate this important life stage.
Your companion for a successful retirement, it covers crucial topics like the science of living better for longer, the role of investing, and planning for care and end of life.
Designed to be a working handbook you can dip into at any stage of your retirement, The Retirement Café Handbook includes everything you need to know to ensure a successful later life.
What if you could create your ideal retirement?
When you retire, your whole financial life essentially collapses down to one binary question: will your money outlive you, or will you outlive your money? It’s a crucial question, but is financial planning alone enough to ensure you live a successful retirement?
In The Retirement Café Handbook chartered financial planner Justin King shares insights gathered from dozens of podcast interviews and 30 years of helping people retire successfully. Cutting through the complexity of retirement planning, he guides you through a nine-step framework for creating a meaningful and fulfilling retirement. Tackling mindset, money and lifelong health, Justin provides thought-provoking research, sage advice and practical tools to allow you to create a plan to truly thrive.
This no-nonsense handbook has everything you need to take control of your life and build the retirement you’ve always deserved.
Praise for the Handbook
-
Professor Sir Muir Gray: Public Health Pioneer | Author of Increase your Brainability & Reduce your Risk of Dementia
“The word retirement implies retreat into a shell or a cave or some other dark place but the reality is, or should be, radically different. This phase of life is three decades long for most people, and it needs careful planning. This planning does take place but only about money. People need to think much more broadly, and this book will help them do just that. Covering not only health but much broader, deeper issues such as purpose, it should be given to everyone approaching retirement to help them ensure it is a renaissance.”
-
Rory Sutherland: Vice Chairman at Ogilvy UK | TED Global speaker | Author of Alchemy: The Surprising Power Of Ideas That Don’t Make Sense
“Justin is absolutely right when he suggests that in Britain there is a conspiracy of silence about retirement. In this wonderful book, he breaks the omerta which normally shrouds this topic, and asks not only the ‘when’ of retirement, but also the ‘why’.”
The story behind the book
The Retirement Café was dreamt up from a simple idea - to create a space where we could have real, meaningful chats about retirement. You see, retirement is a complex phase of life, and there's not a lot of easy-to-understand information out there. So, I thought, why not start The Retirement Café events? These are laid-back, live gatherings where retirees and experts can come together to delve into the many sides of retirement.
And guess what? They were a hit! So I decided to take it a step further with the Retirement Café Podcast. Now, I could share retirement planning advice and insights from an even larger group of experts and reach more would-be-retirees.
But here's the thing - the more information I shared, the more questions popped up. It turns out, the tricky part isn't just about asking questions, but knowing which ones to ask. That's when I decided to put pen to paper and write The Retirement Café Handbook.
This book is a treasure trove of wisdom, gleaned from over 60 expert interviews and years of financial planning experience. But it's more than just a guide. It's a tribute to the power of community and shared knowledge, and how they can help you not just survive, but thrive in your retirement. So, grab a cup of coffee and let's dive in together!
Meet the guest contributors
-
![]()
Professor Andrew J Scott
Authority on longevity and co-author of ‘The 100 Year Life’, spoke about the realities of living a 100-year life
-
![]()
Dame Esther Rantzen
TV legend and founder of The Silver Line, spoke about tackling isolation and loneliness in later life
-
![]()
Professor Sir Muir Gray
Public health pioneer, NHS stalwart and prolific author chatted about living better for longer
-
![]()
Rory Sutherland
Advertising legend at Ogilvy UK, author and TED Global Speaker, spoke about why rationale ideas don’t always make sense
-
![]()
Dr Daniel Levitin
Neuroscientist, author and musician, spoke about what the brain can tell us about ageing well
-
![]()
Jacqueline Berry
Founder of My Care Consultant, spoke about navigating the care system and NHS Continuing Healthcare
-
![]()
Kurt Lee
Solicitor and Chartered Tax Adviser, spoke about estate, legacy and tax planning for retirement
-
![]()
Professor Elroy Dimson
Emeritus Professor of Finance at the London Business School, expert on investing for the long term
-
![]()
David Jones
Vice President and Head of Financial Adviser Services EMEA at Dimensional Fund Advisors
-
![]()
Greg Davies
Expert in behavioural finance & investing behaviour at Oxford Risk.
-
![]()
Neil Bage
Specialist in Applied Behavioural Science & how sub-conscious behaviours drive our decisions
-
![]()
Abraham Okusanya
Founder and CEO of Timeline, a wealthtech company empowering advisers
-
![]()
Professor Keith Brown
National expert & government adviser on mental capacity and the care and safeguarding of older persons
-
![]()
Kevin Webber
Author of Dead Man Running, ultra-runner & fundraiser & advocate for Prostate Cancer UK
-
![]()
Duncan Bhaskaran Brown
Author of Get Over Indulgence: Take control, find your stress-free life, and speaker on overcoming indulgence
-
Fiona Heald
Solicitor and expert in the Court of Protection & looking after the interests of vulnerable people
-
![]()
Holly Mieville-Hawkins
Solicitor specialising in the Court of Protection and Mental Capacity.
