As your NEA Retirement Specialists, our goal is to help you stay on track so that you can retire on time and achieve the lifestyle you’ve always desired for your retirement years.  Based on your current financial goals and future retirement needs, we will develop a comprehensive financial plan for you, review investment options, as well as help you determine how to maximize your income sources, such as ERS Pension and Social Security benefits, so that you can have transparency as you prepare for retirement.

How do I know which ERS Pension option is best for me?

The State of Hawaii Employees’ Retirement System offers many pension options to choose from, whether you are under the contributory, noncontributory or hybrid plan.  How do you know which one suits you and your family’s needs best?  As you approach retirement, we will review each of the options with you so that when the time comes, you can select the one that will align well with your retirement goals and needs.  After all, you’ve worked hard over the years and deserve to get the most out of your pension plan.

How do I make the most of my Social Security benefits?

Most people think that they should file for their Social Security benefits, either when they retire or when they reach their full retirement age.  However, this approach may not necessarily enable you to maximize the total amount of benefits you can receive over your lifetime.  Furthermore, you or your spouse may be eligible for a spousal benefit, which many do not know about or take advantage of.  As your NEA Retirement Specialists, we will help you determine what your best options are so that you can make the most of the benefits you have coming to you.

How does my 403(b) compare to the NEA 403(b)?

A 403(b) plan is designed to help you put money away with the hope that it will grow as a future income source upon retirement.  Because 403(b) plans are invested in a broad range of investment options, the growth of your account will often vary and may not necessarily be suited to your investment style or risk tolerance. As NEA Retirement Specialists, we offer investment options that range from conservative to aggressive, and will gladly help you figure out which style of investing will align well with your investment preferences.

If anything should happen to me, how can I make sure that my family is covered?

As much as you can plan for your future, an unanticipated injury or sudden death may leave your family with insufficient income to cover all of their daily expenses and needs. Having adequate life or disability insurance coverage will give both you and your family peace of mind to know that they will be provided for, in the event that you or your spouse becomes disabled or dies unexpectedly.

Additionally, with the rising costs of care services and facilities such as nursing homes, assisted living facilities and in-home care, how do you protect your hard-earned money and assets from these soaring expenses? The good news is that long-term care (LTC) insurance is designed for that very purpose. Many life insurance policies today also include long-term care as a part of the plan.

As your NEA Retirement Specialists, we would be happy to review any current long-term care, and life and disability insurance policies that you have and make recommendations to ensure that you and your family’s needs and future are well taken care of.