Afer a consultation, my advice was that not only could he not retire early, it would keep him busy to retire at the regular age (he was in an institution and carried on private practice - which he did not want to continue after retirement).

How come? He hadn't taken any account of the ongoing erosion of the value of his underlying asset due to inflation.

I gave him several proposals - and he said not to give him all of those alternatives - just tell him what to do.

I said that no one cared as much about his money as he - no financial planner or anyone else would agree to cover half of his potential losses.

So it would be best if he learned some things about how money works.

He said that learning how money worked was too much for him.

I said that he had good mental capacity between his ears (or he couldn't have gone as far as he had in the medical field).

While the money business is complex, the issues that affect most us individual investors are not so terrible.

Looked at all at once, it does look hard - but I've told a number of people that it's a bit like a family using a loaf of bread.

Mom buys a loaf and puts a few slices on the table.

If Jimmy, having run around all afternoon and feeling ravenous, stuffs a whole slice into his mouth at once, he has a problem.

Taken a bite at a time, even an old fart like me can work his way through a whole loaf in a few days.

Don't let the money issue, looked at as a whole, intimidate you.

Learn how money works - a bite at a time.

Good wishes as you embark on that - or other interesting - adventures.

joyful guy/Ed