Optimize your asset allocation for retirement.

Many Americans entering retirement come to find that the right asset allocation and risk can be just as important as the actual dollar amount they have saved. You’ve worked hard for years to save for retirement, and now that time is upon you. Perhaps you’re now wondering if all the pieces are in place for you to enjoy a happy and worry-free retirement. Are your assets allocated properly?

Our organization prides itself on providing full-service retirement planning to Grapevine, TX and the surrounding communities. We take an extensive look at each client’s unique mix of assets — this includes everything from your bank accounts, pension, and Social Security benefits, to your estate plans, wills, taxes, insurance policies and more. Our comprehensive services and strategic partnerships allow us to integrate all aspects of our clients’ wealth into a coordinated effort. Our end goal is to create financial clarity for you and your loved ones, and to promote multi-generational wealth.

We offer:

• Insurance planning
• Beneficiary review
• Retirement planning
• Financial needs analysis
• Analysis of present and future expenses
• Estate preservation
• Income planning

When you work with us, we organize all of your financial, estate and tax preparation materials into a customized binder. Crafting your comprehensive retirement plan is a coordinated effort on our part, and is done so using an all-inclusive view. Although many financial services professionals focus on specific products, our experience has proven that our clients’ needs are best fulfilled focusing on processes, and most importantly, people.

Making a recommendation on asset allocation is not a one-size-fits-all proposal. When you speak with FSS Group, we provide you a framework that aims to satisfy your retirement income budgeting needs to go along with a risk tolerance that satisfies your growth expectations. Asset allocation simply isn’t something you do once, but something that may be ever-evolving throughout your retirement, and knowing who to turn to for advice can make a world of difference.

It wasn’t that long ago that managing your financial lives meant keeping track of dozens – if not hundreds – of documents like trusts, wills, powers of attorney, insurance policies, investments and more. They were squirreled away in drawers, boxes, grocery bags and who knows where else.

But thankfully, Generational Vault – your virtual safety deposit box – is an easier way to keep track of all those vital documents.

Generational Vault’s engine has three dynamic parts:

• A secure portal for sharing and storing important documents
• Third-party daily investment and banking data
• Snapshots of financial assets and expenses, monthly newsletters, market commentaries and meeting alerts

Generational Vault never sleeps; it’s your 24-7-365 team of specialists working around the clock to protect your accounts!

Reach out to us today to discuss how Generational Vault can help you organize and safeguard the most important documents in your life.

Make sure you maximize your Social Security benefit.

If you’re like many retirees, your Social Security benefit represents years and years of savings and hard work, and may be part of the foundation of your retirement income. Though many Americans have some basic familiarity and knowledge on the topic, far less are able to determine — on their own — the best way to file so they are able to maximize their benefit and carefully integrate it into the rest of their retirement plan.

At FFS Group, we help our valued clients develop a clear understanding of their Social Security benefit, and both educate and inform them on the optimal time to start accepting their benefit. According to the Social Security Administration, delaying your benefit may potentially increase your benefit amount by as much as eight percent per year.

There is a lot to know about Social Security, and it is important for you to be educated so that you head into retirement with a plan on exactly how you will rely on your benefits. Our firm is committed to helping you get the most you can out of your benefit, so you can take one step closer toward the comfortable and enjoyable retirement you’ve been working so hard for! In order to ensure you are maximizing your Social Security benefit, you should have a firm understanding of this complex matter.

We have put together an informative brochure that helps answer the following questions:

• What is your Social Security benefit amount?
• When is the best time to start accepting your benefit?
• Are there different options if you are married?
• Does earning additional income while you are on Social Security impact the value of your benefit?
• Do you pay tax on your benefit?

Please contact us to receive your brochure today!

FFS Group and Financial Security Services Group, Inc. are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration or any government agency.

Life insurance offers multi-faceted retirement solutions.

