Hobbs Group Advisors Blog

9 Facts About Social Security

Social Security has been a fact of retirement life ever since it was established in 1935. We all think we know how it works, but how much do you really know? Here are nine things that might surprise you. 1. SSA.gov, 20232. Investopedia.com, September 18, 20233. SSA.gov, 20234. SSA.gov, 20235. SSA.gov, 20236. EBRI.org, 20237. SSA.gov, […]

Women and Wealth: A Pivot Towards Retirement

Retirement is a significant transition, and it can bring both challenges and opportunities for women who have spent many years focused on their careers. For women approaching retirement age, it is crucial to consider various tips and strategies to ensure a smooth and fulfilling transition. An elegant pivot from work life to a life of […]

Financial Strategies for Women

Key Takeaways Nearly 60% of women take sole responsibility for making investment decisions, yet only 19% of women feel very confident in their ability to fully retire with a comfortable lifestyle.1,2 Although more women are providing for their families, when it comes to preparing for retirement, they may be leaving their future to chance. “Female […]

AI Tools Changing Retiree Entrepreneurship

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools have become a game changer in various industries, and they are also proving incredibly useful for retirees looking to start consulting or a small business venture. These tools can simplify tasks, streamline processes, and help retirees navigate the world of entrepreneurship more efficiently.1,2,3 One of the biggest challenges retirees may face […]

Net Unrealized Appreciation (NUA) Explained

If you have built up company securities within your employer-sponsored retirement plan, you may find yourself with a range of choices when the time comes to take a distribution. If those securities have experienced appreciation, it’s worth considering the potential benefits of utilizing the net unrealized appreciation (NUA) tax treatment. Remember, this article is for […]

Retiring Earlier Than Expected? What To Know

Many Americans, through circumstances beyond their control, find themselves needing to retire earlier than anticipated. Whatever the circumstances, it’s difficult not to feel wrongfooted and hurried by the situation. However, it’s important to get yourself back on track as soon as possible. Here are some things to consider as you make the transition: Don’t Make […]

Deciding When to Take Social Security

One of the most common questions people ask about Social Security is when they should start taking benefits. Making the right decision for you can have a meaningful impact on your financial income in retirement. Before considering how personal circumstances and objectives may play into your decision, it may be helpful to preface that discussion […]

FIRE Retirement

If the idea of retiring in your early 50s, 40s, 30s, or even late 20s appeals to you, you may be interested in joining the FIRE retirement movement. Designed for those who have the discipline and cash flow to save diligently, FIRE can be an effective path toward living a work-optional lifestyle. In this article, […]

SECURE Act 2.0: An Overview

In the final days of 2022, Congress passed a new set of retirement rules designed to facilitate contribution to retirement plans and access to those funds earmarked for retirement. The law is called SECURE 2.0, and it is a follow-up to the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act passed in 2019. The […]

Find That Lost Retirement Account

Find That Lost Retirement Account Do you have a long-lost retirement account left with a former employer? Maybe it’s been so long that you can’t even remember. With over 24 million “forgotten” 401(k) accounts holding roughly $1.35 trillion in assets, even the most organized professional may be surprised to learn that they have unclaimed “found” […]

What Is a 1031 Exchange?

If you want to add investment real estate to your portfolio, you may want to know what a 1031 Exchange is. While the rules and regulations for this tactic can get complicated, understanding the basic concepts may help you decide if this strategy is right for you. Conducting a 1031 Exchange involves a complex set […]

New Retirement Contribution Limits for 2024

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has released new limits for certain retirement accounts for the coming year. Keep in mind that this update is for informational purposes only, so please consult with an accounting or tax professional before making any changes to your 2024 tax strategy. You can also contact your financial professional, who may […]

New Retirement Contribution Limits for 2024

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has released new limits for certain retirement accounts for the coming year. Keep in mind that this update is for informational purposes only, so please consult with an accounting or tax professional before making any changes to your 2024 tax strategy. You can also contact your financial professional, who may […]