-
Tim Farmer
Co-Founder of Comentis and Financial Vulnerability and Mental Capacity Trainer
-
Edwina Brocklesby
The Irongran and co-founder of Silverfit charity improving health & tackling isolation in later life
-
![]()
Dennis Hall
Ex-Royal Marine, Chartered Financial Planner and Marathon des Sables competitor
-
![]()
Suzanne Noble
Successful serial entrepreneur and co-founder of Advantages of Age
-
![]()
Katie Waldegrave
Teacher, author, MBE and co-founder of Now Teach, training career changers to become teachers
-
![]()
George Kinder
Founder of the Financial Life Planning movement and of Kinder Institute of Life Planning
-
![]()
Celia Dodd
Freelance journalist and author of ‘Not Fade Away - How to Thrive in Retirement’
-
Maggy Pigott
Retired solicitor and author of How to Age Joyfully: Eight Steps to a Happier, Fuller Life
-
![]()
Jamie Bunce
CEO of retirement living community Inspired Villages & proponent of maintain retirees’ wellbeing
-
![]()
Dominique Afacan
Writer, editor and co-author of Bolder - Life Lessons from people Older and Wiser than You
-
![]()
Stuart Lewis
Founder of Rest Less, a digital community for over 55s supporting work & lifestyle
-
![]()
Victoria Tomlinson
Digital expert and founder of Next-Up, helping people make the most of un-retirement
-
![]()
Hannah Thomson
Founder of The Joy Club, helping retirees to have a more joyful and social retirement
-
![]()
Lisa Robinson
Ex-Amazon executive & founder of Companiions - allow older people to find support on their terms
-
![]()
Grace Meadows
Music and health consultant, specialising in music for dementia
-
![]()
Vicky Wilson
Founder of Settld, a free private sector “Tell Us Once” service connected to over 750 private companies
-
![]()
Robin Powell
Author, award-winning journalist and creator of The Evidence Based Investor blog
-
Amy Castoro
President and CEO of The Williams Group, helping people transfer wealth between generations
-
![]()
Eric Balchunas
Author of The Bogle Effect & Senior ETF Analyst and Funds Product Specialist with Bloomberg
-
![]()
Laura Page
Artist, photographer, photojournalist and socially engaged practitioner
-
![]()
Nick Saunderson
CEO of Audley Group, the company that introduced the concept of luxury retirement villages for the over 55s
-
![]()
Ken West MBE
Founder of the green funeral market & awarded the MBE for his contribution to bereavement services
-
![]()
Tim Drake
Entrepreneur and author of ‘Generation Cherry – Powerful Strategies to Give You Another Bite of the Cherry’.
-
![]()
Lauren Janus
Philanthropist expert helping people become more informed and empowered philanthropists
-
![]()
Mark Anness
Retiree working tirelessly for Myra’s Wells Myra’s Wells building wells for villages in rural Africa
-
Dr Liz Marr
Pro Vice Chancellor for students at the Open University, and a mature student herself
-
![]()
Dr Jitka Vseteckova
Senior Lecturer in the School of Health, Wellbeing and Social Care at the Open University
-
![]()
Dr Ben Webb
Neuroscientist, psychology lecturer, speaker and author specialising in how the brain works
-
![]()
Chris Tiley
Physiotherapist, author of ‘Never Too Old To Lift’, passionate about strength training for over 60s
-
![]()
Dr Ben Hicks
Research Fellow at Brighton and Sussex Medical School and dementia advocate and expert
-
![]()
Julie Robinson
Award-winning fitness expert & founder of Move it or Lose it, aimed at keeping older people moving
-
![]()
Nicole Morelli
Founder of the Menopausal Mermaids sea swimming group creating safe space for women
-
Mark Peters
Expert Tai Chi practitioner, developed interventions for the NHS to prevent falls & illness
-
![]()
Kirsty Woodard
Ageing expert focused on the 1m over 65s who don’t have children find help in later life
-
![]()
Dr Noel Collins
Dementia expert as a specialism within gerontology, co-author of ‘The D Word - Re-Thinking Dementia’
-
Lisa Snyder
Partner & Chief Learning Officer for the Institute for Preparing Heirs, ensuring successful wealth transfer
-
![]()
Katrina Moss
Katrina shares the story of her transition into retirement, including caring for her terminally-ill mum
-
Amy Florian
Author, speaker and founder of Corgenius, a company focused on helping people deal with grief
-
Judy Kaufmann
Award-winning author of two books on end of life management and bereavement, and a End of Life Doula
-
Mary Jordan
Co-author of ‘The D Word - Re-thinking Dementia’ and co-founder of AdaptDementia Ltd
-
![]()
Sarah Malik
Specialist Information and Support Nurse with the charity, Compassion in Dying
-
Sue Barsky-Reid
Psychotherapist and counsellor, Sue co-founded Death Cafe with her late son, Jon Underwood
-
![]()
Louise Baxter-Scott MBE
Founder and head of the Scams Team for National Trading Standards; MBE for protecting vulnerable people
Meet the author
Justin King, a Registered Life Planner® and coach, is one of the UK’s most qualified independent financial advisers. Motivated by helping people find fulfilment, he supports others to take control of their lives and thrive in retirement. Justin is the co-author of "Ready, Steady, Retire! Plan Your Way to Success in a Redefined Retirement" and host of The Retirement Café Podcast and his YouTube channel, The Retirement Café.
