“You know what the happiest animal on Earth is? It’s a goldfish. Y’know why? It’s got a 10-second memory. Be a goldfish.”
-Ted Lasso
Welcome to the July Edition of Ryan’s Retirement Ramblings – The monthly newsletter that will bring you the latest developments from the qualified plan space & provide updates for the retirement team at Wheeler Retirement Plans.
On A Personal Note…
Family and time are two of the most precious assets we have as human beings. Like many of you, time seems to be the toughest to find on a daily basis. We were extremely blessed to spend another 4th of July on the deck at Wheeler Retirement Plans with my wife’s 96 year old Grandmother. It’s her favorite spot in the world and time like this is well spent. Enjoy the rest of summer with your families; you will never regret the time.
Research: Advisory Support Boosts Retirement Confidence, Lowers Stress
Resources that support informed financial decision-making can help workers navigate the complexity of retirement planning with more confidence and less anxiety. The 2026 EBRI/Greenwald Retirement Confidence Survey provides cause for optimism but also indicates there is opportunity to do more to help savers. Among responding employees, 61% of employees say they’re confident they’ll have enough money for retirement, but approximately 40% also say they have no idea where to go for financial advice.
Wherever a participant stands in their confidence level or planning journey, sponsors and advisors can play key roles in ensuring they know where to find the tools and guidance they seek…
Women’s Savings in Focus
Recent research paints an encouraging picture of women’s financial engagement: most women are actively saving, feel confident about their finances, and prioritize long-term financial security. The data also reveal some opportunities around confidence, strategies, and obstacles that education, guidance, and employer-sponsored benefits can help close.
For plan sponsors and advisors, it may be worth considering these findings and how plan resources can be deployed to women (and all participants)…
The Boomer Delay: When Employees Don’t Retire “On Schedule”
For many employers, “retirement planning” brings to mind compliance obligations and decisions about plan designs and investment lineups. But retirement readiness also has increasingly direct consequences for workforce management, succession planning, and business operations. One demographic trend makes this an especially important moment for plan sponsors to pay attention…
If you listen to financial podcasts, watch TikTok budgeting videos, or read investing tips from online “gurus” and still feel stressed about everyday money decisions, you’re not alone.
Understanding basic financial concepts is important, but knowledge alone (especially if you get too much information at once) may not help calm money worries. According to a recent study, financial knowledge tends to help more if you’re already confident about making money-related decisions.
But how do you get that financial confidence? It may be easier than you think. Building a series of small wins can establish positive habits and help you feel better about the progress you make over time…
Mr. C’s Movie (Show) Review
The Backrooms
There are Places You’re Not Meant to Escape
Backrooms is the off the wall (no pun intended) horror film from director Kane Parsons, YouTube creator who turned a viral short film into worldwide theater release. Chiwetel Ejiofor leads the film as Clark, a struggling furniture store owner battling alcoholism, a failed marriage, and a realization that life is not what it seems. Clark’s life choices have left him living out of the furniture store so when a mysterious doorway appears beneath his showroom, Clark, with nothing to limit his curiosity, enters a labyrinth of endless yellow hallways, buzzing fluorescent lights, and forgotten spaces known only as The Backrooms.
Clark’s obsession with the strange dimension soon consumes every aspect of his life. He shares his discovery with his therapist Mary (Renate Reinsve), who is dealing with her own demons through a series of flashbacks. As the characters explore deeper into the abyss, the film ratches up the anxiety, claustrophobia rather than a blood soaked horror troupe. The Backrooms take on a living breathing presence for the second half of the movie.
Queue the unease, paranoia, and reality-bending terror as the second half descends into full nightmare mode. For true horror aficionados, The Backrooms hints at films like The Shining and indie hit Cube. The atmospheric dread without a titular monster really makes this film tick. The unseen monsters lurking within the maze are frightening enough, but the real horror comes from isolation and fear of never finding your way out.
On a scale of: “Like It,” “Love It,” or “Gotta Have It,” Backrooms is a “Love It.”
This isn’t a horror movie for fans looking for nonstop jump scares and buckets of gore. It’s a slow, mind-splitting descent into the fear of being lost. It’s a unique horror experience that is likely to stay with you long after the ending credits. The scares linger and the feeling of being trapped never quite lets go. With movies like the Backrooms and Obsessed, the horror genre has never been better.