Expert Review Board
The Retirement Living Expert Review Board includes experts with more than 100 years of combined experience across finance, health, wellness, and retirement planning. Our board members were carefully selected based on their credentials and ability to communicate complex information to a broad readership to ensure our articles are empowering, unbiased, accurate, and inclusive.
Meet Our Expert Review Board Members
Christopher Hensley
Retirement Income Certified Professional®
Dawn Heiderscheidt
Certified Aging In Place Specialist
Ruth Reisman
Licensed Audiologist (AuD, (CCC–A)
Kelsey Simasko
Elder Law & Wealth Attorney
Dane Janas
IRS-Licensed Enrolled Agent
The Expert Review Board helps our editorial team ensure that our readers receive the most accurate and timely information. Our panel of experts includes university professors, certified financial planners, retirement planners, mortgage originators, analysts, audiologists, aging-in-place specialists, attorneys, and tax experts. Their first-hand experience in the field allows them to review articles and collaborate on content.
How the Process Works
Retirement Living’s editorial team submits articles to the Board for review. Free of any conflicts of interest, the experts review the work and suggest corrections or modifications to our editors. After careful consideration of the feedback, Retirement Living editors adjust the pieces for accuracy and publish the final content with the reviewed information.
About Our Experts
Christopher Hensley
CFP, ChFC, RICP
Christopher Hensley is the President and CEO of Houston First Financial Group where he specializes in retirement planning and estate management. With over 22 years of experience in the financial services industry, Chris has worked with Fortune 500 companies like Merrill Lynch and UBS Financial Services. He is a licensed Financial Advisor and the host of the radio/podcast show Money Matters.
Dawn Heiderscheidt
OTR/L, ECHM, CAPS
As a registered and licensed occupational therapist, Dawn leverages her expertise in home modifications and universal design to help clients age in place and live independently. She is the founder of Aurora Independence, which provides home safety and accessibility consulting on construction projects, additions, and other modifications. A former rehabilitation professional, Dawn is a Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist and possesses an Executive Certification in Home Modifications.
Dane Janas
IRS-Licensed Enrolled Agent
Dane Janas is an IRS-licensed Enrolled Agent and the owner of Financial Umbrella LLC. With over 12 years of experience in the tax industry, he has provided expert tax relief and advisory services to individuals, businesses, and nonprofit organizations. Dane has successfully represented numerous clients before the IRS, securing favorable outcomes through Offers in Compromise, payment plans, installment agreements, and Penalty Abatements.
Kelsey Simasko
Elder Law Attorney
Kelsey Simasko is an associate attorney at the Simasko Law firm. She follows in the footsteps of her late grandfather, Leonard J. Simasko, who started the firm back in 1955, as well as, her Uncle, James M. Simasko and father, Patrick M. Simasko – partners of the Simasko Law firm. Kelsey specializes in elder law and wealth preservation, specifically estate planning, will and trust administration, Medicaid, and retirement planning.
Ryan Sullivan
PE, Financial Planner
Ryan Sullivan is an investment advisor and owner of Off the Beaten Path Financial, a registered investment advisory firm. A professional engineer turned advisor with a Series 65 securities license, he provides comprehensive financial planning, cash flow management, and investment management services. Additionally, he helps individuals plan holistically for their future and make sensible, informed alternative investments, such as gold and digital assets.
Ruth Reisman
AuD, MBA, CCC-A
Ruth Reisman is a licensed audiologist and hearing aid dispenser in New York, Florida, and Bermuda. Dr. Reisman currently supports the field of audiology as a full-time Doctoral Lecturer at CUNY Brooklyn College. In her private practice, Urban Hearing Audiology, she assesses and rehabilitates auditory processing disorders, specializing in individuals with attention deficit (hyperactivity) disorder AD(H)D and other comorbid disorders. Ruth holds certification from the American Speech and Hearing Association and is a fellow of the American Academy of Audiology.
Matthew Claassen
Licensed Medicare Agent
Matthew Claassen is the CEO of Medigap Seminars Insurance Agency, a top-ranked, award-winning premier national Medicare Insurance Brokerage. Matthew is considered a leading national expert on Medicare and Social Security. He and his team educate seniors to help them make an informed decision on insurance coverage, and as a result, the team has received awards from many of the country’s largest insurance companies.
Jason Parker
CFP®, ChFC®, RICP®
Jason Parker, CFP®, ChFC®, CLU®, RICP®, has an advanced financial planning background that spans more than 20 years with Fortune 500 companies. As a reverse mortgage professional, Jason promotes high-quality education on an often misunderstood yet critical retirement tool. Jason is the author of “An Insider’s Guide To Reverse Mortgages” and founder of ParkerPlanning.com, a financial consultancy that helps financial advisors learn how to integrate HECMs into retirement plans.
Dr. Michelle Matyko
AuD, CCC-A
Dr. Michelle Matyko is a co-owner of Roosevelt Field Hearing Corporation in Garden City, New York. She has her New York State Audiology and Hearing Aid Dispensing licenses and has been in practice for over 20 years. Michelle is an active member of the American Speech Language and Hearing Association (ASHA). With experience in educational, clinical, and private practice audiology, Michelle assists pediatric and geriatric populations in diagnostics and hearing aid dispensing.