Although some people view life insurance as a way to replace lost income or pay off debt after the passing of a loved one, it also can offer a number of potential benefits that may make it a valuable tool to accomplish different financial goals in retirement.

First and foremost, life insurance may provide peace of mind and a degree of comfort for the policyholder (the insured) that their loved ones (the beneficiaries) are taken care of financially in the event that they pass away. In addition, life insurance can be a sensible solution for many small business owners to help protect the financial future of their business if something should happen to them. Life insurance is also one of a few types of products that may offer helpful ways to reduce or avoid certain taxes.

In addition to a death benefit, however, life insurance is also one of a few types of products that may offer helpful ways to reduce or avoid certain taxes. Some of these benefits may include:

Death benefits:

• Policy death benefits paid to beneficiaries may be income tax-free.
• Some life insurance policies may allow the death benefit to be accelerated out before the insured’s death due to terminal or chronic illness, and that benefit may be income-tax free.

Tax-free exchanges:

• The insured may exchange their existing life insurance policy for a new life insurance policy and the investment gains on the original contract may be tax free.
• The insured may exchange their existing life insurance policy for an annuity and the investment gains on the original contract may be tax free.

Policy cash values:

• Cash values may grow tax-deferred during the insured’s lifetime.
• Income from cash value, when properly structured, may not be subject to income taxes.

As an independent insurance firm, we are able to shop dozens of insurance carriers to find rates and product solutions to fit your specific needs and goals, meaning we are not relegated to simply one line of products or one brand name like a captive agent. In addition, we offer complimentary reviews on your existing life insurance contracts.

Enjoy smooth sailing in retirement with proper income planning.

Income planning for retirement can be a daunting task for many retirees because there is a lot to learn, and to many people a lot of the information is new. Whether you are just setting out on your retirement journey, or it is already well underway, you may be skeptical of whether you’ll have enough retirement income to maintain a comfortable and enjoyable lifestyle.

There are three major phases in the management of retirement income:

• The accumulation phase
• The distribution phase
• The preservation or transfer phase

Planning for your retirement may require a shift in mindset, and a solid understanding of the difference between retirement savings and retirement income. Prior to retirement, your financial life was dictated by your paycheck. Once you retire, however, you can no longer rely on a paycheck, which means you will be left to find other sources of income. You’ve worked hard to save for retirement, and now the time has come to find methods of creating income from what you’ve saved. Although this can represent a challenge for many, it also represents a great opportunity to help grow your savings beyond what you’ve saved — and this is usually made easier by enlisting the help of a financial services professional that you trust.

We will work with you to help you uncover the various opportunities and concerns of each phase. Additionally, we will walk you through the process of:

• Determining how much retirement income you will need
• Estimating how long your current income plan may last
• Calculating how much additional income you may need
• Evaluating your additional income sources

Because taxes play a major role in any financial planning process, our firm will utilize tax advantaged vehicles to accommodate your retirement income goals, such as traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, 401(k)s, and IRA rollovers.

Keep in mind, while the numerous options for your retirement savings may seem overwhelming, all of us at FSS Group are here to help you make sense of it all.

Prepare for a long and comfortable life, have a plan for long-term care.

Long-term care refers to medical and support services for those who have difficulty in executing routine daily functions, or those individuals with prolonged or degenerative illnesses, cognitive disorders, old age and or other conditions. Nursing homes are probably what come to mind first when discussing long-term care, but long-term care can also include assisted-living facilities, continuing-care retirement communities and home healthcare, among others.

One reason long-term care planning warrants more consideration today than in decades past is because we’re living longer lives. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 70 percent of people turning age 65 can expect to use some form of long-term care during their lives. Not having a plan can mean that costs fall on younger family members, causing a financial strain; or on a retired spouse, leading him or her to deplete their own retirement savings.

As the baby boomer generation ages and the demand for long-term care increases, new methods of paying for long-term care have surfaced. In addition, individuals may look for assistance from life insurance and annuity policies that may include features that provide enhanced benefits if the policy owner becomes impaired (subject to certain requirements).