Buying a Vacation Home? 5 Questions to Consider First

Conquering Retirement Challenges for Women

When it comes to retirement, women may face unique obstacles that can make saving for retirement more challenging. Given that women typically live longer than men, retirement money for women may need to stretch even further.1 Despite these challenges, a wise strategy can give women reasons to be hopeful. Get clear on your vision. Do […]

Tax Efficiency in Retirement

Will you pay higher taxes in retirement? It’s possible. But that will largely depend on how you generate income. Will it be from working? Will it be from retirement plans? And if it does come from retirement plans, it’s important to understand which types of plans will be financing your retirement. Another factor to consider is […]

Retirement Plan Choices for Small Businesses

As a small-business owner, figuring out retirement choices can be a little intimidating. How do you pick the most appropriate retirement plan for your business as well as your employees? There are a number of choices when creating retirement plan strategies for you and your employees. Here, we will review three of the most popular […]

Navigating Retirement Pitfalls

Much is written about the classic financial mistakes that plague start-ups, family businesses, corporations, and charities. Some classic financial missteps have been known to plague retirees, too. Calling them “missteps” may be a bit harsh, as not all of them represent errors in judgment. Either way, becoming aware of these potential pitfalls may help you […]

Retirement Questions That Have Nothing to Do With Money

Preparing for retirement is not entirely financial. Your degree of happiness in your “second act” may depend on some factors that don’t come with an obvious price tag. Here are some non-monetary factors to consider as you prepare for your retirement. What will you do with your time? Too many people retire without any idea of what […]

Retirement Is a Beginning

How do you know you are psychologically ready to retire? As a start, ask yourself four questions. One, is your work meaningful? If it is emotionally and psychologically fulfilling, if it gives you a strong sense of purpose and identity, then there may be a voice inside your head telling you not to retire yet. You […]

Saving Early & Letting Time Work For You

As a young investor, you have a powerful ally on your side: time. When you start investing in your twenties or thirties for retirement, you can put it to work for you. The power of compounding. Many people underestimate it, so it is worth illustrating. Let’s take a look using a hypothetical 5% rate of return. How […]

Retirement Seen Through Your Eyes

How do you picture your future? Some see retirement as a time to start a new career. Others see it as a time to travel. Still others plan to spend more time with family and friends. With that in mind, here are some things to consider. What do you absolutely need to accomplish? If you could only […]

Starting a Roth IRA for a Teen

Want to give your child or grandchild a financial head start? A Roth IRA might be a choice to consider. Read on to learn more about how doing this may benefit both of you. Rules for setting up a Roth IRA. If your teen has an earned income, you may be able to set up a […]

Who Is Your Trusted Contact?

Investment firms have a client service feature that may be a benefit to certain investors. They will ask you whether you would like to provide the name and information of a trusted contact.1 You do not have to supply this information, but it may offer some advantages. The request is made with your best interest in […]

A Meal for All Generations

Helpful Retirement Strategies for Women

Preparing for retirement can look a little different for women than it does for men. Although stereotypes are changing, women are still more likely to serve as caretakers than men are, meaning they may accumulate less income and benefits due to their time absent from the workforce. One study estimates that 66% of caregivers are […]

How Retirement Spending Changes With Time

New retirees sometimes worry that they are spending too much, too soon. Should they scale back? Are they at risk of outliving their money? This concern may be legitimate. Some households “live it up” and spend more than they anticipate as retirement starts to unfold. In 10 or 20 years, though, they may not spend […]

Why Medicare Should Be Part of Your Retirement Strategy

Medicare takes a little time to understand. As you approach age 65, familiarize yourself with its coverage options, costs, and limitations. Certain features of Medicare can affect health care costs and coverage. Some retirees may do okay with original Medicare (Parts A and B), others might find it lacking and decide to supplement original Medicare […]

