Safe Money Strategies Newsletter — May 2026

Safe Money Strategies Newsletter

Brought to you by: The Jim Hutson Agency, LLC

Issue 212
May 2026

Graduation and Retirement

It’s May. Seniors are eagerly awaiting their graduation day. Career teachers (some of them) are anticipating their retirement day. It’s a new beginning for these people, with seniors approaching their “commencement ceremonies” and retiring educators wondering what in the world they will do with the new-found “free time.”

“Commencement” means “new beginning.” Graduation is not the end of an educational experience, but merely the beginning of a new one. Many seniors will move on to college, while others will enter the workforce. Either way it will be a brand new world of experiences and challenges. A new day dawns, indeed!

“Retirement” means leaving a career and moving on to either a new one or into the realm of those who reap the rewards of a job well-done and the time to pursue other interests. Many retirees get to do the traveling to which they have always looked forward. Others develop new hobbies or friendships, while still others start an entirely new career. A new day dawns, indeed!

I am very proud to present several deserving seniors who are planning to pursue college careers with the Jim Hutson Scholarship again this year. It’s one way that I can give back to the communities I serve in a meaningful way.

I, along with my many associates, will help a lot of educators retire this summer. We do this as a service to our colleagues, as navigating the retirement system is complex. We are able to draw on our own experiences to be sure that all the “T’s” are crossed and the “I’s” are dotted, and that the retirement process is smoothly and accurately accomplished.

So… Congratulations to you who are graduating and to you who are retiring. Best wishes for a successful future! ……….Jim

Health in the News…..

Waking Up Early Helps Stave Off Depression

Recent Finding: Going to bed one hour earlier than you usually do and then sleeping the same number of hours – for example, going to bed at midnight instead of at 1:00 AM – lowered risk for depression by 23% among people who were on a late or intermediate sleep schedule (commonly called “night owls”).

Even better: Going to bed two hours earlier and then waking up two hours earlier lowered risk for depression by 40%.

Note: People who are genetically predisposed to an early sleep/wake cycle appear to be at a lower risk for depression already.

Study by researchers at University of Colorado and Boulder, published in JAMA Psychiatry.

Animal Quiz

1. Why do frogs croak?
2. Which animal in a pride does most of the hunting?
3. Which animal plants thousands of trees during its lifetime?
4. Which aquatic animal is the most poisonous in the world?
5. How many toes does a sheep have on each foot?

(Answers found on page 3)

Thank You!!!

Frances and I recently returned from a trip to Ireland. What a wonderful experience to see that beautiful island and its friendly people.

Our trip was earned as a “production” reward for annuity sales I made in 2025. Expenses were paid by a marketing organization I represent as an agent, and only about ten agents were invited to go.

Thanks to you, my annuity production in 2025 ranked me in the top ten agents nationwide. By helping you improve your annuity holdings and financial futures, we enjoyed the rewards trip very much.

We are blessed to work with the best people in the world….YOU. We sincerely appreciate your willingness to work with us and are looking forward to guiding you through many more years of financial success.

Thank you, one and all!

“Who Wants to Win Free food at Sonic?”

Which supplemental retirement plan is the best for tax-free income?

A. 403(b)
B. 401(k)
C. Traditional IRA
D. Roth IRA

The 4th person with the correct answer to the Question of the Month will receive a gift card to Sonic – just for reading this newsletter. Text or email responses only.

The April winner was Forrest Hebert.

Thought for the Month

“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.”

…Aristotle

Answers to Quiz

1. To attract a mate
2. The lioness
3. Squirrel
4. Pufferfish
5. Two

Buying Solar?

Never buy solar from a door-to-door salesperson. A common scam involves “salespeople” knocking on doors and making grand promises about no more electric bills by switching to solar “for free.” In many cases, no solar equipment is ever installed… or any equipment actually installed is defective and the installation work is shoddy. Victims often sign extensive contracts on the scammer’s tablet without being allowed to read the details, including clauses that don’t allow them to sue … and wind up with years of debt to non-bank lenders under terrible terms. Homeowners can be at risk of losing their homes to bankruptcy or foreclosure. If you’re interested in converting to solar, research legitimate contractors in your area and vet them thoroughly.

…Consumer’s Checkbook

Recipe of the Month

Luscious Orange Cake

Ingredients

Cake:1 box yellow cake mix
15-ouce can mandarin oranges (undrained)
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil

Frosting: 12 ounces cool whip
20-ounce can crushed pineapple (undrained)
3.4 ounce box instant vanilla pudding mix

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9X13 inch pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, with a hand mixer or a spoon, mix together the yellow cake mix, the can of mandarin oranges, the eggs and the vegetable oil. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs, being careful not to over-bake.

Let the cake cool completely.

In a large bowl whip together the cool whip, pineapple and vanilla pudding mix. Spread frosting over the cooled cake and serve.

…From the kitchen of Frances Hutson

Save for Retirement – Start Early!

Social Security probably won’t give you the income you need when you retire. Many people wonder if social security will even be around when that day comes. What, then, is the solution? Continue working during your golden years? Maybe the solution is to invest in yourself!

Modern indexed interest provides the path to a secure retirement by taking the risk out of your portfolio. It allows you to continue to gain ground while others are losing money in a down market. This amazing strategy allows you to share in the gains of the stock and bond markets, without having to worry about a market crash or downturn. Another incredible element in indexed interest is the absence of significant fees to reduce your gains. This concept has allowed countless conservative investors to grow their assets continuously and safely, and it will continue to do so.

The earlier you can get involved in saving for retirement, the better off you’ll be when you get there. Take a 23-year-old who begins a ROTH IRA (the best plan) with a $100 monthly investment. He/she increases their monthly savings a little bit every time he/she gets a raise, and in 42 years at age 65 the account is worth over $800,000. Considering a 30-year retirement, he/she retires on $40,000 a year tax-free….just from that account alone. Add social security to the mix and it’s more like $58,000 annually or $4,833 per month. If you have a 401k, 403b or pension at work, it even sweetens the pie further.

Does this idea appeal to you? It should. It works even if you’re not 23. You simply need to fund the account a little more aggressively if you are older. Lock in your gains and preserve your savings by utlilizing indexed interest strategies. I’ll show you how.

……….Give me a call! ………Jim

The Jim Hutson Agency, LLC

Jim Hutson, Manager
6607 Roxton Drive
Amarillo, TX 79109

Websites
www.jimhutsonagency.com
www.texasretirementcouncil.com

Email:
jim@jimhutsonagency.com

Phone Numbers:
806 358 2137 home/office
806 654 6834 cell
806 358 6117 fax

The Jim Hutson Agency, LLC

Carmen Pennick (432) 631-7503
Fidelis Fetsch (806) 647-6123
Jim Hutson (806) 654-6834; Charlie Peters (806) 676-0569
Ron Knoy (806) 236-5761 Leslie Lee ((806) 670-4201
Ronnie Wood (806) 662-9089 J. Frank Davis (806) 676-8697
Caysi Jones (806) 477-0973 Joel Olson (806) 674-6996