The document discusses factors to consider when deciding when to claim Social Security benefits. It outlines 6 key points: 1) Compare tax benefits of Social Security versus 401k withdrawals. 2) Assess costs of early claiming which reduces benefits. 3) Consider impact on Medicare eligibility. 4) Evaluate longevity based on family health history. 5) Think about supporting dependent children or spouse. 6) Plan for providing survivor benefits to spouse. The document stresses the importance of planning given the many considerations involved in optimizing Social Security benefits.

1. www.timhoppes.com
ISSUE 5 | MAY / JUNE 2015
In reading a Money Magizines
online issue, I came across a
subject I have spoken to many
clients about and the answer is
always different, When should I
start taking Social Security? I paid
into it I deserve it and I want it,
NOW. An article written by Philip
Moeller on May 18, 2015 has
some good info and I thought I
wanted to share the main points
of the issues with you. Philip does
stress that fact that people need a
plan, a real Retirement Plan, and
Social Security is a part of that
plan. But your plan is just that,
YOURS, not what somebody else
did. I have always felt that
planning what your INCOME will
be or what it needs to be in
Retirement is not only important,
it is essential. Remember, the
three phases, Accumulation,
preservation, and Distribution. As
we go through life we gather and
amass wealth as best we can,
then we try to make it grow and
hold on to it. But, the hardest part
is understanding the distribution
phase, your income in
retirement. Social Security is a
part of that plan, but you will need
other assets also. PLAN......
1) Compare the tax benefits. SS
will grow 7%-8% per year you
defer from 62 to 70. Taxes are
never levied on more than 85
cents of each dollar of SS
benefits, and most states don't
tax , (continued on page 2)
In this Issue.
How to decide when
to take SS? 6 points
to think about before
you sign up!
Power your own
retirement! By our
own Robin Hoppes
Next issue!
Long Term Care
thoughts
Have you made a
plan to retire?
May / June
Update
When should you start claiming Social
Security Benefits?

2. Page 2 www.timhoppes.com
The only asset available
on the market today that
can offer all this.....
1. Secure principal protection
2. Is not tied to market
volatility
3. pays guaranteed income for
life
4. income that can be up to
100% tax free
5. offers a hedge against
inflation
6. can increase with market
upside without any negative
effect from a downturn
7. spousal continuation
8. can double to pay for
qualifying healthcare costs
9. liquidity - access your money
anytime
10. typically cost less than 1%
in fees, fully transparent
IS AN ANNUITY
them at all. Compare these
terms with 401(k) gains and
taxation, then decide which
dollars are most worth
preserving.
2) Asses the cost of early
claiming. SS benefits claimed
before (FRA) Full Retirement
Age (66 for people now nearing
retirement) are hit with early
claiming reductions and, if you
are still working, subject to at
least temporary benefit
reductions caused by the
Earnings Test.
3) Weigh the Medicare Impact. if
you have a health savings
account (HSA) through an
employer group insurance
insurance and are eligible for
Medicare, filing for SS will force
you to take Part A of Medicare.
This may force you to drop out of
your HSA!
4) Consider Longevity Risk.
Review family health history,
complete an online longevity
survey, and estimate your
probable lifespan. This will help
you figure how long your funds
need to last.
5) Think About Your Family. Will
you have school age kids at
home when you turn 62? if so,
filing early for SS may allow your
kids to claim benefits based on
your earnings record. In this
case filing early may put More
money in your pocket.
6) Plan for Your Spouse.
Survivors benefits are keyed to
SS benefits received by the
deceased spouse. So, the longer
a spouse waits to claim, the
higher their partners survivor
benefit will be. This is a real
issue for millions of women who
out survive their husbands and
whose own retirement benefits
are smaller than their husbands
because they earned less
money in their lives.
So much to think about before
just signing up for SS.
Philip Moeller is an expert on
retirement, aging, and health. He
is Co-author of teh New York
Times bestseller, "Get What's
Yours; The secrets to maxing
out your Social Security"
This month, in tribute to my father, I am featuring
Beef and Noodles. This is a pressure cooker recipe
and is great as a one pot dish.
If you would like this recipe, email me at
timhoppes@me.com and I will send it out to you!!!
( sorry that the photo is not of MY recipe, but I still
haven't started taking pictures of everything like
some younger folks, I'll get better, but this is close!!)
timhoppes.com

