Meet the Eigels: A Chamberlin Retirement Case Study

It’s become a standby piece of advice for travelers: If there’s turbulence in the air, take a look at the flight attendants.

They’ve been there, they know what’s normal and what’s not, and if they’re not nervous, you shouldn’t be either.

For George and Mary Eigel, their retirement plan is that way too. “I view Chamberlin as like being on an airplane when there's rough turbulence, and the person next to you starts to get nervous,” George Eigel says. “I look at the flight attendants. When they get nervous, I get nervous.

“So far, [our Chamberlin advisors] haven't gotten nervous. They have us in a position where, whatever happens, there is that buffer, there is that area that smooths things out, and it's wonderful. I don't watch the business news every morning and go into a panic.”

Does that peace of mind sound good to you? Let’s look at how George and Mary got here.

A text version of this story continues below, but you can also hear directly from the Eigels in this video:

• A Costly Mistake
• Finding Chamberlin
• Comfort and Understanding
• Holistic Planning and You
• Living Your Best Retirement Life
• Frequently Asked Questions/Quick Summary
• You’re Not Alone
• Disclosures

A Costly Mistake

Mary Eigel worked as an art educator for 40 years, but retired from teaching in order to write and publish books. George spent 30 years in insurance underwriting. They’ve both been retired for more than 10 years now, and enjoy spending time with their daughters and grandchildren. With his free time in retirement, George was even able to build a “gnome home” in an old tree stump next to their house for the girls to enjoy.

When their daughters were planning their weddings and getting ready to start their married lives, George and Mary wanted to help them out financially.

“We learned a tough lesson when our oldest daughter got married,” Mary says. “Rather than gifting them stocks and things like that, we cashed the assets in and gave the kids some money, only then to realize that was not the most prudent way to do it. We felt disappointed that our advisor had not advised us differently.”

Finding Chamberlin

Concerned with the tax implications of their financial decisions, George and Mary decided to explore other options for retirement planning advice. They received a postcar in the mail, and attended a dinner seminar put on by CEO and Certified Financial Education Instructor Don Chamberlin.

“Don did a fabulous presentation, enough to say, ‘Yes, book an appointment. Let's see what Chamberlin's about,’” Mary says.

They recognized that it wasn’t just the investments and the taxes — their retirement needed a holistic approach.

“It just fit,” George says of the Chamberlin approach. “Going into retirement, when you have Social Security, you have pensions and 401(k)s — you have all of this stuff, and it's like, what are the best ways to position these? We want to have wealth enjoyment.

We've accumulated it, now we want to enjoy it.”

Comfort and Understanding

An educator herself, Mary appreciates the communication and education she’s received from Chamberlin. Working with Certified Financial Fiduciary and Holistic Planner Brendan Kelly, she feels confident because she feels informed.

“One of the ways that Chamberlin has gone above and beyond is by presenting the information in ways that make sense to somebody who is not a math or finance person,” she says. “I don't think we've ever had such a clear statement of where the money is, what it's doing, how it's doing.

“They value the fact that they're not only keeping their clients informed, but they're keeping them educated. I understand so much more than I ever did about my own finances, and I really appreciate that.”

The relationship is a two-way street. Brendan has worked with the Eigels for several years now, and he’s enjoyed helping them find their security and confidence, and even finding ways for them to afford an extra trip or two some years. “What was really fulfilling about their plan, and over time with their retirement, is just seeing where they were when they originally started with us, about 10 years ago, and where they are today,” Brendan says. “They’ve pulled out more money than what they originally gave us, and they still have the same account value 10 years down the road.”

Holistic Planning and You

Families come to Chamberlin with different needs, dreams and situations, and they work with Chamberlin planners to craft retirement roadmaps specifically tailored to their particular circumstances — nothing one-size-fits-all or cookie-cutter. All of our planners are Certified Financial Fiduciaries, which means they’re obligated by law to act in their clients’ best interest.

When you’re ready to start your retirement planning journey, we’re ready with a playbook and a process that’s designed to empower you and help you make decisions with confidence. We call it the REP Process.

What is Chamberlin’s REP process in retirement planning? The Retirement Education Process (REP) is a four-step framework designed to put you in control of your financial future through education, strategy calls, customized mini-plans, and long-term plan mastery.

What is included in a no-cost retirement mini-plan? A comprehensive mini-plan includes a Social Security Maximization Report, a Tax and Portfolio Audit, and a customized "Wealth of Wells" Plan.

Why is education important for retirement? Education is vital because your retirement plan is essentially your "education in action," allowing you to make informed decisions and create a more predictable future.

