Ascend Wealth Management

Ascend Wealth Management Elevate your life and your future. Helping guide you to financial security, clarity, and confidence.

🔥Popular retirement "rules" are easy, but rarely right for everyone.The 4% rule. Never annuitize. Always delay Social Se...
05/27/2026

🔥Popular retirement "rules" are easy, but rarely right for everyone.

The 4% rule. Never annuitize. Always delay Social Security.

These rules exist because they're comforting — not because they're built for your situation. At 55+, the stakes are too high for cookie-cutter planning.

What you actually need:
✓ A plan built on current tax code, not 1990s research
✓ Strategy tailored to your specific financial picture
✓ Deep expertise in retirement distribution, not just accumulation

Curious how your plan holds up? Comment, "second opinion," and we'll follow up.

A lot of retirement advice focuses on growing your wealth.But here's what most advisors don't tell you: the hard part is...
05/20/2026

A lot of retirement advice focuses on growing your wealth.

But here's what most advisors don't tell you: the hard part isn't accumulating money — it's distributing it efficiently.

That's exactly why we created the Ascend Advisor Alpha™ process — built around the variables you can actually control:

✅ Social Security timing
✅ Tax-efficient withdrawals
✅ Strategic asset allocation
✅ Annuitization analysis
✅ Healthcare planning

What part of your current plan do you feel least confident about? Tell us in the comments.

Last week, Ryan had the opportunity to represent Ascend and the broader Northwestern Mutual advisor community at the Hor...
05/12/2026

Last week, Ryan had the opportunity to represent Ascend and the broader Northwestern Mutual advisor community at the Horizons Retirement Distribution Conference, hosted by the American College of Financial Services.

As Chair of the Retirement Distribution Subcommittee of the Financial Representative Association of Northwestern Mutual, Ryan was invited by colleagues at the home office to join them at . It was a great opportunity to sit down with several members of the home office, including Jonathon Gais, Andrew Weber, and Tom Gilmour (pictured above). All of these people are doing key work at the home office that directly shapes how advisors help clients build confident retirement plans.

The best client outcomes start with conversations like this one.

05/11/2026

🔥 Hot take: you can't beat the market.

Even the best money managers in the world can't do it consistently. So why build a retirement strategy around something no one can control?

We focus on what you actually can — Social Security timing, annuitization, asset allocation, and tax planning. And how they all work together.

Watch the video to see how it works. 👇

05/08/2026

Last week, we got to speak at the University of Kansas's financial planning program. The topic: What actually happens to your taxes in retirement? The answer? It’s rarely what people expect.

The goal isn't to reduce this year's tax bill. It's to minimize lifetime taxes across a 30-year retirement.

Most plans don't think that far ahead. If you’re ready to stress test yours, let’s connect. Calendar link in the comments.

🔴 Many of the new clients who come to us were already working with a financial advisor.And they're usually surprised by ...
05/04/2026

🔴 Many of the new clients who come to us were already working with a financial advisor.

And they're usually surprised by our advice. We often find their previous advisor either never discussed the strategies at the core of the Ascend Advisor Alpha™ process, or that their original plan was missing key components of a fully strategic, tax-efficient retirement plan.

Your future is worth a second opinion. Leave us a comment, and we'll follow up.

Two fears come up again and again when people approach retirement. #1. Running out of money. #2. Living with regrets.Bu...
05/01/2026

Two fears come up again and again when people approach retirement.

#1. Running out of money. #2. Living with regrets.

But here's what's surprising: many people who come to us are in a position to retire earlier or travel more — but don't. Because fear holds them back, even when the math says it shouldn't.

The goal isn't just having enough. It's not having regrets. Swipe to see how we approach it. ➡️

04/30/2026

How much can you actually spend in retirement?

Not how much you've saved. Not last quarter's market performance.

How much you can confidently spend — every single year, for the rest of your life — without running out, overpaying in taxes, or shortchanging the people and causes you care about.

Many advisors never give you a real number. That's exactly what the Ascend Advisor Alpha™ process is built to answer.

🎥 Watch our new video and add your biggest retirement question in the comments.

If you're within a couple of years of retirement and have seven figures in investable assets, this is for you.You've spe...
04/27/2026

If you're within a couple of years of retirement and have seven figures in investable assets, this is for you.

You've spent decades doing the right things. Saving. Investing. Building something significant.

The critical question now isn't whether you have enough saved. It's whether your plan is designed to make the most of it.

→ One-size-fits-all advice can leave money on the table.
→ Tax, income, and timing decisions are often too complex for rules of thumb.
→ Mistakes this close to retirement can be expensive.

Your retirement isn't average. Your plan shouldn't be either. Drop us a comment, and we'll follow up.

🔴 Conventional wisdom may work for the average person.That's fine if you're average. But when you're managing a seven-fi...
04/23/2026

🔴 Conventional wisdom may work for the average person.

That's fine if you're average. But when you're managing a seven-figure portfolio through a complex tax code, rising healthcare costs, and a retirement that could last 30 years, generic probably isn't good enough.

The difference between an okay retirement plan and a well-designed one could make a significant difference for your future.

What's a retirement ""rule"" that's never sat right with you? Let us know below.

04/06/2026

Want to understand how the Big Beautiful Bill will impact your retirement? 📋

We break it down in under three minutes. Watch and add your questions in the comments.

Address

6601 College Boulevard, Suite 140
Overland Park, KS
66211

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

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