3. Page 3www.timhoppes.com
When I was a little girl growing up
onourfamilyfarminSouthTexas,
I was with my dad "helping" every
chanceIcouldget.WhenIwasbig
enough,hetaughtmehowtoshoot
and took me hunting. I have the
best childhood memories! I would
go with Dad to check on the
livestock, mend fences, and bail
hay.Thecattleneededfeed,water,
minerals, and salt blocks. Some of
them needed to be wormed or
taken to market, and we had to
keep a close eye on the heifers that
were going to have calves. We had
eight wells and one- to two-acre
ponds on our farm. We fished,
swam and stocked those "tanks"
with bass and catfish. One pond
had a windmill pumping water. I
was fascinated by that big
windmill and drank from it often;
the water was cool with a mineral
taste.
Dad taught me what became an
important lesson for my life. He
said, "Robin, we have to take care
of the land because the land takes
care of us. What we take from this
land we must always give back."
He said the windmills provide
water for the livestock and for the
land,andwecuthayfromthatland
to feed the cattle.
Dad explained to me how the
windmills provide electricity for
our hay barn. He said we could
convert water to electricity by
explaining that when the wind
blows, it turns the blades of the
windmill gears, causing the pump
to pull water from the ground.
Then Dad turned on a big
generator that converted the water
to electricity and ultimately
powered lights to the barn. My
dad, a kind and honorable man,
taught me many valuable lessons
as I was growing up, lessons that I
use as a financial expert today.
Webster's Dictionary defines
"convert" as: To change into a
differentformsothatitcanbeused
in a different way. The principles
of converting cash to income also
hold true. Let me ask you this:
When you retire, how will you
convert the cash from your IRAs,
401ks, TSPs, etc. into income?
Let's say you have a 401k and you
retire.Howwillyougetpaid?Will
someone send you a monthly
check? Not likely. You have to
convert the cash that you have
saved during your working years
into income for retirement, right?
Fixed indexed annuities (FIAs),
with lifetime income riders, are
designed for both retirees and pre-
retirees to convert cash into
guaranteed lifetime income. FIAs
are a safe place to preserve and
grow your retirement savings.
Your principal, bonus and interest
arecontractuallyguaranteednotto
lose due to downturns in the
markets.
Are you ready to purchase a
lifetime income that you don't
have today? Find a financial
professional to help you, a
professional you trust who has
your best interests at heart.
Remember, just because someone
has an insurance license doesn't
mean he or she has the necessary
skills). If you are uncertain or
uneasy about this person, get a
second opinion.
If you are looking for a retirement
income stream, one that you and
your spouse can never outlive,
find out if an FIA with a lifetime
incomeriderisrightforyou.Itjust
may be the windmill you need to
power your retirement!
bigstatefinancial.com
Robin Hoppes
Published on Fortune.com May 2014

4. OfficesinTampaFloridaandSanAntonioTexas
Tampa#813-230-6518,tim@bigstatefinancial.com
SanAntonio#210-373-6000,Robin@bigstatefinancial.com
www.timhoppes.comwww.BigStateFinancial.com
Big State Financial
3853 Northdale Blvd. Ste. 388
Tampa, FL 33624-1861
Retirement Planning , for today and tomorrow!
May/June
Update
Inhonorofourparents,Ihopeyou
rememberedMother'sDayonMay10th
andthatyouwillrememberFather's
daycominguponJune21st.
TheFifthCommandmentsaystohonor
yourMotherandFather