So why choose Chamberlin? Two key reasons:

• Unlike traditional sales-focused approaches, Chamberlin is an education-first company. Our Retirement Educators are not licensed to sell products; they are trained specifically to provide knowledge and peace of mind without sales pressure.
• Our holistic planning process is tailored to you and takes seven important factors into consideration when strategizing how to achieve your hopes and goals.

If you're ready to take the next step, let's work together on a retirement plan that offers you confidence, stability and peace of mind.

Living Your Best Retirement Life

As George Eigel said, he and Mary have made the transition from accumulation to decumulation, and while they’re ok with managing their wealth, they really just want to enjoy it.

“We live in Missouri wine country, and that's awfully fun, because all it takes is a phone call from a friend saying, ‘What time and which winery?’” Mary says.

The Eigels also take several trips every year to different places around the United States and around the world.

“A friend described retirement as being able to do what you want, when you want,” Mary says. “It is much more blessed than I ever thought it would be. …

“You wish you had more time. I think life is good. Life is good.”

Frequently Asked Questions/TL;DR

Q: What is the Chamberlin Retirement Education Process (REP)?
A: The Chamberlin Retirement Education Process (REP) is a systematic approach to retirement planning that prioritizes education over sales. It consists of four stages: initial financial education, no-pressure strategy calls, the creation of customized Mini-Plans, and long-term plan mastery guided by a certified fiduciary.

Q: What is included in a Chamberlin Retirement Mini-Plan?
A: A Chamberlin Mini-Plan includes three essential financial reports: a Social Security Maximization Report, a comprehensive Tax & Portfolio Audit, and a tailored Wealth of Wells Plan. These reports analyze your current financial standing to create a predictable retirement income strategy.

Q: What is Holistic Retirement Planning?
A: Holistic retirement planning is a comprehensive strategy that coordinates seven critical financial factors — including taxes, healthcare, legacy planning, and income — rather than focusing solely on investments. At Chamberlin, this approach ensures that all pieces of a client’s financial life work together to provide peace of mind during market volatility.

Q: Is the Chamberlin Mini-Plan free?
A: Yes. While Chamberlin previously charged $2,500 for this comprehensive analysis, the Mini-Plan is now offered at no cost. This initiative aims to help more Americans access professional financial audits to create more predictable retirements.

You’re Not Alone

“Would we recommend Chamberlin to friends, family?” George says.

“The answer is, we have. And the folks we have referred have been very, very pleased.”

Take the first step today. Are you ready to get your REPs in?

Click here and book a session today, and we'll create a customized Mini Plan at no cost to you.

Remember, this Mini Plan includes 3 essential reports.

• Your Social Security Maximization Report,
• Your Tax & Portfolio Audit,
• And based on those first two reports, your custom, tailored Wealth of Wells Plan.

We used to charge our clients $2,500 for this comprehensive analysis, but we’ve made it free as our way of helping Americans create more predictable retirements.

When you schedule your 20-minute, no-pressure strategy call with one of our experienced retirement educators at Chamberlin, they’ll walk you through the Holistic Planning process, talk through your current financial situation, and, if we seem like a good fit for each other, they’ll pair you with a certified financial planner and fiduciary who will guide you through the rest of the journey toward a comprehensive plan.

And even if you’re not quite ready to take that step, we still want you to feel knowledgeable and empowered as you move that direction. Check out the Learning Center on our website for videos and blog posts that will help you understand the different factors at play in a holistic retirement plan and how you can start making small changes today that will have a big impact tomorrow.

Disclosures

This commentary reflects the personal opinions, viewpoints and analyses of The Chamberlin Group. It does not necessarily reflect the views of Foundations Investment Advisors, LLC (“Foundations”) and is provided for educational purposes only and the contents are solely maintained by and the responsibility of the applicable 3rd party. The 3rd party content is subject to change at any time without notice, and does not represent an express or implied opinion or endorsement of any specific investment opportunity, investment strategy or planning strategy. Foundations in no way deems reliable any statistical data or information obtained from or prepared by third party sources in this commentary, nor does Foundations guarantee its accuracy or completeness. No legal or tax advice is provided or intended.

This is an unpaid, solicited client testimonial. This client has had a financial relationship with Chamberlin for more than 5 years and is providing personal opinions. This may present a conflict of interest as this particular client’s experience may or may not be the same as another client’s experience. This conflict is mitigated by our financial advisor’s fiduciary duty to tailor each client’s investment objectives to each individual client’s own financial situation. No compensation was paid to the client for this testimonial. A client testimonial does not guarantee future investment success and should not be indicative that any client or prospective client will experience the same or a higher level of investment performance. Foundations Investment Advisors, LLC is an SEC registered investment adviser. Past performance is not indicative of future results.