FINANCIALLY FOCUSED
December 2025 Newsletter
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OPTIMUM INSIGHTS for DECEMBER 2025
Season’s Greetings!
As the year draws to a close, we share our Sincere Appreciation and take this opportunity to reflect with gratitude on the trust and collaboration you have extended to us. Your continued partnership has been invaluable, and we remain committed to supporting You in the years ahead.
Please accept our heartfelt wishes for a joyous holiday season, a Merry Christmas, and a prosperous New Year. If you are traveling, we encourage you to do so safely and enjoy this meaningful time with family and friends.
Thank you for your confidence in us. We look forward to strengthening our relationship and achieving continued success together in the coming year.
Warm regards,
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2026 SOCIAL SECURITY COLA: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
The Social Security Administration (SSA) has announced a 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2026, which is up from 2.5% in 2025, but is still among the smaller increases in recent years, according to a Kiplinger article headlined, 2026 Social Security COLA is 2.8%: What You Need to Know.
For the average retiree, that translates into an increase of about $56 per month, with the average monthly benefit rising from roughly $2,015 to $2,071. Married couples can expect an average monthly check to climb from about $3,120 to $3,208.
PUTTING IT IN PERSPECTIVE
While the 2.8% increase is slightly above the recent average (around 2.6% over the past 20 years), it may not keep pace with rising costs in housing, health care, or other retirement-specific expenses. As the article notes, a 2.8% increase is modest, especially for retirees whose cost increases may be higher.
OTHER KEY UPDATES
Beyond the COLA, two other Social Security figures are changing in 2026. The taxable wage base, which is the maximum amount of earnings subject to Social Security tax, will rise from $176,100 in 2025 to $184,500.
Additionally, the amount needed to earn a Social Security work credit will increase slightly.
In 2026, you’ll earn one credit for every $1,890 of income. You can earn up to four credits per year, and most workers need 40 credits total (roughly 10 years of work) to qualify for full retirement benefits at their full retirement age.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO NEXT
Review your benefit statement with your financial services professional and calculate if the increase will meet your expected costs. If you’re still working and collecting benefits early, check how earnings limits could affect your payments.
SOURCE
https://www.kiplinger.com/retirement/social-security/social-security-cola-2026
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WHAT WE’RE READING
There’s been no shortage of outstanding and informative financial news stories during the last few weeks, here’s some of our favorites:
- Thinking about purchasing a new home? Check out what this Yahoo Finance article has to say about mortgage rates, Will mortgage rates ever drop to 3% again?
- An article from Kiplinger, Five Smart Moves for Retirement Health Care: Maximize Your HSA and Medigap Savings, has some tips for retirement healthcare strategy.
- An article from U.S. News and World Report, Will Younger Generations Win the Retirement Race? notes that a recent survey indicates millennials may be better prepared for retirement than previously thought.
- If you’re about to begin your holiday shopping or, more importantly, setting a budget for your holiday shopping the CNBC article, Tariffs are expected to start showing up more in consumer prices as holiday shopping season starts is a can’t miss.
- When approaching retirement, many people ponder enjoying their golden years abroad, assuming a lower cost of living. But the MarketWatch article, Retiring abroad is touted as a money saver — but it isn’t always cheaper explains that assumption may be wrong.
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SPINACH-ARTICHOKE CHRISTMAS SKEWERS
Bring some festive flair to your holiday spread with Spinach-Artichoke Christmas Skewers. These skewers combine creamy spinach-artichoke flavor with a colorful, cheerful presentation that’s perfect for entertaining. Easy to assemble, crowd-pleasing, and full of holiday spirit, they make a fresh, flavorful addition to any Christmas gathering.
Let's Get Baking!
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Advisory services are offered by Optimum Wealth LLC a Registered Investment Advisor in the State of New Hampshire. Insurance products and services are offered through Optimum Financial LLC dba Optimum Benefits, an affiliated company. Optimum Wealth LLC and Optimum Financial LLC are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration or any government agency, and are not engaged in the practice of law.
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This award was issued on 09/01/2025 by Five Star Professional (FSP) for the time period 12/25/2024 through 07/18/2025. Fee paid for use of marketing materials. Self-completed questionnaire was used for rating. This rating is not related to the quality of the investment advice and based solely on the disclosed criteria. 1183 New Hampshire-area wealth managers were considered for the award; 82 (7 % of candidates) were named 2025 Five Star Wealth Managers. The following prior year statistics use this format: YEAR: # Considered, # Winners, % of candidates, Issued Date, Research Period. 2024: 1,094, 87, 8%, 9/1/24, 12/12/23 - 7/9/24; 2023: 1,017, 89, 9%, 9/1/23, 12/12/22 - 6/30/23; 2022: 979, 87, 9%, 9/1/22, 12/20/21 - 6/17/22; 2021: 943, 96, 10%, 9/1/21, 11/30/20 - 6/25/21; 2020: 928, 91, 10%, 9/1/20, 12/9/19 - 7/1/20; 2019: 928, 85, 9%, 9/1/19, 11/19/18 - 7/10/19; 2018: 955, 74, 8%, 9/1/18, 12/26/17 - 7/17/18; 2017: 739, 89, 12%, 9/1/17, 12/27/16 - 7/6/17; 2016: 666, 158, 24%, 8/1/16, 2/6/16 - 7/19/16; 2015: 853, 166, 19%, 9/1/15, 2/6/15 - 7/19/15; 2014: 1045, 189, 18%, 9/1/14, 2/6/14 - 7/19/14; 2013: 1049, 204, 19%, 9/1/13, 2/6/13 - 7/19/13; 2012: 743, 170, 23%, 9/1/12, 2/6/12 - 7/19/12. Wealth managers do not pay a fee to be considered or placed on the final list of Five Star Wealth Managers. The award is based on 10 objective criteria. Eligibility criteria - required: 1. Credentialed as a registered investment adviser (RIA) or a registered investment adviser representative; 2. Actively licensed as a RIA or as a principal of a registered investment adviser firm for a minimum of 5 years; 3. Favorable regulatory and complaint history review (As defined by FSP, the wealth manager has not; A. Been subject to a regulatory action that resulted in a license being suspended or revoked, or payment of a fine; B. Had more than a total of three settled or pending complaints filed against them and/or a total of five settled, pending, dismissed or denied complaints with any regulatory authority or FSP's consumer complaint process. Unfavorable feedback may have been discovered through a check of complaints registered with a regulatory authority or complaints registered through FSP's consumer complaint process; feedback may not be representative of any one client's experience; C. Individually contributed to a financial settlement of a customer complaint; D. Filed for personal bankruptcy within the past 11 years; E. Been terminated from a financial services firm within the past 11 years; F. Been convicted of a felony); 4. Fulfilled their firm review based on internal standards; 5. Accepting new clients. Evaluation criteria - considered: 6. One-year client retention rate; 7. Five-year client retention rate; 8. Non-institutional discretionary and/or non-discretionary client assets administered; 9. Number of client households served; 10. Education and professional designations. FSP does not evaluate quality of services provided to clients. The award is not indicative of the wealth manager's future performance. Wealth managers may or may not use discretion in their practice and therefore may not manage their clients' assets. The inclusion of a wealth manager on the Five Star Wealth Manager list should not be construed as an endorsement of the wealth manager by FSP or this publication. Working with a Five Star Wealth Manager or any wealth manager is no guarantee as to future investment success, nor is there any guarantee that the selected wealth managers will be awarded this accomplishment by FSP in the future. Visit www.fivestarprofessional.com.
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