Welcome To
Retirement Renegade
About
Andrew Winnett
Founder + President of Retirement Renegade
As Seen & Featured On:
Andrew Winnet's Origin Story
Why I started the company… My mom’s journey
My History
Andrew got into the banking industry around 2007 and was aspiring to be a financial advisor. Unfortunately Andrew could not have picked a worse time to learn to be a financial advisor. Only a year into Andrew’s banking career, the Global Financial Crisis occurred.
Observing the Financial Advisor Andrew was mentoring under, running around like a “chicken with his head cut off” trying to explain to his clients why their portfolios just lost 30-40%, Andrew was convinced that he never wanted to be involved in losing a client’s money. EVER.
Shortly after Andrew’s epiphany, Andrew father passed away unexpectedly at the young age of 45, leaving his mother and two younger siblings still at home. Andrew’s mother was a stay-at-home mom and hadn’t worked in almost 20 years. She was faced with some very difficult decisions.
And although she did receive a Life Insurance Death Benefit, she did what most people do when they are unsure of how to handle a big amount of money. She went to a Financial Advisor and invested in the market.
As Andrew was looking at her statement one day he discovered that although she had gained some interest, every penny she earned was eaten up in fees. This made Andrew furious. Andrew set out to find alternatives for his mother. Something that would offer her guarantees.
- Something that would allow her to retire sooner. (She had gone back to work for minimum wage.)
- Something that would ensure she would never outlive her money, even if she lived to age 100.
- Something where she would no longer be at risk of losing any more of her money in the market.
- Something where she would never pay any advisor fees again.
- Something that would still provide great rates of return.
And after much searching, to his surprise, Andrew discovered a whole new world of alternative products. Products that did offer EVERYTHING he was looking for.
Once he helped his mother rollover her money into these products, something amazing happened.
Andrew’s mom was able to retire right away. Years sooner than she previously thought.
Andrew’s mom was able to take care of her bills and raise the younger 2 siblings.
Andrew’s mom was able to never worry about losing any more money in the market due to market volatility.
Andrew’s mom never had to pay another broker fee again.
Andrew’s mom could count on a steady monthly paycheck deposited every month.
Andrew’s mom finally had financial peace of mind.
Andrew’s mom was able to buy her dream house, and comfortably afford it.
Andrew’s mom’s Long Term Care Insurance was covered (for free) in her retirement plan.
This “lightbulb” moment really compelled Andrew to ask the question… “If my mother benefited this much from these types of products and guarantees, how many more Americans are desperately searching for these types of products and guarantees?”
Andrew started Retirement Renegade with that in mind. To put the client first and provide the guarantees that most retirees and pre-retirees were looking for.
The company took off like a rocket! Andrew didn’t really understand how big of a need it really was to provide Safe Retirement Products. Within 7 months, the company was valued at over 20 million, with 200 agents nationwide helping clients with Safe Insurance and Financial Products. Retirement Renegade was awarded as the fastest growing Financial Firms in America from 2017-2020 and was able to help over 5,000 clients with their retirement decisions.
And although Andrew’s success was admired by many, Andrew wasn’t able to spend the time with his family that he desired. Andrew decided it really doesn’t matter how much you make, if your family isn’t a priority, it isn’t worth it. He decided his days of traveling all over the country were over.
Rather than focusing on Quantity, Andrew began focusing on Quality.
Retirement Renegade has never drifted from the foundations that make it successful. Andrew knows from experience what clients want and need. He continues to become better and better offering the highest form of excellence, customer service, and most importantly GUARANTEES that his clients have come to enjoy.
And the best part is, Andrew now has the freedom to enjoy his 4 kids and lovely wife Jess in Franklin TN where they live, and still be able to passionately provide nationwide Safe Insurance Products.
- Producer of a Hollywood Film
- Best Selling Author
- Radio Host
- Registered Member, National Ethics Association
- Registered Member, National Association of Insurance and Financial Professionals
- TOP firm from 2015-2022
- A+ Rated with Better Business Bureau
- Rated Fastest Growing Firm 2017-2020 by Heartland Financial Group, and One Life America
- 10+ years of Experience
- Over 5,000+ Happy Clients
A Note from Our President
At Retirement Renegade we champion the underdog retiree.
Let’s face it… In this day and age, it has become harder and harder to truly have enough money to enjoy retirement.
The last thing you want to worry about is losing your hard earned money unnecessarily. Whether through fees, market volatility, low rates of returns, or inflation more and more people are retiring with less than they had hoped for.
We know this unfortunate reality all too well.
That’s why I have dedicated my career to helping educate the masses on how to retire with more than just their dignity. Our clients learn how to be able to truly enjoy the retirement of their dreams.
