Hey! I’m Robert Ramsey
(And I built Ready to Retire Now from my kitchen table)
My Story
I spent thirty-two years in corporate finance, climbing the ladder, maxing out my 401(k), and doing all the things you’re “supposed” to do to prepare for retirement. On paper, I was ready. I had spreadsheets, projections, and a file cabinet full of investment statements. But here’s what nobody tells you: having the numbers and actually understanding what they mean are two completely different things.
The wake-up call came when I was fifty-three and seriously considering early retirement. I started researching how to actually make it happen—not just “save money and hope for the best,” but real strategies for transitioning from paycheck to retirement income. I read books, attended seminars, consulted with advisors, and spent countless hours on financial websites.
And you know what I discovered? The information was either oversimplified to the point of uselessness (“save more, spend less!”) or so technical that I needed three advanced degrees to understand it. Every calculator gave different numbers. Every blog post contradicted the last one. And I was someone who’d spent my entire career in finance!
The Turning Point
The specific moment everything crystallized was on a Saturday morning in April 2019. My wife Susan and I were sitting at our kitchen table—coffee getting cold, calculator out, papers everywhere—trying to figure out if I could retire at fifty-five instead of waiting until sixty-five. We’d been at it for three hours, and we still couldn’t agree on a clear answer.
Susan looked at me with this mixture of frustration and exhaustion and said, “We’re both college-educated. You’ve worked in finance for three decades. Why is this so hard?”
And honestly? I didn’t have a good answer. I could explain corporate budgets, investment strategies, and financial projections to board members, but I couldn’t definitively tell my own wife whether we could afford for me to retire early.
That’s when it hit me: if I—someone who’d spent their entire career in finance—was struggling this much, what about everyone else? What about federal employees trying to decode FERS? Teachers navigating state pension systems? Corporate professionals wondering if their 401(k) was actually enough?
I spent the rest of that weekend sketching out what would become Ready to Retire Now. Not another retirement calculator that spits out numbers without context. Not another blog full of generic “save more, retire happy” advice. But a comprehensive resource that actually helps people answer the real questions keeping them up at night—by guiding them to the best official calculators and explaining exactly how to use them correctly.
Why I Built This
I realized we didn’t have a retirement information problem. We had a retirement clarity problem. The information existed, but it was scattered, contradictory, and written in a language that seemed designed to confuse rather than clarify.
Someone needed to bridge that gap—to translate retirement planning from “financial industry speak” into guidance actual humans could use. So I became that someone.
By Monday morning, I’d registered the domain. By the end of the month, I’d outlined our first ten articles. And eighteen months later, I retired at fifty-five and launched Ready to Retire Now with a clear mission: helping people achieve clarity and confidence in their retirement planning.
What I’ve Learned
Building this platform taught me lessons I never expected. My biggest discovery? Being right about a problem doesn’t automatically mean you know how to solve it. My first attempts at creating retirement guides were technically accurate but practically useless. I was explaining official retirement calculators without understanding that people didn’t just need links—they needed step-by-step guidance on what numbers to input, where to find those numbers, and what the results actually meant.
It took months of user feedback, testing different approaches, and countless revisions before I had guides that actually helped people. I learned that the best retirement calculators already exist (OPM.gov, SSA.gov, IRS tools)—people just need someone to explain how to use them correctly. Pride and ego are expensive teachers in entrepreneurship.
I also learned that retirement planning triggers massive anxiety—which makes complete sense. This is literally the biggest financial decision of your life. Learning to address both the mathematical side and the emotional side has been crucial. People don’t just need accurate numbers; they need permission to feel confident in their understanding.
The Impact So Far
Thousands have successfully used official calculators with our guidance
Countless emails thanking us for clarity
One mission: Transform confusion into confidence
My Approach to AI & Content Creation
I want to be completely transparent with you: I use artificial intelligence to help create content for this site. And I’m not apologizing for it—here’s why.
