Ascend Wealth Management

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

10/16/2026

There's a misconception that most people think rationally about their money. But too often, they're living by default. Ryan often asks clients directly, "If you're not spending your retirement savings, do you want to leave your kids millions of dollars?" Sometimes the answer is no. But by default, that's exactly what happens.

This is one of the hardest areas we push clients in. Our job isn't to tell you what to choose. It's to make sure you're actually making a choice.

10/14/2026

“You're one more client in a large organization. You don't really feel as well looked after, just sort of another account for them.”

That's how our client Jerry described working with his previous advisor, a large financial institution. That lack of support became increasingly obvious as the stakes got higher heading into retirement:

“You do this complete 180. You're working and saving and investing for decades, and then suddenly you flip it — now you don't have a regular income. That's a very difficult transition.”

Here's how he describes the value of working with the Ascend team: “Now I feel reassured — confidence and comfort going into retirement.” Thank you, Jerry Sherman, for sharing your story.

10/13/2026

The most important thing in our relationships with clients is trust. And being worthy of that can mean telling clients something they don't want to hear or advocating for something that isn't directly in our best interests.

Take pension buyouts. Companies often offer them because the pension is expensive for them to maintain, not because it's better for the employee. Which means the best advice is: keep it.

Telling clients not to put an asset in our hands doesn't make us money. But sometimes it's the right thing to do, and it helps build trust.

10/08/2026

Some people pay more for the same Medicare. Why? IRMAA.

She's not some nice old lady down the street. She wants you to pay more for the same healthcare as everyone else, and it's based on your income from two years ago.

10/07/2026

You've recently retired and decided to move closer to your kids. You buy a lovely house in the new town. Then, six months later, your children take new jobs and move across the country. This scenario plays out more than you might think, which is why Ryan tells clients who are planning a move to rent for the first six months to a year before they buy.

It might feel like wasting money on rent. But it’s about buying yourself flexibility and not locking yourself into a decision, or the wrong fit, too quickly.

10/06/2026

“If an advisor is looking out for themselves, they're going to advise you to take Social Security at the youngest possible age, because that keeps your portfolio with them as large as it can possibly be. Ascend has advised me not to do that.”

That's how client Holly Langston described the difference between an advisor optimizing for their business and one optimizing for her retirement.

“The best thing it's done for me is change anxiety and fear to excitement. I have a plan now, and I can stop worrying about developing the plan.”

Holly, who has a finance MBA, put it simply: “Could I do it myself? Absolutely not.” Thank you, Holly Langston, for sharing your story.

10/04/2026

You probably spent hours planning your last big trip, mapping out the flights, hotels, and itinerary. All because you wanted to make sure it was worth it. Now ask yourself: how many hours have you spent this year thinking about your retirement?

Working with a retirement advisor is about more than just coming up with a plan. It's about giving you time to slow down. The meeting creates space to think, face the future, and get feedback on decisions you've probably been carrying around alone.

Sometimes having the meeting is the real value.

10/02/2026

Most Americans think Social Security isn't taxed. You paid into it your whole life. Why would the government tax it too?

Here's the catch: depending on your other income, you can end up paying tax on it after all. It's called the Social Security tax torpedo.

Ryan has two daughters, one in high school and one in middle school. Earlier this summer, it hit him: he probably has th...
10/01/2026

Ryan has two daughters, one in high school and one in middle school. Earlier this summer, it hit him: he probably has three summers left with his oldest before she's off on her own.

You may have heard that 90% of the time you'll ever spend with your kids happens before they turn 18. It's made Ryan think about time differently — the richest and the poorest among us have the same amount of it, and we spend it like there's an infinite supply.

Ryan doesn't believe in “someday.” He's been pulling things forward instead, taking the trip now, taking the time now, because he doesn't know how much of it he actually has.

It's also how he encourages clients to think. We can help you optimize your taxes and build more secure income, but we can't tell you how to spend your time. That's the conversation that matters most.

09/30/2026

Bracket management asks: "What bracket am I in this year?" But marginal tax rate management asks: "What's happening to every additional dollar of income, once you account for everything layered on top of the bracket itself?" Ryan was recently presenting to fellow advisors, and this is where he loves to start: with the hidden factors that can push a client's real marginal tax rate well above the bracket they think they're in. That shift in framing changes how Ascend thinks about distributions, conversions, and long-term planning.

Drop a comment if you've ever wondered whether your marginal tax rate is higher than you think.

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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