Noted economist and New York Times bestselling author distills his best personal finance advice to increase your spending power and enhance your standard of living.Every financial decision we make about our education, careers, jobs, lifestyles, marriages, retirement ages, Social Security, taxes, or investments affects our living standard – the income we get to spend and enjoy over our lifetimes. Yet, most of us make these decisions with no clear idea about their living‑standard impact. We typically rely on crude rules of thumb or take questionable advice from friends and family, media gurus, self‑described experts, and advisers who are frequently little more than self‑interested salespeople. We end up losing boatloads of money, feeling unhappy, and putting ourselves at risk. This book puts an end to that vicious cycle. Money Magic provides readers of all ages and income levels with a clear framework for making financial decisions that will enhance their living standards, lifestyles, or both. It examines universal money questions, including whether to switch jobs, where to live, how much house to buy, how to divorce, when to retire, when to take Social Security benefits, when to tap 401(k) accounts, whether to pre‑pay mortgages, whether to downsize, whether to annuitize, whether to do a Roth conversion, and how to invest. Drawing on the hard‑nosed science of economics, years of research, and modern technological tools, Money Magic offers flexible, practical advice to help readers make costless financial moves that will leave them far richer, happier and safer than they might have dreamed.