[Book Review] Die with Zero: A Retirement Plan That Prioritizes Living

Most people spend their lives saving, saving, saving — only to reach retirement afraid to spend a dollar. But what if that mindset is backward?

In the book Die with Zero, Bill Perkins offers a totally different perspective: the goal isn’t to die rich… it’s to live richly.

In this blog post, I’m highlighting 7 key principles from the book and showing you how they align beautifully with safe money strategies like annuities and whole life insurance — so you can enjoy your money, protect your legacy, and retire financially relaxed.

1. Invest in Memory Dividends

Perkins says, “Your memories are the most valuable assets you have. Invest in them.”

Life experiences deliver an emotional ROI — and the earlier you create those experiences, the longer they pay. When you build a plan that supports joyful living now, those memories keep rewarding you over time.

💡 Safe Money Application: Use guaranteed income tools like annuities to fund not just your monthly expenses, but also your travel, time with family, and hobbies — while you’re healthy enough to enjoy them.

2. Time-Bucket Your Life

“There is no point in earning more if you're just going to spend less time living.”

This principle urges you to think in decades: your 60s are likely your go-go years, your 70s are slow-go, and your 80s may be no-go. Each stage requires a different kind of income and a different focus on how you want to live.

💡 Safe Money Application: Use a time-segmented strategy to match annuity or life insurance cash flow to each phase. Retirement isn’t one long chapter — it’s a sequence of stages.

3. Don’t Over-Save

“If you die with money left over, you’ve failed at maximizing your life experience.”

This one stings a bit — especially if you’ve built your identity around being a saver. But over-saving can become a fear-based habit that leads to under-living. At some point, you must trust your plan and let yourself enjoy what you’ve built.

💡 Safe Money Application: Annuities provide predictable, guaranteed income that lets you spend confidently, knowing your needs — and wants — are covered for life.

4. Give Money to Your Kids Earlier

“The best time to give your kids money is when they’re building a life — not after they’ve built one.”

A $50K gift at age 35 can do far more for your child’s life than $500K at age 65. This simple idea radically shifts the legacy conversation. It’s not just what you leave — it’s when you give it.

💡 Safe Money Application: Consider using life insurance or strategic gifting while you're alive. This lets you help when it matters most — and witness the impact your gift makes.

5. Use Life Insurance to Fund Legacy

“Life insurance is a great way to ensure you die with zero — while still leaving something behind.”

You don’t have to hoard assets to leave a legacy. You can use life insurance to create a guaranteed, tax-efficient inheritance — which frees you to enjoy your other assets now, guilt-free.

💡 Safe Money Application: Whole life or indexed universal life insurance can create powerful liquidity for your heirs — without sacrificing your lifestyle.

6. Annuities Give You Permission to Spend

“Annuities help eliminate the fear of running out — so you can actually enjoy your money.”

Knowing your income is locked in for life creates emotional freedom to enjoy your days. It’s not about locking up money — it’s about unlocking peace of mind.

💡 Safe Money Application: A properly structured annuity can become your Retirement Paycheck — covering essentials and fun, so you never have to ask “Can I afford it?”

7. Health Decline Is Real

“You can’t time travel. You can’t buy health. You can’t rewind life.”

This principle hit me hard after watching my dad’s health decline before he could enjoy the retirement he worked for. Your healthiest years are now — don’t wait until it’s too late to enjoy them.

💡 Safe Money Application: Front-load your retirement income to support the active years, while also planning for long-term care and medical needs later.

Final Thoughts

Die with Zero is more than a philosophy — it’s a call to rethink your relationship with money, time, and legacy.

When you build a retirement plan that prioritizes living, you create more than just financial security. You create peace of mind, joy, and freedom.

Ready to Retire Financially Relaxed?

My goal is to help you eliminate the fear of running out of money, avoid costly mistakes, and retire with confidence and security. When you have safe, predictable income in place, you’re free to actually enjoy retirement — not just worry your way through it.

• Learn more at the Retirement Income School™

• Want to talk? Schedule a Retirement Income Q&A Call — I’d love to support you.

This is your chance to learn what you wish school had taught you — and discover how to keep your money safe and make it last, so you can enjoy retirement!