Given the remarkable advancements in artificial intelligence, I decided to utilize my expertise and experience by employing AI to help me create effective and useful content and images. Think of it this way: I spent 32 years in corporate finance and five years obsessively researching retirement planning. That knowledge is in my head. AI helps me get it out of my head and onto this website faster, clearer, and more comprehensively than I ever could typing everything manually.
Here’s how I actually use AI:
Content Creation: I use AI as a writing assistant—similar to how I’d work with a human editor or writer, except faster and available 24/7. I provide the expertise, the research, the insights from my 32 years in finance and my own retirement experience. AI helps me organize those thoughts, structure articles clearly, and explain complex concepts in accessible language. Every fact, every calculator recommendation, every piece of retirement guidance comes from my knowledge and research. AI just helps me communicate it better.
Image Generation: Rather than hiring expensive photographers or buying generic stock photos, I use AI to create custom images that actually illustrate retirement concepts. Need a visual showing the difference between Roth and Traditional IRAs? AI can create it. Want an infographic explaining FERS calculations? AI helps design it. The concepts and accuracy are mine; AI handles the visual execution.
Research Assistance: When legislation changes or new COLA adjustments are announced, AI helps me quickly analyze documents, compare sources, and identify what’s most important for readers. I still verify everything against official government sources (OPM.gov, SSA.gov, IRS.gov), but AI makes the initial research process much faster.
What AI Does NOT Do:
AI doesn’t make up retirement advice. It doesn’t create calculator recommendations without my testing. It doesn’t publish content I haven’t reviewed and verified. It doesn’t replace my expertise—it amplifies it. Every piece of content goes through my personal review. Every calculator guide gets tested by me using the actual official tools. Every recommendation reflects my genuine assessment, not AI’s guess.
Why This Matters:
Some people think using AI means you’re cutting corners or producing low-quality content. I see it differently. AI lets me—a solo founder without a team—produce the same volume and quality of content that would normally require a staff of writers, editors, designers, and researchers. It’s a productivity multiplier, not a quality reducer.
Would you rather have outdated retirement information written entirely by hand three years ago, or current, comprehensive, verified guidance created with AI assistance and updated within 24 hours of legislative changes? I chose the latter. You get my expertise and experience, delivered more efficiently.
My Commitment:
I will always be transparent about using AI. I will never let AI replace human judgment, especially on critical retirement decisions. I will continue personally reviewing, testing, and verifying every piece of guidance we publish. And I will keep improving how I use AI to serve you better—just like I’d improve any other business tool.
AI is a tool, like a calculator, a computer, or spreadsheet software. Used responsibly with human expertise and oversight, it makes this platform better. And in an era where retirement rules change constantly and people need current, accurate information fast, that matters.
My Approach
Today, my role is less about writing every article and more about ensuring everything we create serves our mission: helping people achieve confidence and clarity in retirement planning. I set the vision, guide the strategy, and make sure every guide, article, and resource we produce passes one test: would this have helped me when I was drowning in confusion at my kitchen table?
I’m deeply involved in helping people navigate retirement resources—identifying the best calculators and tools available (like OPM.gov’s official retirement calculators) and explaining how to actually use them correctly. Our FERS guides exist because federal employees were getting confused by official calculators and abandoning their retirement planning out of frustration. Our Social Security resources exist because understanding when to claim can mean tens of thousands of dollars in lifetime benefits. Every guide starts with a real problem people face.
I also spend significant time reading—and I mean really reading—every piece of retirement legislation, OPM update, and Social Security policy change. Not because I enjoy government documentation (though I’ve developed a weird appreciation for it), but because when rules change, you need to know immediately. When the 2025 COLA adjustment was announced, I updated fourteen articles within eighteen hours. That’s the standard I hold myself to.
But perhaps most importantly, I protect our independence and integrity fiercely. We could make a lot more money pushing specific investment products or financial services. We don’t. We could create clickbait headlines and oversimplified advice. We won’t. Our reputation is built on being the trusted source that tells people the truth, even when the truth is “this is complicated and you should consult a professional.”
