“My favorite fall activity is pretending the leaves in my yard are charming instead of work.”
-Nearly Everyone
Welcome to the September 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…
When they say a picture is worth a thousand words, it can feel like hyperbole. However, every once in a while the iPhone captures a moment in time that is indescribable. I had a chance to play a bucket list course with a group of friends this past month. Sure the golf was fun and the scenery breathtaking; but more importantly life slowed down for a moment so I could inventory what’s really important; Family, Friends, Relationships. It’s what our business is centered on and we are fortunate to work with our clients. Cheers to September and bring on October.
Retirement Savings Rate Reached an All-time High
in 2025
U.S. retirement savings metrics continued to strengthen in 2025, with 45% of participants increasing their contributions and the average total savings rate reaching a record 12.1%, according to Vanguard’s How America Saves 2026. Average account balances rose 13% year over year. Moreover, during periods of market volatility, only 5% of participants made investment changes, while only 1% of those invested entirely in a single target date fund (TDF) did so…
SECURE 2.0 Plan Amendments Are Due by
Year-End
Qualified retirement plans must adopt written amendments for SECURE 2.0 changes by December 31, 2026. The deadline applies broadly, and even plans that elected no optional provisions must amend for mandatory changes like the increase in the required minimum distribution age…
Younger Workers Look to Employers for Retirement Help
Younger employees are placing greater responsibility on employers to help them prepare for retirement, according to J.P. Morgan Asset Management’s 2026 Defined Contribution Plan Participant Survey. Among Gen Z participants, 86% said employers have at least some responsibility to help employees save for retirement. That view was shared by 76% of Millennials, 71% of Gen X, and 61% of Baby Boomers…
A little practical guidance can go a long way, whether you’re trying to make a budget, pay down debt, save more, or simply feel less stressed about money. And while that kind of help may seem hard to come by, useful financial tools and assistance may be closer than you think.
Many employers offer financial wellness and planning resources as part of their workplace benefits. Although these programs can’t guarantee better outcomes, a recent study found that employees who participated in financial education provided by their employer were more likely to report several positive financial behaviors and attitudes…
Mr. C’s Movie (Show) Review
Resident Evil
WELCOME TO RACCOON CITY: TRY NOT TO DIE
Resident Evil returns to the big screen without Milla Jovovich but with a fresh coat of blood induced madness curtesy of director Zach Cregger (the demented mind behind the 2025 hit Weapons) Rather than make a shot for shot remake of the original 2002 version, an entirely new story arc centered around medical courier, Bryan Hodukavich (Austin Abrams) welcomes a new wave of terror in Raccoon City.
The movie opens with Bryan given the seemingly mundane job of a routine medical delivery to Raccoon City General Hospital….nothing he hasn’t done a thousand times. Queue night from Hell. His Bryan isn’t some military-trained killing machine capable of roundhouse kicking zombies through plate glass windows ala Jovovich in past episodes. He’s an everyday guy who finds himself hilariously and horrifyingly unprepared for the nightmare unfolding around him. There were just enough comedic moments throughout the runtime where its hard not to smile but at no time would there be confusion on the genre of this film. Bryan reacts much like most of us would react when humans become the abomination of evil and are dead set on killing you. Abrams plays the character with such everyday relatedness that it puts us in his shoes immediately wondering; WHAT IS GOING ON?
The director remembered what the hit Capcom game was all about: Resident Evil should be scary. The movie leans into the experience of playing the games, where you never quite know what disgusting creation might be waiting around the next corner. It’s violent, gruesome, weirdly funny, and constantly pushing the envelope.
For longtime Resident Evil video game aficionados, the story arc will be unfamiliar but a refreshing retelling of the horror that kept us up late at night. that shift is refreshing. I have a soft spot for the original 2002 movie but by the end of the many sequels it turned into a Milla Jovovich as the superhero apocalypse savior rather than true monstrous horror.
On a scale of:“Like It,” “Love It,” or “Gotta Have It,” Resident Evil is a “Love It.”
I have to admit this movie modernized the gore from the original 2002 version and the envelope of disgusting was certainly opened. The movie felt rushed as it clocks in at around 90 minutes. I wanted another 20 minutes of high level edge of your seat gore. Go see the movie; you will laugh, squirm and ultimately feel bad for Bryan. Some jobs just aren’t worth the death.