Retirement Realities

Expectations vs. Reality Predicting exactly what your retirement will be like is about as possible as a meteorologist predicting the weather correctly every single time. In fact, few retirees find their financial futures playing out precisely as they assumed. But, understanding some of the more common assumptions about retirement may help you get closer to […]

How Women Can Prepare For Retirement

When our parents retired, living to 75 amounted to a nice long life, and Social Security was often supplemented by a pension. The Social Security Administration (SSA) estimates that today’s average 67-year-old woman will live to age 88. Given these projections, it appears that a retirement of 20 years or longer might be in your […]

The Pre-Retirement Checklist:

HOW PREPARED ARE YOU? Getting ready for retirement? Before you can cross that bridge, you’ll need to cross some important items off your to-do list. But thanks to our work together, you might be more prepared than you think! This handy checklist of ten crucial steps can help you visualize how far you’ve come. You’re 0 […]

What’s New for Social Security?

Whether you’re applying for Social Security in the future or currently receiving benefits, there are some important changes to earnings limits, Medicare premiums, and other differences to keep in mind. Ready to learn more? Read on. Ready for a Cost-of-Living (COLA) increase? That’s right! Due to an increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI-W), the […]

Does Your Portfolio Fit Your Retirement Lifestyle?

Most portfolios are constructed based on an individual’s investment objective, risk tolerance, and time horizon. Using these inputs and sophisticated portfolio-optimization calculations, most investors can feel confident that they own a well-diversified portfolio, appropriately positioned to pursue their long-term goals.1 However, as a retiree, how you choose to live in retirement may be an additional […]

Eight Mistakes That Can Upend Your Retirement

Pursuing your retirement dreams is challenging enough without making some common, and very avoidable, mistakes. Here are eight big mistakes to steer clear of, if possible. 1. The return and principal value of stock prices will fluctuate as market conditions change. And shares, when sold, may be worth more or less than their original cost. […]

Three Key Questions to Answer Before Taking Social Security

Social Security is a critical component of the retirement financial strategy for many Americans, so before you begin taking it, you should consider three important questions. The answers may affect whether you make the most of this retirement income source. 1. SSA.gov, 2023 The content is developed from sources believed to be providing accurate information. […]

Is a Variable Annuity Right for Me?

For the casual observer, it sometimes seems that variable annuities are either “terrible” or “wonderful.” Commentators in the financial media seem to occupy a polarity of opinions we might see in politics. What gets lost when these commentators collide is “the individual.” Unfortunately, the discussion is rarely centered on whether a variable annuity is relevant […]

IRA Withdrawals that Escape the 10% Tax Penalty

The reason withdrawals from a Traditional Individual Retirement Account (IRA) prior to age 59½ are generally subject to a 10% tax penalty is that policymakers wanted to create a disincentive to use these savings for anything other than retirement.1 Yet, policymakers also recognize that life can present more pressing circumstances that require access to these […]

Choices for Your 401(k) at a Former Employer

One of the common threads of a mobile workforce is that many individuals who leave their job are faced with a decision about what to do with their 401(k) account.¹ Individuals have four choices with the 401(k) account they accrued at a previous employer.2 Choice 1: Leave It with Your Previous Employer You may choose […]

Social Security: The Elephant in the Room

For most Americans, Social Security has represented nothing more than some unavoidable payroll deduction with the positively cryptic initials of “FICA” and “OASDI” (Federal Insurance Contributions Act and Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance). It hinted at a future that seemed both intangible and far away. Yet, some Americans now sit on the cusp of […]

Social Security: Five Facts You Need to Know

Social Security can be complicated, and as a result, many individuals don’t have a full understanding of the choices they may have. Here are five facts about Social Security that are important to keep in mind. 1. Social Security Is a Critical Source of Retirement Income Some have the perception that Social Security is of […]

Social Security: Maximizing Benefits

Most understand that waiting to claim Social Security benefits can result in higher monthly payments. However, many don’t know that there are other ways to maximize their benefits, some of which depend on their marital status. Understanding the strategies for maximizing your Social Security retirement income benefits should be prefaced with a review of the […]

