Skip to main content

Customer story · Panic proof retirement

Donald Jerry Secured Retirement Income and Gained Capital for a New Car

Donald Jerry · Recorded 5/13/2026

0:000:00
Captured on
Share One · May 13, 2026
Content fingerprint
7246b61399f2320e
FNV-1a-32x2 over this page's video URL, capture timestamp and transcript — recompute it to confirm nothing was altered after publication.

Individual results vary. This is one customer's first-hand account of their own experience, recorded on camera and published unedited. It is not medical advice, and nothing here is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any condition. Talk to a qualified healthcare professional before making decisions about your health.

Donald Jerry turned to Panic Proof Retirement after finding his previous advisor at Fidelity unresponsive. Working with Dan, Donald successfully protected his nest egg from market losses and gained enough money to purchase a new car within two years of retiring. He now has a clear plan for his IRA and money management.

At a glance

Primary Use Case
Protecting a nest egg and generating retirement income after leaving Fidelity.
Reported Result
Gained a great deal of money last year and purchased a new car.
Time to Value
Within two years of retirement.
My biggest concern was losing money. Dan helped me out. We looked at different options... and Dan had the better deal.
Last year, we gained a great deal of money, and then I just bought a new car.
I didn't have a lot of money, but I had enough to keep my nest egg going. And I got a hold of Dan, and Dan helped me out with it, and he's still helping me out today.

The interview

What was your experience like working with Dan initially?

Dan sits down and talks to you about it. He looks at what you have and he says, 'Well, this is the best way to get this money, and it's the best way to use this.' I got a hold of Dan because I saw about it, and I looked it up on the internet, checked him all out, made sure everything looked good.

Why did you decide to leave your previous financial institution?

Fidelity that I had was not giving me what I wanted. They had started it, they dropped a few people that were there, and then the person that took over wasn't really interested in how much money. And I didn't have a lot of money, but I had enough to keep my nest egg going.

What was your primary concern regarding your finances?

My biggest concern was losing money. Dan helped me out. We looked at different options, and I looked at the same options with Fidelity. I talked to them about it and everything, and Dan had the better deal. Dan had the idea.

How does the communication work with the Panic Proof Retirement team?

Anytime I needed to call him, I could call him. And he'd, you know, a couple of days, maybe a week or so, but he'd still get back to me. And the other lady he works with is very good. She gets a hold of him and tells, 'Hey, listen, Don wants to see you about this.' I give her the information, and she tells him about it.

How did Dan explain the retirement plan to you and your wife?

He gave us an idea. My wife and I were there, and he showed us both what was going on and what we needed to do and how he could help us build it better. And he gives examples. He showed us what was going on, gave us a 10-year hit or a five-year hit too, and we said, 'Yeah, that looks better.'

What led to your decision to retire and move your funds?

I saw the writing on the wall when they were getting ready. I was 64 years old, and Geosciences Corporation decided to say, 'Okay. Well, we're gonna get rid of some of these people.' At this here, I moved things around. I got the IRA going, and I looked into different other things.

What specific financial results have you seen since working with Dan?

It's a lot better. Last year, we gained a great deal of money, and then I just bought a new car. And he's looking at it, and he's saying, 'We'll build that up. You should be able to get that back, no problem.' I've only been retired for two years, so I'm still looking at whatever else I wanna do. I was able to buy another car, so hey, you know, he's doing very well.

Frequently asked

Will an advisor care about my account if I don't have a lot of money?

Donald Jerry noted that while he didn't have a large sum, Dan at Panic Proof Retirement was genuinely interested in helping him keep his nest egg going. This contrasted with his experience at Fidelity, where he felt the person in charge wasn't interested in his account size.

How can I protect my retirement savings from losing money?

Donald's biggest concern was losing money in the market. Dan helped him by comparing options against his existing Fidelity plan and showing him 5-year and 10-year projections to ensure his money was built better and kept safe.

Is it possible to access my money if I need it for a large purchase?

Yes, Donald Jerry mentioned that Dan structured his plan so he could use specific funds for money management while keeping the rest of the retirement off to the side, allowing him to buy a new car.

Full transcript

Dan sits down and talks to you about it. He looks at what you have and he says, "Well, this is the best way to get this money, and it's the best way to use this." I'm Donald Jerry. I got a hold of Dan because I saw about it, and I looked it up on the, uh, internet, checked him all out, made sure everything looked good because Fidelity that I had was not giving me what I wanted. They had started it, they dropped a few people that were there, and then the person that took over wasn't really interested in how much money. And I didn't have a lot of money, but I had enough to keep my nest egg going. And I got a hold of Dan, and Dan helped me out with it, and he's still helping me out today. My biggest concern was losing money. Dan helped me out. We looked at different options, and I looked at the same options with Fidelity. I talked to them about it and everything, and Dan had the better deal. Dan had the idea. He got a hold of me. We talked about what I wanted, what I needed, and how he could get me there. And he showed me things on videos and on the screen. He was right there, and anytime I needed to call him, I could call him. And he'd, you know, a couple of days, maybe a week or so, but he'd still get back to me. And the other lady he works with is very good. She gets a hold of him and tells, "Hey, listen, Don wants to see you about this." I give her the information, and she tells him about it. When I was looking at the plan, he gave us an idea. My wife and I were there, and he showed us both what was going on and what we needed to do and how he could help us build it better. And he gives examples. He showed us what was going on, gave us a 10-year hit or a five-year hit too, and we said, "Yeah, that looks better." You know? I've been making some money out of there, you know? I mean, I don't have a lot in there, but Dan is helping me to fix it. I saw the writing on the wall when they were getting ready. I was 64 years old, and Geosciences Corporation decided to say, "Okay. Well, we're gonna get rid of some of these people." At this here, I moved things around. I got the IRA going, and I looked into different other things. And the one thing that I didn't look at, which I was-- I found out later after I had retired, I got a hold of Dan, and he told me, "Well, we'll put this much in here, and we'll move this over here, and you can use this for money management. And we can just keep the rest of the retirement off to the side. If I needed it, I could get it." It's a lot better. Last year, we gained a great deal of money, and then I just bought a new car. And he's looking at it, and he's saying, "We'll build that up. You should be able to get that back, no problem." I've only been retired for two years, so I'm still looking at whatever else I wanna do. I was able to buy another car, so hey, you know, he's doing very well

About Panic proof retirement

Panic Proof Retirement is an independent financial advisory firm specializing in retirement planning and income protection for individuals in Troy, Auburn Hills, and Bloomfield Hills, MI. They focus on delivering tailored solutions that provide clients with a clear plan and confidence in their retirement income. By minimizing fears of market downturns, they help clients like Donald Cherry transition from uncertainty to financial security.

Industry
Financial Services

Topics

  • retirement planning
  • wealth management
  • ira rollover
  • income protection
  • michigan
  • senior

Watch next

How this story was recorded

How can my business collect customer stories like this one from Panic proof retirement?

Panic proof retirement used Share One: you pick the questions, send a link to a happy customer, and they record their answers on video whenever it suits them. The finished story, transcript, and search-ready page are created for you. Start at share.one.

Recorded and verified with Share One. Published as recorded — unpaid, unscripted, and attributed to a named person.

Collect your own customer stories at share.one