Retirement Rundown: Rhonda Ratledge

Straight and narrow. Tried and true. Slow and steady.  

Those are all fine ways to accomplish an established goal, but it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best option.  When it comes to retirement, people tend to think the option initially presented to them by their employer is  the easiest and most effective solution. 

We have evidence to the contrary. 

Being creative in these particular scenarios is what we do at Ameritime, and we’ll stake our reputation on  proving that the “convenient” old way of doing things isn’t the best way for our clients to control more of their  money and their future. 

The old cliché, “seeing is believing” (or in this case, “reading is believing”) is just that. A cliché. But the base  nature of the adage certainly still holds plenty of water. Get to know Rhonda Ratledge… and judge for  yourself. 

A graduate of Thomas W Kelly High School in 1989, Rhonda returned to her alma mater four years later after  graduating from Southeast Missouri State University. She made her mark at Kelly as a math teacher and a  highly decorated softball coach. She then went on to receive a Masters in Psychology from SEMO, was hired as  the high school guidance counselor and received a Specialist in School Administration in 2004 from SEMO as  well. 

As for her sporting escapades, all she did was win a pair of State Championships, several Final Four  appearances and lead Kelly’s softball program to a state record 28 consecutive winning seasons. In 2008  Rhonda was inducted into the Missouri High School Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame. At the time,  she was the youngest person to ever achieve the honor. 

In 2018 she stepped down after 25 years of education and 22 years as head softball coach, and ended the final  season of her coaching career with 500 wins and a 4th place state finish. Now she is an agent for United Health  Care and specializes in informing and assisting people with Medicare. Essentially teaching at the opposite end  of the age bracket… but just as valuable to her “students”. 

Ameritime picked Rhonda’s brain about how she got started with her journey into  retirement. Her responses are below: 

What made you call Ameritime? 

“As a young person in the teaching field surrounded by older teachers/mentors, I was intrigued and listened to  many of them talk about a company called Ameritime and how it had been a blessing to them when they were  ready to retire. I remember hearing a different approach to savings and building wealth. I had always hung onto the phone number and information for Ameritime because I knew, one day, I too wanted to acquire  more information.” 

After your initial meeting, why did you decide to come back? 

“After the initial meeting, I felt a connection with Mark Benson because he was a former math teacher like  myself. I felt I could trust Mark and what he presented to us made sense. It also helped that my husband is a  former math teacher and business person, and he understood everything Mark was teaching us. After the first  meeting we were intrigued and wanted to learn more so we couldn’t wait to meet again.” 

What did Ameritime do for you that you couldn’t get from other financial institutions? 

“We love the fact that Ameritime has pulled together multiple groups that have given us everything at our  fingertips from investing, home mortgage, estate planning, accountants and much more. There really is no  reason to procrastinate on life’s retirement goals and securities. The sooner the better.” 

Can you describe your family’s experience using The Control Option

The Control Option gave us the financial security of controlling our own money instead of the banks. We are  able to save and spend in a more efficient way and use our equity to build wealth and savings without the risk  of traditional ideas of 401Ks and the stock market. We are thrilled to be able to teach and pass along these  financial strategies so that our daughter can take these ideas and use them in her future.” 

Powerful words from yet another outstanding individual who “saw the light” and put her trust into a company  that wants nothing more than to help educators break free from the traditional boundaries of retirement. 

Again, it sounds cliché, but it’s pretty remarkable. This isn’t a script for a romantic comedy. It’s just the real  world, where taking a knowledgeable, calculated step can lead to surprising financial stability and growth… if  you know the right people. 

Welcome to the right people. 

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