Social Security Benefits: How Much Will I Receive

Next to “When should I claim Social Security benefits?”, one of the more common questions people have is “How much will I receive?” Calculating your potential Social Security benefit is a three-step process: 1. Calculate Your Average Indexed Monthly Earnings (AIME): The highest 35 years of indexed earnings is added together. It is then divided by […]

Volunteering in Retirement

“This generation got no destination to hold…We are volunteers of America”“Volunteers” by Jefferson Airplane Those of a certain age will recall these Jefferson Airplane lyrics as a call to action, though for a different period and place. Even with the passage of time and through a lifetime of changes, the desire of baby boomers to make […]

Should You Borrow from Your 401(k)?

The average household with revolving credit card debt had a balance of $7,876 as of March 2023. For the average household carrying credit card debt, this will equate to an annual interest of $1,380. With the average credit card annual percentage rate sitting at 22.7%, it represents an expensive way to fund spending.1,2 Which leads […]

Money that Buys Good Health is Never Ill Spent

A retired couple age 65 can expect to need about $315,000 saved to cover healthcare expenses in retirement. With healthcare expenses in the spotlight, it’s incumbent upon us to make sure our retirement strategy anticipates these costs.1 But that’s not enough. Remember, healthcare coverage (including Medicare) typically does not cover extended medical care. And it’s […]

Orchestrating Your Retirement Accounts

An orchestra is merely a collection of instruments, each creating a unique sound. It is only when a conductor leads them that they produce the beautiful music imagined by the composer. The same can be said about your retirement strategy. The typical retirement strategy is built on the pillars of your 401(k) plan, your Traditional […]

Is a SEP-IRA Right for Your Business?

If you’re like many small business owners, running your own business is an all-consuming endeavor. In the face of everyday demands, choosing a retirement strategy for your business can become a casualty. The idea of establishing a plan could evoke worries about complicated reporting and administration. If this sounds familiar, then you may want to […]

Choosing a Retirement Plan that Fits Your Business

If you have yet to develop a retirement plan for your business, or if you’re not sure the plan you’ve chosen is the right one, here are some things to consider. How much can my business afford to contribute? The cost of contributions may be managed by the plan type. A simplified employee pension plan […]

A Bucket Plan to Go with Your Bucket List

John and Mary are nearing retirement and they have a lot of items on their bucket list. Longer life expectancies mean John and Mary may need to prepare for two or even three decades of retirement. How should they position their money?1 One approach is to segment your expenses into three buckets: Next, pair appropriate […]

Your Changing Definition of Risk in Retirement

During your accumulation years, you may have categorized your risk as “conservative,” “moderate,” or “aggressive” and that guided how your portfolio was built. Maybe you concerned yourself with finding the “best-performing funds,” even though you knew past performance does not guarantee future results. What occurs with many retirees is a change in mindset—it’s less about […]

Retirement Income and the Traditional Portfolio

Taking withdrawals from a traditional portfolio exposes fixed-income investors to “sequence of returns” danger. In other words, experiencing negative returns early in retirement can deplete your portfolio more quickly than expected and potentially undermine the sustainability of your assets. So you may want to consider a couple of strategies to help manage this concern. Liquid […]

Systematic Withdrawals in Retirement

Many of us grew up with the concept that making regular, periodic contributions to our retirement account was a sound investment strategy. The idea was that, in a fluctuating market, regularly investing a set amount would enable an individual to buy more shares when prices were low and fewer shares when prices were high.1 Does […]

Catch-Up Contributions

A recent survey found that 28% of workers are very confident about having enough money to live comfortably through their retirement years. At the same time, 27% are not confident.1 In 2001 congress passed a law that can help older workers make up for lost time. But few may understand how this generous offer can […]

What Is a Roth 401(k)?

While many people are familiar with the benefits of traditional 401(k) plans, others are not as acquainted with Roth 401(k)s. Since January 1, 2006, employers have been allowed to offer workers access to Roth 401(k) plans. And starting in 2023, retirement rules were updated to allow more retirement plans the ability to offer Roth contributions.1,2 […]

What’s So Great About a Rollover?

