A Simple Formula

Chuck Ladner has been doing the math for decades. He spent the bulk of his career serving as a Chief Financial Officer. It was not surprising that when it came time to plan his own retirement, he turned to the numbers.

After assessing the data, Chuck and his wife, Diane, decided to move to Dunwoody Village, a continuing care retirement community (CCRC) in Newtown Square, Penn. In fact, they were the first residents of Dunwoody Village’s new Penrose Carriage Homes. These twin-style homes offer spacious and affordable living options. The 40 new homes are scheduled to be completed in summer 2016, but reservations are being made now and residents are already moving in. 

After moving to New Jersey with their families, Chuck and Diane met during their college years. They formed a friendship that later became a relationship. They were married after graduate school and moved frequently while Chuck was serving in the U.S. Army. 

“We have four children, and they were each born in a different state,” Diane noted. Eventually, the couple and their family settled in the suburbs of Philadelphia, where they still call home.

A graduate of Notre Dame, Chuck received his MBA from Columbia and launched a successful career in accounting. After working for several large companies, he spent the bulk of his career serving as the Chief Financial Officer of the UGI Corporation, an energy company as well as a trustee of John Hancock Funds.

When their children were older, Diane returned to school and received her Master’s in Library Science. She shared a librarian job with a co-worker for many years before retiring. Throughout his career, Chuck served on several Boards of Directors, including the Dunwoody Village Board. “I joined the Board at Dunwoody because I wanted to learn more about retirement,” he recalled.

The Board was not only a great opportunity; it was also an excellent fit. Chuck is still on Dunwoody’s Board of Trustees today. In total, he has served 18 years on the Board, and he was Chairman for 10 of those years. He is extremely proud of the Board’s many accomplishments during his tenure, including doubling the capacity for the care center and expanding rehabilitation offerings to serve individuals living outside the community. The Board also decided to launch the new Penrose project to meet the increasing demand for larger retirement living residences.

With such incredible insight into retirement living options and a background in accounting, Chuck carefully pored over the numbers when it came time to plan for his own retirement. “I assessed a lot of actuarial data, and I did the math. I know that in 10 years, if one of us needs care, the costs could be astounding,” he explained. “A lot of this decision has to do with your tolerance for risk and your understanding of what the future could bring. I always advise people to take a hard look at the math, to consider their children and to plan ahead.”

For Chuck and Diane, the decision was obvious. They moved into one of Dunwoody Village’s new Penrose Carriage Homes last year. Their two-story unit features nearly 4,000 sq. ft. and offers a lifestyle that is unparalleled.

“I was focused on the math, but the lifestyle is incredibly nice,” Chuck said. Diane added, “This community is so friendly, and the residents are so welcoming. It has been really easy to get to know a lot of people.”

Chuck and Diane are enjoying a lifestyle that is financially stable and socially satisfying. Weighing their financial, personal and social needs helped the Ladners create a simple formula that yielded the right answer for their retirement. Now, they are benefiting from doing the math.

By Christy Brudin

For more information, enter keyword: Dunwoody Village