Chapter Two · The Family

Three generations.
One name on the door.

Simply Retired is a Steinhandler family company, three generations into the work. The story starts in 1977 with a father and son, two desks, and one idea, every family deserves someone in their corner who only works for them. Nearly fifty years later, that idea still runs the firm.

Perry on the Chicago lakefront with the city skyline behind him, a family-owned firm planning retirements for Chicago Northern Suburbs families since 1977
1977Founded

One idea.

Perry’s father and grandfather start a firm with one idea, every family deserves someone in their corner who only works for them.

1998Second generation

Same idea.
New chair at the table.

Perry took over from his father and relocated the firm to Evanston, guiding families through the milestone his father helped with: the day you stop working and start living.

TodayWhere we work

Northern Suburbs, on purpose.

Based in Evanston. Serving families across Chicago’s Northern Suburbs.

  • Wilmette
  • Winnetka
  • Highland Park
  • Lake Forest
  • Glencoe
  • Northbrook

We know what it costs to retire here. We live here too.

The Firm

A record of the firm.

1977

Firm founded

The first office opens in downtown Chicago. A family firm with a handshake standard.

1998

Perry takes helm

Relocation to Evanston. Commissions disclosed on every placement.

Today

Hundreds served

Plans that weathered the dot‑com, 2008, COVID, and the retirements after.

The Team · 02

Meet Perry.

Perry, Principal at our firm, Family-owned · Three generations of practice financial advisor serving retirees and families across Chicago's Northern Suburbs from the firm's Evanston, Illinois office

Perry

Principal · Family-owned · Three generations of practice

Perry leads our firm, and he's spent the last forty years turning clients from strangers into family. Using conservative strategies focused on retirement income and wealth preservation, he helps clients build income streams that carry them to and through retirement.

Perry was trained to look ahead, mindful of the impact today's decisions will have decades into the future for his clients and their families.

Get to know Perry on a personal level.
  • I've been married to my best friend for almost 50 years, blessed with 2 kids and their spouses.
  • We have 6 very loved grandchildren, 5 boys and Miss Ella.
  • I'm at the gym by 6am most mornings.
  • I campaigned and had lunch with JFK prior to the 1960 presidential election.
  • My prized possessions are a verified autographed baseball and a picture of Sandy Koufax.
  • I hitchhiked through upstate NY and 3 Canadian provinces during college.
  • My favorite food is Lou Malnati's Deep Dish, or whatever my wife cooks.
  • My first job was door-to-door with my shoe shine kit.
  • I worked 3 summers for the Chicago Cubs.
  • A lifelong enjoyment of soccer, basketball, baseball, and reading.
  • Joined firm1998
  • Years advising40+ years
  • SpecialtyRetirement income, Social Security, life insurance, annuities, long-term care planning
  • EducationDePaul University
  • LicensesIllinois Life & Health Insurance License
  • Primary clientsFamilies across Chicago's Northern Suburbs
What we believe

Six rules,
written in ink.

i.

Family-run

Three generations of family practice behind the door. The family that signs the door is the family that signs the plan.

ii.

Commissions disclosed

You know exactly how we’re paid, every time. We tell you what the carrier pays us before any placement.

iii.

Independent

No parent brokerage. No proprietary products. The advice is the advice.

iv.

Local

We live in the Northern Suburbs. We know what it costs to retire here. We know the tax laws. We know the town.

v.

Patient

Retirement plans are measured in decades, not quarters. We don’t chase. We don’t panic. We hold.

vi.

Honest

If the right answer is “do nothing,” we say so. If it costs us money to tell the truth, we tell the truth anyway.

An older woman tending flowers in her garden, the kind of unhurried weekday morning a well-built retirement plan from our practice makes possible for families across Chicago's Northern Suburbs
What we’re actually building

The point isn’t the portfolio.

The point is the garden, the grandkids, the long lunch on Tuesday with no agenda. The plan is just the thing that makes the rest possible.

We measure success by how often our clients call us with good news.

About the firm · FAQ

Common questions about the family.

Who is Perry?

Perry leads our firm and represents the second generation of the family business, with more than forty years helping Northern Suburbs families plan around retirement income, Social Security, life insurance, and annuities. He works directly with every client out of the firm's Evanston office.

How long have you been in business?

The firm was founded in 1977 in downtown Chicago by Perry's father. Perry took the helm in 1998 and relocated the firm to Evanston. The firm has been continuously family-owned and operated for nearly fifty years.

What does Perry focus on?

Perry focuses on retirement income, Social Security maximization, life insurance, annuities, long-term care planning, and the tax-aware withdrawal sequencing that ties it all together. Every client works with Perry directly.

How is our firm compensated?

We're paid through commissions on the insurance and annuity products we place. When we place an annuity or a life insurance policy, we tell you what the carrier pays us and explain why that product fits your situation. We don't sell proprietary products. Every recommendation is independent of any single carrier.

What types of clients does our firm work with?

The firm primarily serves families and individuals across Chicago's north and northwest suburbs who are within five to ten years of retirement or already retired. Clients include long-tenured professionals, business owners preparing to sell, and multi-generational families coordinating wealth transfer. Most relationships start by introduction from an existing client.

What does it mean that our firm is family-owned?

There's no parent brokerage above the firm and no outside ownership. The principals are the family. That structure means there are no proprietary products clients get pushed into and no quarterly sales quotas dictating advice. It also means the same family has been accountable for client outcomes across three generations.

Come meet the family.

One free conversation. Coffee in our Evanston office, or a call from wherever you’re sitting.

Free 30-minute consultation →Call (847) 494-4483