There are really 3 things that keep people from making the right decisions regarding their retirement.
1. Fear – People are afraid of making the wrong choice and losing it all. These fears are real! We have all heard the horror stories. That is why we focus on discovering what is important to you, and then educating you on how to create a game-plan to make your desires a reality.
2. Procrastination – Most folks are very busy. Family, work, the house, vacation, on and on it goes. And because most people are contributing to some retirement plan, and aren’t going to retire in the immediate future, they put off strategically planning for their future. We know this.
3. Believing Risk is Part of Retirement Planning – This is one of the biggest misconceptions in all of finance. Unfortunately the vast majority of people believe that to earn any sort of sizable return, you have to be exposed to some risk. This simply is not true. We are seeing a pandemic of retirees running out of money during retirement. People are living longer. Healthcare is costing more and more. Even if they retired with millions in the bank they are leaving the earth with nothing to show for. THERE IS A BETTER WAY! Safe Money Retirement strategies provide alternative ways to never outlive your money all while enjoying a steady stream of income each and every month for the rest of your life!
These 3 areas keep many people from enjoying guaranteed and predictable income and multi-generational wealth transfer.
Our clients all have different dreams, hopes, fears, and doubts. Each client is unique, and requires a unique tailor-made approach for THEM!
The bottom line is you deserve more!
You deserve a firm that is going to provide you with the education you need to make an informed decision.
You deserve a portfolio that is not going to be eaten away by sales commission and hidden fees.
You deserve an Advisor that is not building their retirement by taking from yours.
You deserve to be protected from market fluctuations that are out of your control.
You deserve to earn decent rates of return without risk of losing it all.
You deserve the peace of mind knowing that your Retirement savings is safe from market volatility, and growing, for the rest of your life.
You deserve more! And we are here to fulfill what you deserve!
Dennis possesses a comprehensive background in the field of agri-business, which has served as a solid foundation for his subsequent foray into the financial services industry. He engaged in a fruitful partnership with Tosh Farms, a prominent agri-business entity situated in West Tennessee, focusing on the efficient production of over one million market hogs on an annual basis. Concurrently, Dennis contributed his expertise to the premier producer of Pasture Raised Eggs, Vital Farms, a publicly traded company listed on the Nasdaq exchange (VITL). Remarkably, during his tenure at Vital Farms, Dennis helped facilitate the substantial growth, expanding its egg production capacity from 500,000 hens to a staggering 1.5 million hens, effectively establishing a presence in over 12,000 stores nationwide.
Kelley Rutledge is the Director on First Impressions at Retirement Renegade. Kelley has two decades of experience as a health and wellness professional. Prior to working with Retirement Renegade, she spent a few years designing and implementing fitness programs for individuals and groups of all ages. Throughout the last few years as a wellness coach her focus has been on gaining knowledge in chronic pain and injury prevention. She enjoys educating and encouraging people to live a pain free lifestyle. Kelley’s passions include outdoor adventures and cooking. She lives in Franklin with her husband and has two children. Kelley understands what our clients need and her focus is ensuring quality interactions and excellent customer service.
Eddie Sisneros is the Director of Operations for Retirement Renegade. With a high level of training and experience in multiple industries including Sales, Health and Wellness, Video Production, and Human Resources he brings a developed and refined swiss army knife skill set to the team. As a writer and performer Eddie has worked with some of the top level Comedians and performs in the industry, helping them on both the behind the scenes level and stage. Originally from Texas, Eddie is married to his beautiful wife Ja-Kee’ and has a new born daughter.
Jessica Winnett serves as Retirement Renegade’s Director of Marketing. Jessica has an extensive background in digital marketing. She has had the privilege of helping businesses in several sectors achieve geometric results. She thoroughly enjoys serving the women in our community by spreading the message and mission of Retirement Renegade. She is married to Andrew (our President) and homeschools their 4 children. Jessica’s passions include eating great food and trying new Nashville area restaurants, as well as being outdoors with the family.
Strategic Partners
Don Meyer is the co-founder and president of Both Hands Financial Group and is a strategic partner with Retirement Renegade. Don’s focus is helping people prepare for retirement by helping them utilize tactically managed money for their investments and helping the choose the right Medicare option for their needs.
Tactically managed money allows our clients to get above average returns without taking unnecessary risk. Our clients rest assured knowing their money is being watched every minute the market is open.
Medicare is the single biggest decision you will make once you get to retirement and you can get it wrong. Don has years of experience and has helped thousands of people across the country select the right Medicare plan for their needs. Don can explain every aspect of Medicare and help you understand the impact your income will have on your Medicare premiums.
