From Gourds to Guidance: How a"Plan B" Became a Legacy

Education isn't just a profession for Chase Hancock—it's his heritage.

Chase is on a coffee break, sharing his and his grandparents' story.

"My grandparents were educators in the school system for 33 and 31 years," Chase explains. His grandmother, or "Nana" as he affectionately calls her, spent 31 years as a first-grade English teacher. With a smile, he adds, "She still corrects all my grammar to this day."

His grandfather took a more varied path. "He was a coach, administrator, he did a little bit of everything," Chase recalls. Despite their extensive and successful careers in education, Chase's grandparents faced a common challenge among educators: not saving enough for retirement.

A Wake-Up Call

Chase observed a critical gap in his grandparents' financial journey: "They didn't save in a supplemental plan outside of their retirement until pretty late in the teaching." This wasn't due to negligence but rather a lack of awareness about their financial future.

The turning point came when his grandfather moved into administration. "Once my granddad became an administrator, one of his administrator buddies told him 'Look, you need to save in a supplemental plan because your retirement isn't gonna be enough,'" Chase recounts.

This reveals a problem Chase has seen throughout education. "And the teachers don't get that information because they're not around that financial and retirement planning area as a part of their day-to-day," he explains. The result for his grandparents was straightforward: "They started saving later for retirement, and it wasn't enough."

One Unexpected Turn Leads to Another

What happened next transformed his grandparents' retirement and eventually shaped Chase's career path. Facing an income shortfall, his grandparents found a creative solution.

"They retired and they were cutting out gourds, painting gourds, and selling them at festivals down the coast of Florida," Chase shares.

Then came the moment that would change everything.

"At one of these festivals, ValuTeachers was there and found them. They found out they were former educators. And they were entrepreneurial."

This chance meeting led to a meaningful second career: "They ended up starting with ValuTeachers, and went on to work with ValuTeachers for about 18 years… helping their former colleagues understand what happens in retirement and that you do need to save in something outside of what you think you're going to get."

A New Purpose

For Chase's grandparents, this new chapter brought not just financial stability but deep personal fulfillment. "They love what they do... It's so beneficial to them because all they're doing is helping the people that they've worked with for so long," Chase explains with evident pride.

"I'm carrying their torch. They're guiding me to help the younger generation working in schools to know what they need to know about retirement - from day one."

Looks like those painted gourds grew to be a bridge to a mission that now spans generations.