Final answer:
The decrease in Ryan's investment account is $2365. The amount of money in his account at the end of last year was $6235.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the decrease in Ryan's investment account, we need to multiply the initial amount by the percentage decrease. The decrease in dollars is found by multiplying $8600 by 27.5%:
$8600 * 0.275 = $2365
Therefore, the decrease in Ryan's investment account is $2365. To find out how much money was in his account at the end of last year, we subtract the decrease from the initial amount:
$8600 - $2365 = $6235
So, there was $6235 in Ryan's account at the end of last year.