The hardest part of retirement is not saving the money. It is protecting it. That belief sits at the center of how Randy Rondberg approaches his work at Nations First Financial in Mesa, Arizona, where wealth protection has been a core focus for more than 25 years.
Rondberg founded the firm in 2001 and specializes in retirement planning for pre-retirees and retirees across the state, typically between the ages of 55 and 75. Many arrive having spent decades building their savings. The question they face now is different from the one they spent their careers answering. It is no longer how to grow a nest egg. It is how to keep it safe and make it last.
Why the Rules Change at Retirement
The shift is more than psychological. A younger investor who suffers a market loss has years to recover. A retiree does not have that luxury. Drawing income from a portfolio that has just dropped in value can lock in losses that never come back, a risk that grows more dangerous the closer a person gets to retirement.
This is why wealth protection becomes a priority in a way it never was before. The goal moves from accumulation to preservation. What a person built over a lifetime needs to remain available when they need it most. Rondberg frames it as a balancing act. A retiree still needs some growth to keep pace with rising costs over a long retirement, but they also need protection against downturns that could derail the plan. Getting that balance right is much of what the firm does.
How Annuities Fit the Picture
One of the tools Rondberg’s team uses for protection is the annuity. An annuity is a contract with an insurance company rather than a market investment. In exchange for a lump sum or a series of payments, the insurer agrees to provide income, either right away or at a future point. That structure is what makes annuities useful for the protection side of a retirement plan.
Certain annuities are designed to shield principal from market losses while providing a steady stream of income. That combination speaks directly to the fear many retirees carry, the fear of outliving their savings. An annuity can create a base of dependable income that continues regardless of what the market does or how long a person lives. It is not the entire plan, but it can act as a floor beneath everything else, covering essential expenses so other assets have room to work.
Matching the Tool to the Person
Rondberg is careful to note that annuities are not one-size-fits-all, and neither is wealth protection. Different products carry different features, trade-offs, and terms. The right choice depends on the individual, their timeline, their liquidity needs, and their goals. A plan that fits one retiree may be wrong for the next.
Because of that, Nations First Financial works with a range of carriers, including Athene, F&G, SILAC, and American Life, to match each client with a suitable fit. The independence matters. Rather than pushing a single product, Rondberg’s team can look across options to find the one that aligns with a client’s actual situation. The firm also coordinates this with tax planning through an in-house CPA firm, so a protection strategy and a tax strategy are built together rather than in isolation.
Protection Starts With Understanding
True to the firm’s education-first approach, Rondberg does not expect clients to navigate these decisions blind. Clients receive a full financial analysis and a personalized retirement blueprint at no cost before committing to anything. The point is to help people understand how each piece of the plan protects them, including the trade-offs that come with any financial tool.
Rondberg walks clients through the details in plain language. Annuities, in particular, can sound complicated, and he believes people should understand exactly how a contract works before it becomes part of their plan. That transparency reflects the values he has carried since founding the firm. Take care of people, explain things honestly, and put the client’s needs first.
For Arizona retirees focused on wealth protection, Nations First Financial offers a plan built around the individual and grounded in decades of experience. Rondberg’s message has stayed steady since 2001. Understand the person first, protect what they have built, and help them enjoy the retirement they earned.
To learn more about Nations First Financial and its approach to wealth protection, visit nationsfirstfin.com.