Don is also one of the most sought-after Medicare trainers in the country and he shows other agents and agencies how we help our clients.
If you need help making sense of Medicare, establishing an extended healthcare plan, or making sure your money is being properly looked after, look no further than Don Meyer with Retirement Renegade.
Cory Carlton is the co-founder and CEO of Both Hands Financial Group and is a strategic partner with Retirement Renegade. His focus is helping families establish a family estate plan.
This process usually begins with establishing a trust. Cory and his trust department have the most efficient, effective, and affordable estate planning program.
You can complete 90% of your trust and estate plan in as little as 90 minutes from the comfort of your home. There is no other program in the country like this.
Cory understands the various aspects of estate planning and can help you understand why a trust may be a beneficial tool for your family.
Most advisors leave your estate vulnerable without realizing it. By implementing an estate plan you will protect your family and have the most important financial and medical documents all in one place.
If you have ever considered looking at getting a trust but did not know where to start, Cory can help you with the process from start to finish. Contact Retirement Renegade to learn more.
Martin Ruby is founder and CEO of Stonewood Financial. A seasoned financial industry executive, Martin has decades of experience developing, pricing and selling insurance products, and managing strategic corporate growth. A nationally-recognized public speaker and trainer, Martin is author of industry-leading books The No-Compromise Retirement Plan and The New Rules of Retirement Saving.
An actuary by background, Martin wanted to use his actuarial expertise to help American savers. In 2001, he founded a retail annuity and insurance practice and began marketing Indexed Universal Life insurance solutions. His strategies proved so popular that other financial advisors began asking Marty to help them as they added IUL to their practices.
In response, Martin founded Stonewood Financial in 2013 to help advisors grow their practices with innovative marketing strategies, customized proposal tools, and software that helps clients better understand the value of their strategies.
Prior to founding Stonewood, Martin served as CEO of Integrity Life Insurance Companies, where he led the growth of a successful retail annuity business, cutting-edge technology platforms, and innovative product development. He has also served as head of the Life and Annuity Industry Group for Channel Point Technology, and in several senior executive positions for Capital Holding Corporation (now part of AEGON).
Martin is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA). He holds an MBA from Bellarmine College and a B.S. from Purdue University.
A dedicated community leader, Martin has served on numerous boards in the Greater Louisville region. His service includes Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Jewish Hospital, and President of the Board of Trustees for both the Temple Adath Israel Brith Sholom and the Louisville Jewish Community Center. Martin has also served on the boards of the Louisville Fund for the Arts and Louisville Metro United Way.
Becky Ruby Swansburg is Partner & Chief Marketing Officer for Stonewood Financial, and co-author of the industry-leading books The No-Compromise Retirement Plan and The New Rules of Retirement Saving. A nationally-recognized public speaker, Becky has trained advisors across the country on incorporating tax-efficient income planning and new holistic strategies into their practices.
Becky has more than a decade of experience in marketing, public relations and communications across a range of industries in the for-profit, non-profit and government sectors.
Prior to joining Stonewood, Becky served as Director of Communication and Public Affairs for Greater Louisville Inc. – The Metro Chamber of Commerce, where she directed the chamber’s communications and government relations. Becky has also handled marketing and communications for several U.S. Congressmen and government agencies, and has worked in the White House Press Office in Washington, D.C.
Becky holds a B.S. in Political Science from Middlebury College and an M.S. in Public Relations from Boston University. An active community member, she serves on the Board of Directors for the Jewish Community of Louisville and the Jewish Community Relations Council. Becky is chair of the Board of Directors for Louisville Classical Academy, and has prior service on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) Louisville and the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Executives.
Becky was named to Business First’s prestigious ‘Forty Under 40’ list of community leaders, and is a Bingham Fellow through the Leadership Louisville Center.
Neil Wilding is Partner & Chief Development Officer for Stonewood Financial, and co-author of the industry-leading books The No-Compromise Retirement Plan and The New Rules of Retirement Saving. A noted trainer and public speaker, Neil helps advisors incorporate new holistic strategies and tax-efficient income planning into their practices, and connects leading industry institutions with innovative, growth-oriented approaches to IUL.
Prior to joining Stonewood, Neil led sales, business development and operations for Aria, running their National Sales Office. He has also served as the National Sales Manager for the Institutional Retirement Group of Genworth Financial, leading sales and business development efforts for the advisor market. Neil’s career has included time wholesaling annuities, mutual funds, and managed money in all channels of distribution.
Neil holds a BS in Marketing from the University of Louisville. He is a member of the American Baseball Coaches Association. He lives in Louisville with his wife and children.