Changing jobs can be a tumultuous experience. Even under the best of circumstances, making a career move requires a series of tough decisions, not the least of which is what to do with the funds in your old employer-sponsored retirement plan. Some people choose to roll over these funds into an Individual Retirement Account, and […]

Caring for Aging Parents

Thanks to healthier lifestyles and advances in modern medicine, the worldwide population over age 65 is growing. In the past decade, the population of Americans aged 65 and older has grown 38% and is expected to reach 94.7 million in 2060. As our nation ages, many Americans are turning their attention to caring for aging […]

When Should You Take Social Security

The Social Security program allows you to start receiving benefits as soon as you reach age 62. The question is, should you? Monthly payments differ substantially depending on when you start receiving benefits. The longer you wait (up to age 70), the larger each monthly check will be. The sooner you start receiving benefits, the […]

Women and Financial Strategies

Women who share money management duties with their partner tend to take on a lion’s share of the responsibility for the household finances. Yet only 18% of women feel very confident in their ability to fully retire with a comfortable lifestyle.1,2 Although more women are providing for their families, when it comes to preparing for […]

Immediate vs. Deferred Annuities

Despite not being as well known as some other retirement tools, annuities account for 6% of all assets earmarked for retirement. With about $2.6 trillion in assets, annuities hold more funds than Roth IRAs.1 An annuity is a contract with an insurance company. In exchange for a premium or a series of premiums, the insurance […]

How Will Working Affect Social Security Benefits?

In a recent survey, 73% of current workers stated they plan to work for pay after retiring.1 And that possibility raises an interesting question: how will working affect Social Security benefits? The answer to that question requires an understanding of three key concepts: full retirement age, the earnings test, and taxable benefits. Full Retirement Age […]

Important Birthdays Over 50

Most children stop being “and-a-half” somewhere around age 12. Kids add “and-a-half” to make sure everyone knows they’re closer to the next age than the last. When you are older, “and-a-half” birthdays start making a comeback. In fact, starting at age 50, several birthdays and “half-birthdays” are critical to understand because they have implications regarding […]

Healthcare Costs in Retirement

In a 2022 survey, 35% of all workers reported they were either “not too” or “not at all” confident that they would have enough money to pay for their medical expenses in retirement. Regardless of your confidence, however, being aware of potential healthcare costs during retirement may allow you to understand what you can pay […]

Where Will Your Retirement Money Come From?

What workers anticipate in terms of retirement income sources may differ considerably from what retirees actually experience. For many people, retirement income may come from a variety of sources. Here’s a quick review of the six main sources: Social Security Social Security is the government-administered retirement income program. Workers become eligible after paying Social Security […]

Split Annuity Strategy

When financial markets turn volatile, some investors show their frustration by fleeing the markets in search of alternatives that are designed to offer stability. For example, in the first quarter of 2020, the S&P 500 lost nearly 20% of its value, over $5 trillion, due to market volatility.1 For those looking for a way off […]

Traditional vs. Roth IRA

Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA), which were created in 1974, are owned by roughly 36.6 million U.S. households. And Roth IRAs, created as part of the Taxpayer Relief Act in 1997, are owned by nearly 27.3 million households.1 Both are IRAs. And yet, each is quite different. Up to certain limits, traditional IRAs allow individuals […]

The Cost of Procrastination

Some of us share a common experience. You’re driving along when a police cruiser pulls up behind you with its lights flashing. You pull over, the officer gets out, and your heart drops. “Are you aware the registration on your car has expired?”  You’ve experienced one of the costs of procrastination. Procrastination can cause missed […]

9 Facts About Retirement

Retirement can have many meanings. For some, it will be a time to travel and spend time with family members. For others, it will be a time to start a new business or begin a charitable endeavor. Regardless of what approach you intend to take, here are nine things about retirement that might surprise you. […]