If you are rethinking how to use your time, money and energy in middle age, or when you are retired, Use zero death Bill Perkins offers a refreshing and bold perspective. Rather than focusing on saving futures to futures that may never come, this book challenges you to intentionally transform money into meaningful life experiences while you are still healthy enough to enjoy them.
What Use zero death All-Why is it such a compelling financial plan?
Published in 2020 Use zero death Former hedge fund manager Bill Perkins quickly became a word of mouth phenomenon, especially among middle-aged professionals and retirees, rethinking how they spend their time and money. The book challenges an ingrained mindset: accumulating wealth is the primary measure of financial success.
Instead, Perkins offers a more radical goal: to use your money to create the wealthiest life and aim to die with zero dollar change.
This idea has nothing to do with irresponsibility or exhaustion of your bank account. It's about spending time to fit your ability to joy, recognizing that money is the most valuable when used at the right moment, rather than hoarding indefinitely a future that may never come.
As more people seek to recover their agents in their lives, especially after the pandemic, burnout and value shifting values Use zero death It resonated a lot. It triggers profound introspection and dialogue about regrets, opportunities and purposes.
6 Key Insights from “Zero Death”
There are 6 key tips and insights in this book to help you live more fully and plan with a purpose:
1. Spend your life wisely
Money is just a tool that can help you make the most of your limited time and energy. Perkins believes that your goal should not be to die with a large bank account, but to create a rich and memorable life with your money.
2. Don't over-incubate – Optimization
Traditional financial advice will be “just in case.” Use zero death It is recommended to flip the script: Keep enough for safety and then focus on using your money to enjoy your life. Saving too much time can mean missing out on your main window of adventure, family time or personal growth.
3. Time bucket your life
Perkins introduced “robbery”: Divide your life into 5 to 10 years blocks, ask, What experience do I want to have at this stage of life? Then, plan your money and time accordingly – before the reservoir passes through you.
4. Investment experience, not just assets
Experience creates lasting memories and forms one's own identity. Unlike material things, they appreciate emotional value over time. Prioritize experiences that align with your values and give meaning to your life.
5. Earlier, not just later
If you plan to leave the money to your children, family, or someone you care about – why wait until you leave? Give early means you can witness the impact Your loved ones benefit when your loved ones need it most (e.g., starting a family, buying a house in the beginning of adulthood).
6. Health is the ultimate currency
If you don't have the health or energy to enjoy it, it doesn't matter. Plan your most active adventures when you are youngand around the years your future self actually wants and can do.
Is dying from zero a reasonable financial plan?
Strictly speaking, Use zero death Not a financial plan – this is Philosophy of life. It's about making the most of your limited time, energy and money by intentionally spending experiences that bring meaning, connection and joy – Before it's too late.
However, turning it into an actual financial plan is a challenge. As David said on the Boldin Facebook Group: “If you arrange your own death, you can only die with a 99% success rate (“I was busy that Tuesday, and I still had about $300 in savings. How did it sound to you on Friday?”), or you're incredibly lucky.”
However, there are clear ways to develop your financial plan to align with how you live.
8 Steps to Simulation Simulation with Zero Prediction in Boldin Planner
If you're inspired Use zero death Mindset – Maximize life experiences while minimizing the remaining money – Boldin planners can help you bring this vision to life. This is an eight-step approach that allows you to think and model with confidence:
Step 1: If applicable, determine your and your spouse’s life expectancy
It begins and ends: How long do you expect to live? (We know – not the most exciting first step, but crucial!)
Use a trusted longevity calculator to estimate the real lifespan of yourself and your spouse or partner. Then enter those life expectancy ages (or 5-10 years as buffers) into the Boldin planner – this anchors your schedule and consumption range.
Step 2: Dream big and get specific
This is Use zero death have fun. When do you want to go from life? Put meaningful experiences, generous gifts and big goals on your wishlist. Think about it:
- We have been traveling around the world for two years since we were 61 years old
- Pay for your grandchildren over the next decade
- Donate to what you care about when you are still alive
Use Boldin planners to schedule these plans throughout the time. The tool supports multi-stage expenses and one-time expenses, so please give your dreams a detailed look.
Perkins recommends thinking in 5 or 10 years increments. Others like to divide life into four key stages:
- Now
- last year: Active, retire early
- Slow years: Reduce activities and travel
- Not doing it for a few years: Limited liquidity and higher care needs
The more specific you get, the more the planner will help you see the possibilities.
Step 3: Make sure all other aspects of the plan (income, savings, assumptions) are accurate inputs
Before evaluating whether your dreams are affordable, make sure the rest of the plans are reliable:
- Current savings and investments
- Source of income (social security, pension, rent, etc.)
- Assumptions about inflation, returns, retirement dates and taxes
Planners summarize them all into comprehensive predictions, but only if your input is accurate.
Step 4: Identify your long-term care plan and related costs
Even in Use zero death Plan, aging comes with real costs. Estimate and enter potential long-term care costs – whether you plan to self-fund, purchase insurance or rely on family support.
Boldin Planner automatically increases the cost of long-term care for the last 28 months of your life (and spouse). The default modeling includes $1,966/mo for 12 months, then $5,900/mo for 16 months in dollars today, or a total of 117,992 over your lifespan. If you:
- Hopefully, the care exceeds this national average cost, you should add it in the expense section.
- Trust you will be cared for by family members, have long-term care insurance or another way to pay for it, which you can then specify in the tool.
Plan for this can make you get early in life No Worry about it becoming a burden later.
Step 5: Consider other risks you plan to
A big part of the plan is to make your plan B. In the event of a worst-case scenario, there is enough flexibility or unexpected situation to accomplish.
Different people have different tolerance for risks. 21 things may come to the plan you might want to consider.
Step 6: Assess the extended lifetime annuity to repay the end of life
A key challenge Use zero death Mindset is freely balancing spending and potentially spending money. A powerful solution? Deferred lifetime annuity.
Lifetime annuities provide guaranteed income no matter how long you live. So you can buy annuity and make sure you have enough income to effectively cover your “no” years, no matter how long the result is.
You will need to use a Boldin planner to assess the gap between your existing income source and your end-of-life expenses, and then use savings to purchase an annuity that will start paying on a future date. (Annuities are complex and expensive, but they can be an effective way to take lifespan risks – especially if you buy inflation with inflation and pay for guaranteed inflation.)
This step creates Financial place In your last few years, you can be confident earlier in life without worrying about running out.
Step 7: Reality check, assess the feasibility of the plan
OK, all the plans are done, how does your plans look like?
Died from negative balance? : If the plan shows that you die on a negative balance, you will need to start making trade-offs. Prioritize important things until you die at zero.
Died from excess savings? : Use Boldin’s maximum spend withdrawal strategy to understand that you can enjoy or give more in your life.
Died from zero? : Congratulations!
- Maybe you want to adjust your plan further to reduce tax expenses or model other risks or opportunities.
Step 8: Finalize your plan and life!
Have a plan rooted in your dreams, powered by numbers and rooted in Use zero death Mindset, you are ready to live intentionally without hesitation.
Remember: Life changes. Your plan is OK, too. Boldin makes revisiting, tweaking and keeping the most important things easy to revisit, tweaking and keeping consistent.
Live fully, give generously, spend boldly – your plan supports it.
