It Started in a
Scottsdale Strip Mall.
One advisor. One desk. One idea: that retirement planning should start with education, not a sales pitch. Twenty-five years later, the idea hasn’t changed — just the number of families we’ve helped.
David Schaeffer, Founder — Scottsdale, AZ
The Story of American Retirement Advisors
In 2001, David Schaeffer opened a small office in Scottsdale, Arizona. He’d spent years watching how the insurance industry treated Medicare beneficiaries — like transactions, not people. Advisors pushed products based on carrier incentives. Clients made decisions they didn’t understand. And the confusion wasn’t an accident — it was the business model.
David decided to build something different.
He called it American Senior Advisors (later renamed American Retirement Advisors in 2010 as the firm grew beyond Medicare into comprehensive retirement planning). The founding principle was simple: educate first, always. If you help people understand their options, they’ll make good decisions — and they’ll come back year after year because they trust you.
“If the only way to earn your business is to pressure you into a decision, something is broken. Education isn’t a marketing strategy for us — it’s the whole point.”
That philosophy led to the 123Easy Medicare Workshop — a concept David pioneered years before webinars were common. He started teaching at community centers and libraries across Arizona and Nevada, explaining Medicare in plain English to packed rooms of people who were tired of being confused by the system.
By 2012, he wrote the book — literally.Medicare Made 123Easy has been published annually since then, helping thousands more families who couldn’t attend a workshop in person. It’s now in its 2024 edition.
Over 25 years, the firm grew from David’s solo practice to a team of Certified Medicare Planners serving 14,000+ clients in all 50 states. The offices expanded to Las Vegas. The services grew to include retirement income planning and inheritance strategy through the broader American Retirement Advisors family.
But the founding principle never changed. Every advisor at ARA earns flat compensation regardless of which plan they recommend. There are no carrier quotas, no hidden incentives, no call-center scripts. Just honest, patient, expert guidance — the way David always imagined it should work.
25 Years of Building Trust
American Senior Advisors Founded
David Schaeffer opens a one-desk office in Scottsdale. First client helped within a week.
First Workshop Series
David launches community center Medicare workshops across the Phoenix metro area. Rooms are packed from day one.
Renamed to American Retirement Advisors
Services expand beyond Medicare into retirement income and financial planning. The broader ARA ecosystem begins.
Medicare Made 123Easy Published
David authors the first edition of the Medicare guide book. Updated annually, now in its 2024 edition.
Las Vegas Office Opens
Nevada expansion brings ARA’s education-first model to a new market.
Workshop Goes Digital
When in-person workshops paused, ARA launched the on-demand digital workshop — reaching families nationwide.
14,000+ Clients. 50 States. Still Family-Owned.
Ian Schaeffer leads operations as the next generation. Same values. Same independence. Bigger reach.
The Next Generation
I grew up watching my dad help families navigate one of life’s most confusing transitions. I watched him spend 45 minutes on the phone with someone’s mother — not because there was a commission on the line, but because she had questions and he could answer them.
When I stepped into operations at ARA, I brought a simple question: how do we reach more families without losing what makes this special?
The answer wasn’t to become a call center. It wasn’t to chase volume. It was to build systems that preserve the personal, patient, education-first model David created — and make it accessible to anyone in the country, not just the families lucky enough to live near Scottsdale.
That’s what 123EasyMedicare.com is. It’s the workshop, the phone call, the personal advisor relationship — but available to you wherever you are, whenever you’re ready.
My dad still helps clients every day. I make sure the systems behind him are as good as he is. Together, we’re building something that lasts.
— Ian Schaeffer, COO
Meet the Team
Certified Medicare Planners who do this every day — not seasonal contract workers reading scripts.
David Schaeffer
25+ years. Published author. The advisor’s advisor. Still helps clients daily.
David Edge
2,800+ personal clients. Complex Medicare transitions specialist.
Kyle Jacobs
Medigap expert. Employer-to-Medicare transitions. Calm under pressure.
Marc Frye
Family-focused planning. Helps multi-generational households coordinate coverage.
Our Values
Education Over Selling
We teach first and always. An informed client makes better decisions — and stays a client for life. We’d rather you watch the workshop and decide on your own than pressure you into something today.
Relationships Over Transactions
Medicare isn’t a one-time event. Plans change, health changes, life changes. Your advisor knows your story and reviews your coverage every year — not because they have to, but because that’s how this should work.
Independence Over Incentives
We represent 30+ carriers. Our advisors earn the same flat compensation regardless of which carrier or plan they recommend. Zero quotas, zero bonuses for pushing specific products. Just the right recommendation for you.
Generations Over Years
David started this. Ian runs operations now. We think in decades, not quarters. A family business approaches trust differently than a private-equity-backed call center — and that difference matters when you’re making decisions that affect the next 20+ years of your life.
Medicare Made 123Easy
David wrote the book — literally. Medicare Made 123Easy: The Facts You Need has been published annually since 2012, helping thousands of families understand their Medicare options in plain English.
Now in its 2024 edition, the book covers everything from the basics of Parts A, B, C, and D to advanced strategies around IRMAA, Medigap enrollment windows, and the Annual Election Period.
Ready to Experience
the Difference?
25 years of education-first Medicare guidance. No cost. No pressure. Just real help from real people.