Our Mission
Every single day, I dig through the latest Social Security updates, test retirement calculators for accuracy, and translate complex pension rules into plain English. I’m that friend who actually enjoys reading 47-page FERS manuals so you don’t have to.
Here’s what I actually do: I wake up thinking about your questions. “Can I really retire at 62?” “How long will my savings last?” “What does the new COLA adjustment mean for me?” I spend hours finding and testing the best retirement calculators available, then creating guides that explain exactly how to use them. I interview recently retired federal employees to understand what they wish they’d known. I verify every calculator recommendation against official sources—yes, I actually test the tools before recommending them.
Because honestly? When someone emails me saying “Your guide helped me finally understand how to use the OPM calculator and I can retire six months earlier than I thought”—that’s what keeps me going. Over 50,000 people visit our site each month trusting us with literally the biggest financial decision of their lives. I don’t take that lightly. Not for a second.
Our Vision
Picture this: You wake up on a Tuesday morning, check your retirement calculator one more time, and instead of feeling that familiar knot of anxiety, you smile. You know your numbers. You understand your options. You’re not just hoping you can retire—you’re planning exactly when and how you’ll celebrate.
That’s the world I’m working toward. Where federal employees don’t spend years second-guessing their retirement eligibility. Where “FERS retirement formula” doesn’t sound like a foreign language. Where your adult kids can confidently help you plan because they found reliable, trustworthy information online.
I’m building a resource where retirement planning is still serious (it’s your life savings, after all), but it doesn’t have to be scary. Where every teacher, federal employee, and working professional in America can access the same quality retirement guidance that wealthy people pay financial advisors thousands of dollars for.
Core Values I Live By
Clarity Over Complexity: If a smart 14-year-old can’t understand my explanation, I rewrite it. Period. When I explain the FERS supplement, I don’t just dump regulations at you—I walk you through real examples of what your check will actually look like. Because complexity shouldn’t be a barrier to confidence.
Trust & Transparency: Every calculator I build gets checked against official government sources. Every article cites where the information comes from. When COLA rates change or new legislation passes, I update our content within 24 hours—not “when I get around to it.” I made this promise after realizing outdated information on competitor sites was literally costing people thousands of dollars.
Empowerment Through Knowledge: I refuse to use jargon without explaining it immediately. When I explain Social Security bend points or the Rule of 80, I include the “why it matters to you” part. Always. You deserve to understand your own retirement, not feel stupid for asking questions.
Peace of Mind First: Look, retirement planning can feel overwhelming. I get it—I lived it. That’s why every resource I create asks: “Will this reduce someone’s anxiety or increase it?” If my content makes you more stressed, I’ve failed. Our FERS calculator doesn’t just give you numbers—it explains what they mean and what to do next. Because peace of mind isn’t a luxury. It’s the whole point.
Independence Matters: I’ll never compromise guidance for profit. Our business model is transparency, not sales commissions. I don’t sell investment products. I don’t get kickbacks from financial advisors. My revenue comes from affiliate partnerships for retirement gift recommendations and display advertising—which I clearly disclose. Your trust is worth more than any commission check.
Meet the Founder
Robert Ramsey – Founder & CEO
(The guy who built this whole thing from kitchen table confusion)
Age 57. Married to Susan for 34 years. Early retiree (left corporate finance at 55). Built Ready to Retire Now because I couldn’t find the clarity I desperately needed for my own retirement.
Background: 32 years in corporate finance, worked my way from analyst to senior financial leadership. Managed budgets, investment strategies, and corporate planning. Thought I knew everything about retirement—until I tried to plan my own and realized how fragmented and confusing the information actually was.
Why I’m Qualified: I’m not a CFP® or CPA—I’m someone who successfully navigated early retirement and built the exact resource I wish had existed. I’ve spent the last five years obsessively researching FERS, Social Security, tax strategies, and retirement planning. I know where the best official calculators are, how they work, and more importantly—how to actually explain them so people can use them correctly. I read OPM updates for fun (yes, really). When COLA adjustments are announced, I get genuinely excited. My wife thinks I need more hobbies.
