American Retirement Advisors

What American Retirement Advisors does

American Retirement Advisors is an independent, privately held retirement planning firm founded in 2001 by David P. Schaeffer and headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona. The firm operates as a full-service advisory practice that bundles Medicare guidance, retirement income planning, investment management, annuity planning, financial planning, estate coordination, and inheritance planning into a single advisor-led relationship for retirees and pre-retirees aged roughly 50-75. Its core planning methodology is the proprietary 'Three Types of Money' framework that segments assets into Yellow Money (safe liquid), Green Money (guaranteed income), and Red Money (growth investments), and it cites conservative projections accurate to within 1% over 20 years. Delivery is hybrid: three physical offices in Scottsdale, Mesa, and Las Vegas serve Arizona and Nevada, while Zoom-based virtual consultations extend the firm's reach to all 50 states. The free BeneficiaryBox product (a fireproof and waterproof document organization system paired with four coaching sessions) and the 123EasyMedicare sub-brand, which runs CMS-approved Medicare workshops, round out the proprietary product surface.

The firm generates revenue through two principal streams. Medicare Guidance is provided at no cost to clients but compensated via carrier commissions on Medicare Advantage, Supplement, and Part D plan enrollments, while Retirement Income and Investment Management is delivered under a transparent fee model with no hidden trade commissions. Additional revenue comes from annuity placements through carrier partners including Athene, Global Atlantic, and Nationwide, plus a $24/year print newsletter subscription. Content and demand-generation channels include a free digital and paid print newsletter (14,000+ families), a daily weekday podcast hosted by an AI voice called 'Easy Eddie' and a co-host 'Betty', an educational blog, CMS-approved Medicare workshops, and a 4,900+ five-star review base that drives referral-led acquisition. Custodied wholly by founding principals with no disclosed institutional or venture backing, the firm has earned 3 Inc. 500 placements and 4 consecutive America's Select Financial Advisor honors for its regional and national profile.

Name

American Retirement Advisors

Legal name

AmericanRetirementAdvisors.com LLC

Website

https://americanretirementadvisors.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

American Retirement Advisors is an independent retirement planning firm serving retirees and pre-retirees across Arizona, Nevada, and nationwide via Zoom with bundled Medicare, income, investment, annuity, tax, and estate coordination under one advisor relationship.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Retirement Planning Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Retirement Plan Participant Advice & Managed Accounts (FSAEABAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Annuity & Insurance-Based Retirement Solutions Advisory (FSAEABAH), Insurance-Integrated Wealth Managers (RIA + Insurance Solutions) (FSAAACAI), Retirement & Pension Planning (401(k)/IRA) (FSAEAAAD)

Keywords

• Retirement income planning
• Medicare advisory services
• Annuity planning
• Estate coordination services
• Financial planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Scottsdale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Medicare Guidance Services: Free Medicare guidance service for clients. Company is compensated directly by insurance carriers for Medicare plan enrollments. No cost to clients for Medicare services.
2. Retirement Income and Investment Management: Transparent fee model for retirement income planning and investment management services. No hidden trade commissions. Explicitly discloses what pays advisors more to maintain trust.
3. Print Newsletter Subscription: Print edition of The American Retirement Advisor newsletter available for $24 per year ($2/issue), mailed monthly to subscribers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

American Retirement Advisors is an independent retirement advisory firm that delivers comprehensive retirement planning under one roof, including Retirement Income Planning, Medicare Guidance, Investment Management, Annuity Planning, Financial Planning, Estate Coordination, and Inheritance Planning. The firm serves retirees and pre-retirees through advisor-led discovery sessions, a dedicated planning team, and proprietary frameworks such as the Three Types of Money model and the BeneficiaryBox system. Services are delivered in person at three Arizona/Nevada offices and nationwide via Zoom.

Product overview

American Retirement Advisors operates as a full-service retirement advisory firm offering a unified suite of services rather than a software platform. The core offering combines Retirement Income Planning (using the Three Types of Money framework), Medicare Guidance, Investment Management, Annuity Planning, Financial Planning, Estate Coordination, and Inheritance Planning into one coordinated approach. Proprietary tools include The Beneficiary Box organizational system and the 123EasyMedicare sub-brand. Content/media products include The American Retirement Advisor Newsletter (digital and print), a daily Podcast hosted by AI voice Easy Eddie and Betty, and free guides like the I Retired... Now What? guide. All services are delivered through a five-step discovery-to-implementation process, with virtual delivery available nationwide via Zoom alongside three physical office locations in Scottsdale, Mesa, and Las Vegas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Retirement Income Planning Guaranteed income strategies designed so a client's paycheck never stops, built around Social Security, pensions, and personal savings, employing the proprietary Three Types of Money framework (Yellow/Green/Red Money). Targeted at retirees and pre-retirees seeking predictable lifetime income.
• Medicare Guidance

Quantifiable outcome

• Projections within 1% accuracy over 20 years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Greengard Law FirmcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEstate law firm in Phoenix, Arizona serving American Retirement Advisors clients for wills, trusts, trust funding, powers of attorney, healthcare directives, and asset protection. Coordinates with advisors on estate planning integration.
• Sadow and RothenbergcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEstate law firm in Las Vegas, Nevada serving American Retirement Advisors clients for estate planning, asset protection, and elder law. Coordinates with advisors on estate planning integration for Nevada clients.
• AthenecoreOthersAnnuity carrier partner providing guaranteed income and principal protection products. Part of the 'top carriers' network for annuity planning services.
• Global AtlanticcoreOthersAnnuity carrier partner providing fixed, indexed, and income annuity options. One of the top carriers used for guaranteed income strategies.
• NationwidecoreOthersInsurance carrier partner providing annuity products including fixed, indexed, and income annuities with long-term care rider options.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Edward Jones: Large U.S. advisor-led financial services firm with a heavy retirement planning focus and a similar boutique-branch model. Closest analog to ARA's advisor-driven, in-person-plus-virtual retirement advisory approach.
• Waddell & Reed (Macquarie Asset Management): Historically advisor-led retirement and wealth management firm now part of Macquarie. Closely comparable in advisor-driven retirement income planning for individual households.

Broad incumbents

• Ameriprise Financial: National diversified financial services company with a large advisor network providing retirement, investment, and estate planning. Broader portfolio but overlapping target customers and planning methodology.
• Raymond James Financial: Full-service wealth management and investment firm with significant retirement planning presence. Competes for the same retiree and pre-retiree segments through advisor-led relationships.
• Fidelity Investments (Wealth Management): Major retirement account custodian and wealth manager with significant retiree-facing advisory and managed account services. Overlaps with ARA's IRA and 401(k) rollover management.
• Charles Schwab Wealth Management: Large retail wealth and retirement advisory platform with both digital and human-advisor channels. Competes for retirement investors seeking IRA rollovers, income planning, and managed portfolios.
• New York Life Insurance Company: Large mutual insurer with strong annuity and retirement income offerings plus an advisor network. Comparable in pairing guaranteed-income annuity solutions with retirement planning for individuals.

Emerging players

• Betterment: Leading digital wealth and retirement advisor targeting mass-affluent and pre-retiree households. Represents the robo/digital threat vector to traditional advisor-led retirement firms like ARA.
• Wealthfront: Automated investment and retirement planning platform competing for the same pre-retiree demographic with lower fees. Pressures ARA's fee model from the digital side.

Others

• Mutual of Omaha: Insurance company offering Medicare Supplement, retirement, and annuity products. Comparable as a Medicare-and-retirement counterparty in ARA's carrier ecosystem, not as a direct planning competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/americanretire

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about American Retirement Advisors