Headlines
Social Security and the National Debt–There is a Relationship
The national debt–quickly approaching the $20 trillion mark–is a fairly simple concept to grasp. We spend more than we take in, and the difference adds up over time. Any family or individual with uncontrolled credit card use understands how this…
Understanding Social Security’s 2017 Middle Class Tax Increase
It’s not really called a tax increase, but wage earners in the higher levels of what’s generally referred to as the “middle class” will be subject to an increase of up to 7.3% in what they’ll pay in 2017 as a result…
Women in Retirement–A Look at Their Challenges
The National Institute on Retirement Security, a nonpartisan non-profit research institute focused on retirement security for all Americans, reports that “Women (are) 80 percent more likely than men to be impoverished in retirement.” With that as a backdrop, Eleanor Blayney of the Certified…
Give Your Earnings Record a Check-up
If you have an online “My Social Security Account,” you receive an annual email reminder to double-check the earnings information recorded by the Social Security Administration (SSA). In addition, the SSA mails out close to 50 million paper statements each…
How much is enough? A look at determining your retirement target.
The popular media is chock-full of suggestions on an appropriate sum to fund your life in retirement, and most financial analysts have their own set of guidelines on how much you need to accumulate before you can pull the plug.…
The Importance of Knowing What You Need to Know
The September GAO report (see copy archived on this site) has been thoroughly analyzed in the popular media, with the summary conclusion that Social Security Administration staff needs to improve the quality of counseling it provides to its constituency. An…
2017 Earnings Test Increases Will Benefit Many
Social Security beneficiaries drawing benefits while remaining employed received some good news in the SSA’s list of 2017 program changes. The “earnings test”–the limits beyond which monthly benefits are reduced–have been set to advance by 7.6%, from $15,720 to $16,920. The…
When to start collecting Social Security? This simple chart may help you decide.
What to do? When to apply? How long should I wait? Should I start collecting early? All of these questions go through the minds of most who are approaching 62, the age at which you become eligible to start collecting…
How to maximize your Social Security benefit
There’s no shortage of advice around about the importance of planning for your retirement, and the critical role that Social Security benefits should play in that plan. Sometimes the advice can seem complicated and even overwhelming, causing you to throw up your…
Want some inspiration? Here’s how to be happy in retirement.
What with increased life expectancy, improved health care and, all too often, small savings, many seniors are choosing to continue working even after they reach what Social Security calls their “full retirement age.” Enter an inspirational nonagenarian whose retirement plan…