Personal Life: Susan and I successfully downsized from our larger suburban home—one of the best financial decisions we made. Downsizing isn’t just a retirement strategy I write about; it’s something I lived through, complete with the emotional challenges of letting go of “stuff” and the surprising freedom that came afterward.
What I’m Doing Now: Running this platform (which, ironically, means I work harder in “retirement” than I did in corporate America). I also volunteer with a local nonprofit helping federal employees navigate retirement transitions. And yes, I still bring spreadsheets to family gatherings. My kids think I’m weird. I think I’m helpful. We agree to disagree.
Hobbies: Reading (mystery novels and IRS publications—the range is real), hiking, attempting to keep a vegetable garden alive (the tomatoes thrive, everything else is questionable), and calculating retirement scenarios for friends and family who make the mistake of asking “quick questions” at dinner parties.
My Promise to You: I read every email sent to my inbox. I respond personally—not some automated system. When you reach out, you’re talking to the guy who built this platform at his kitchen table, not a customer service rep reading from a script. Your questions shape our content. Your confusion tells me where I need to explain better. Your success stories fuel everything I do.
How I Can Help You
I don’t do individual retirement consultations—I’m not a licensed financial advisor, and I take professional boundaries seriously. But I’ve built Ready to Retire Now to serve you in three critical ways:
First, through comprehensive calculator guides. The best retirement calculators already exist—on OPM.gov for FERS, SSA.gov for Social Security, IRS.gov for RMDs and tax calculations. The problem isn’t that these calculators don’t exist; it’s that they’re confusing to use. I create step-by-step guides that show you exactly which calculator to use, where to find your input numbers, how to interpret the results, and what to do next. It’s the resource I desperately needed five years ago—a clear roadmap organized by where you are in your retirement journey.
Second, through tested calculator reviews. I personally test every retirement calculator I recommend. I compare official government calculators with third-party tools. I explain which ones are most accurate, which are easiest to use, and which specific situations each calculator handles best. See a gap in retirement calculator guidance? Email me directly at robert@readytoretirenow.com. I read every message, and user questions often reveal calculators that need better explanation.
Third, through trusted referrals. When you need professional guidance beyond what I can provide, I’ll point you toward qualified professionals. I maintain relationships with CFP® professionals, CPAs, and retirement specialists who share our commitment to clarity and transparency. I don’t earn commissions on referrals—I just want you to get good help from trustworthy people.
Why Trust Me?
Look, I’m not naive. The internet is full of retirement “experts” with questionable credentials. So here’s why you can trust what you read here:
Real Experience: I’m not theorizing about retirement—I lived through the confusion, researched obsessively, retired successfully at 55, and built these guides from genuine need. Every calculator guide exists because I struggled with those same calculators myself.
Transparent Sources: Every stat I cite, every rule I reference, every calculation I make—I show you where the information comes from. See that link to OPM.gov? That’s because I’m citing the actual regulation, not my interpretation of someone else’s blog post about it.
Reader Results: I’ve helped over 50,000 people navigate retirement planning. My guides to using official calculators have helped thousands successfully plan their retirements. My inbox is full of thank-you messages from people who finally understood how to use OPM and SSA calculators correctly. (Yes, I save every single one. They remind me why I do this.)
No Hidden Agenda: I don’t sell investment products. I don’t get kickbacks from financial advisors. Our revenue comes from affiliate partnerships for retirement gift recommendations (clearly disclosed) and display advertising. My calculator recommendations? Based purely on accuracy and usefulness—I point you to the best official government calculators and explain how to use them, whether they benefit me financially or not.
Continuous Learning: I’m not pretending to know everything. When I don’t know something, I research it, consult experts, and cite my sources. When I make mistakes (I’m human), I correct them immediately and note the correction date. Transparency builds trust; perfection is impossible.
