Our Story

Built in Prosser. Built for Eastern Washington. Built on One Belief.

How This Practice Started

In 2003, Mark Rogers left corporate positions at Hewlett Packard and Thrifty Payless to do something different — go family by family through eastern Washington and help people protect their income and savings through education and guaranteed insurance solutions.

It was not a calculated market move. It was a response to what he was seeing. Farmers managing agricultural income and land succession. Hanford and PNNL contractor retirees navigating the gap between what their pension paid and what retirement actually cost. Small business owners in Grandview, Sunnyside, and Benton City with no local advisor within 30 miles. These families were not being ignored because they were not worth serving. They were being ignored because the advisors who could help them were not showing up.


The advisors working the larger markets did not always understand rural needs — agricultural land, farm equalization, seasonal cash flow, the specific character of eastern Washington retirement. Mark understood it because he lived it. He decided to be the advisor who showed up — not just in the Tri-Cities, but in the smaller communities of Benton, Franklin, and Yakima counties that financial firms in Spokane or Seattle had no reason to reach.


He started where the need was clearest — income protection and insurance-based solutions for the risks that could derail a retirement plan without warning. Health events. Long-term care costs. The gap between what Social Security pays and what a family actually needs to live on. Family by family, the practice grew.

The Ecosystem Behind the Practice

My Safe Money Matters does not stand alone. It is part of a connected retirement planning ecosystem built around one mission: helping eastern Washington families retire with confidence.

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Talking Turning 65

https://talkingturning65.com/ is the educational front door. A podcast, YouTube channel, and live stream series covering every major retirement topic in plain English — Social Security, annuities, long-term care, life insurance, and Medicare. It is where most clients find Mark before they are ready to schedule anything. For rural families who cannot easily access a local seminar or financial workshop, the podcast meets them where they are — free, on demand, with no opt-in required. By the time most clients call, the trust is already there.

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My Safe Money Matters

is where the planning happens. Retirement income, insurance, Social Security, annuities, long-term care — this is the practice that turns education into a plan. Every consultation builds on what the client already understands, which means less time explaining from scratch and more time building something that actually fits their life.

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Next35Years.com

Next35Years.com is where Medicare and healthcare transition planning lives. For clients who need guidance on what Medicare covers, what it does not, and how to bridge the gaps in coverage, Next35Years addresses that side of the retirement picture in the same education-first spirit.

My Safe Money Matters is a DBA brand of the Talking Turning 65 retirement education platform, founded by Mark Rogers and based in Prosser, WA. The practice was established in 2003 and specializes in retirement income planning, annuities, life insurance, Social Security guidance, long-term care planning, and disability insurance for pre-retirees and retirees throughout eastern Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Mark Rogers holds the Certified in Long-Term Care (CLTC) and Life Underwriter Training Council Fellow (LUTCF) designations and has been an active NAIFA member since 2008.


Explore Medicare, dental, vision, long-term care for executives, and healthcare transition planning at Next35Years.com.

Learn More About the Team and the Philosophy

The Our Story page tells you where we came from. The pages below tell you how we work and who does the work.


Meet the full team at the Meet the Team page. Read about how every plan is built at the Planning Philosophy page. Or start with the resources — the blog, FAQ, podcast, and video library are all free and require no opt-in.

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What Has Never Changed

Through two decades, one market expansion, a podcast, a live stream series, and a growing team — the core belief has not moved.


Education leads to better decisions. Understanding your current position — your risks, options, and opportunities — helps you build greater security and maintain control as you plan for the future. That belief is what drives a practice built in a community most financial firms do not bother with. It is what drives free resources with no opt-in required. It is what drives a 20-minute consultation with no pitch in the first call.


Mark has gone the extra distance for clients when questions arise, when difficulties come up, and when claims need to be filed. That commitment is not a tagline. It is a practice standard that has defined this work since 2003.

"When you know that the safety of your savings — and every dollar of guaranteed income — is key to navigating the next 35 years of retirement, everything changes."


 — Mark Rogers, CLTC, LUTCF

Ready to Start the Conversation?

A free 20-minute consultation with Mark Rogers gives you an honest look at where you stand — no obligation, no pitch in the first call. Just clarity on what your retirement income picture looks like and what, if anything, makes sense to look at next.

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