Headlines
Options for Social Security Employees
Amid implementation of agency-wide organizational restructuring, Social Security employees received notifications of options to decide if they want to stay with the agency or leave. They can choose voluntary reassignments, voluntary separation or early retirement. There are also financial incentives…
Seven tips for women to take charge of their finances.
The Social Security program is vitally important to all Americans; however, it is essential to the financial security of women. Women live longer than men, which increases the risk that women may outlive their savings or that their pensions may…
A backlog on Social Security disability appeals
The Social Security Administration has made progress in reducing the backlog of disability appeals to a 30-year low of 262,000; however, the cases are claiming once again. As of January 2025, almost 300,000 Americans are still waiting for a decision…
Social Security announces expedited retroactive payments and higher monthly benefits for millions
The Social Security Administration announced it is immediately beginning to pay retroactive benefits and will increase monthly benefit payments to people whose benefits have been affected by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO). These provisions reduced…
Is retirement a distant dream?
The Census Bureau predicts by 2050, a quarter of the United States population will be 65 and older. Why is this important? In 2023, 11.2 million Americans age 65 and older were in the labor force (working or actively seeking…
One retirement mistake not to make
Social Security is a program designed to provide a safety net to older Americans. However, it is designed to replace roughly 40 percent of pre-retirement wages. How about the other 60 percent? If your employer has a 401(k), then you…
The new “Social Security Fairness Act” increases SS benefits for some government workers.
Congress has debated the issue for decades – ever since the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO) were enacted in 1983 (the first version of the GPO was enacted in 1977). These provisions were made law…
Social Security for Children
If you are an older parent of a minor child, you may not be aware that when you claim Social Security benefits your minor child may also be eligible for Social Security benefits. There are, of course, restrictions and the…
The Importance of your Full Retirement Age to your Social Security retirement benefit
Each year, the Social Security Administration changes some rules affecting your benefits, so knowing the changes goes a long way toward choosing when to claim Social Security. Your “full retirement age” – which is when you get 100% of the…
Was the 2025 Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) enough?
Well, almost certainly not, according to Maurie Backman in this Yahoo! Finance article. You see, annual COLA increases are actually “backward looking” – that is, they are based upon inflation which has already occurred, and they may not offset today’s…