A Little More About Me
When I’m not obsessing over retirement planning tools (which, if I’m honest, is most of my waking hours), I’m living proof that retirement is about choosing your work, not stopping it entirely. Susan jokes that I work more in retirement than I did in corporate finance. She’s probably right. But here’s the difference: this work feels purposeful. Every email from someone who successfully retired because of our guidance, every comment thanking us for clarity—that’s fuel I never got from quarterly earnings reports.
We successfully downsized from our larger suburban home to a more manageable place that freed up capital and reduced expenses. Best financial decision we made. The emotional part—letting go of the house where we raised our kids, sorting through decades of accumulated “stuff”—was harder than any financial calculation. But the freedom that came afterward? Worth every difficult moment.
I’m also deeply involved with a local nonprofit that helps federal employees navigate retirement transitions. Turns out, spending thirty-two years in corporate finance and successfully retiring early gives you insights worth sharing. I do quarterly workshops (completely free, no sales pitch) because I remember how isolated and confused I felt during my own transition.
Susan and I have been married for thirty-four years. She’s been my sounding board for every business decision, content idea, and midnight “I just realized we need to build this tool” epiphany. We have two adult children who think we’re slightly crazy for working this hard in “retirement,” but they also see that we’re happier and more energized than we’ve been in years. Purposeful work looks different for everyone—this is ours.
My Promise to You
I promise to:
Stay Current: Laws change. I’ll keep content updated and clearly note the last review date on every article. When legislation passes that affects retirement planning, you’ll know within 24 hours.
Cite Sources: Every fact I state will link to its source—government agencies, academic research, or my own experience. No unverified claims, no “trust me” without evidence.
Admit Mistakes: If I get something wrong (I’m human), I’ll correct it immediately, explain what was wrong, and note the correction date. Transparency isn’t optional.
Avoid Conflicts of Interest: I’ll clearly disclose any affiliate relationships and never recommend products or services I haven’t thoroughly vetted.
Protect Your Privacy: Your email, your questions, your data—I guard it like it’s my own. (Because in some cases, it literally is—I use our own platform for planning too.)
Be Accessible: I read every email personally. I respond to calculator questions, clarify confusing content, and genuinely try to help—even when there’s nothing in it for me financially. Because that’s the resource I wished had existed when I needed help.
Let’s Stay Connected
I genuinely love hearing from people using these resources. Whether you successfully retired using the official calculators with my guides (please tell me—those stories fuel everything I do), you found an error that needs fixing (please definitely tell me), or you have suggestions for which calculators need better explanation, I want to hear from you.
I can’t do individual retirement consultations (professional boundaries matter), but I read every email sent to my inbox. I’m particularly interested in hearing about which official calculators are confusing you. What numbers can’t you find? What results don’t make sense? Your confusion tells me which guides need better explanation.
I also write a monthly newsletter (sign up at ReadyToRetireNow.com) where I share behind-the-scenes updates, new tools we’re developing, and lessons I’m learning about running a retirement planning business in retirement. It’s a bit meta, but people seem to enjoy the transparency.
Get In Touch
General Questions & Feedback:
robert@readytoretirenow.com
I personally respond to all emails within 24-48 hours (weekends might take a bit longer—I do occasionally sleep)
Calculator or Technical Issues:
support@readytoretirenow.com
Technical support usually responds within 24 hours. If something’s broken, I want to know ASAP.
Media & Partnership Inquiries:
partnerships@readytoretirenow.com
Mailing Address:
Ready to Retire Now
1309 Coffeen Avenue STE 1200
Sheridan Wyoming 82801
United States
Social Media:
I’m on Facebook, and Medium sharing retirement tips, COLA updates, and calculator releases. Follow me for retirement planning insights that don’t make your eyes glaze over.
A Personal Note
I started Ready to Retire Now because I was frustrated, confused, and tired of getting conflicting information about my own retirement. If you’re feeling that way right now, you’re exactly who I built this for. You’re not alone in the confusion, and you don’t have to figure it out alone.
I’ve helped over 5000 people gain clarity in their retirement planning. I’d be honored to help you too. Welcome to Ready to Retire Now.
— Robert Ramsey
Founder, Ready to Retire Now
Last updated: November 2025
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