Since dramatic changes in our health can surface quickly and without much warning, it can be extremely beneficial to have a sound plan to be able to fund long-term care, should you need it at any point in your retirement. We are here to help you prepare for a long and comfortable retirement.

Medicare and retirement health strategy.

While there is no shortage of things to prepare for in retirement, it’s critical to also address your health needs and concerns by crafting a comprehensive health care strategy. There are various ways to accomplish this, with Medicare being the most important for many Americans.

Medicare generally provides health insurance for most people age 65 and older, and others who have received Social Security disability benefits for at least 24 months, have end-stage renal disease or have amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease). Medicare is similar to Social Security, since it is a federal program that you have paid into throughout your career. Just like Social Security, you want to maximize this benefit in retirement.

Medicare is split into four parts:

• Part A: Hospital insurance – covers the costs of health care at medical facilities. Offers coverage for medically necessary inpatient care at hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, hospices and some home health services.
• Part B: Medical insurance – covers the costs of health care outside medical facilities. Offers coverage for doctors’ services, hospital outpatient care, mental health and some preventative health care services.
• Part C: Medicare Advantage (MA) plans – policies you can purchase from certain private insurance carriers that provide the same (or more) coverage as Parts A and B.
• Part D: Prescription drug coverage offered through private Medicare-approved insurance companies.

Many people with Part A do not pay a premium because they have already paid enough into the system. As with Social Security, a certain portion from each one of your paychecks is deducted to pay for Medicare. When you’ve had Medicare tax withheld from you or your spouse’s pay for at least 40 calendar quarters, then you may be eligible for free Part A coverage.

The monthly premium associated with Part B is set according to income level, although most people will pay a standard monthly premium amount and a small yearly deductible. Individuals who have an annual income greater than $85,000 and couples who have a joint annual income greater than $170,000 will have an extra charge added to their premium due to their high income level. Parts C and D are provided via private insurance companies so the monthly premiums of these policies depend on the extent of their coverage and can vary between companies.

We are not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the Social Security Administration or any other government agency.

Helping to empower women for financial success.

While every woman’s situation is different, there are a few factors that tend to make retirement different for women than it is for men. Empowering women for financial success helps address some of the unique challenges they may face in retirement.

Some of these challenges include:

• Costs of living longer can potentially lead to income concerns
• Less confidence in retirement can lead to guesswork
• Women may have had less involvement in financial decisions

More than ever before, women need to be empowered to become more confident in taking control of their financial future.

Throughout their lives, many women have put the needs of others before their own. This may include playing the role of primary caregiver to children, grandchildren, or even their own aging parents. Shifting the focus from others to themselves when it comes time to plan for retirement can represent a dramatic change for many women.

With longer life expectancies than their male counterparts, women need to be active participants in financial planning and documentation. Since many women will outlive their husbands, they will likely have to live with those financial decisions after their spouse has passed away. While it may be difficult and unpleasant for women to plan for a time that does not include their spouse, thinking ahead may help support their financial well-being when major life events do inevitably take place.

Federal employees are severely underserved when it comes to their financial planning. Feds have complicated benefits that can leave them confused and frustrated. Fewer than 50% have calculated how much they need to save for a comfortable retirement, and less than 25% have ever worked with a financial professional.

Federal employees have unique planning needs—balancing their exceptional government benefits with the rest of their sometimes-complex financial picture.

Our firm has extensive knowledge of your federal benefits including:

• CSRS & FERS Pensions
• Survivor Benefit Plan
• FERS Supplement
• Social Security
• Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance (FEGLI)
• Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB)
• Federal Long-Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP)
• Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)

Through extensive training, our firm is well-versed in the particulars of these various federal benefit programs and helps federal families to make the most of these benefits—both while working and in retirement. Our goal is to always provide credible, top-notch financial planning services to our federal clients.