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Watch Out for These 5 Social Security Scams
Selena Maranjian starts her warning by noting that Social Security will NOT call you out of the blue. Some of the most common starts to scam conversations begin with versions of these five: 1. Hi, I’m from Social Security, and……
Social Security Average Benefits at 62, 66, and 70
To say many American are underinformed about the Social Security program would be accurate but an understatement. Trevor Jennewine writes about the average benefit for those aged 62, 66, and 70. Social Security benefits are based on lifetime income and…
Can You Retire on Social Security Alone with the Max Monthly Benefit?
It’s fairly widely known that one cannot live on Social Security alone, as it replaces a mere 40% of pre-retirement income. But what about for those receiving the highest possible benefit? As of January 2024, the average Social Security benefit…
Social Security and the Future: Reasons for Worry
Selena Maranjian notes what most people have at least an inkling of knowledge– that is, Social Security is in trouble. The ratio of workers to beneficiaries is shrinking and has been for decades. The surplus that was built up from…
Two Marriages. Two Divorces. What about Social Security Now?
Spousal benefits are a complex set of intricate rules that often require doing some extensive math computations to decipher Social Security benefits. John Manganaro dives into examples in this piece, but the general principle is this: “An ex-spouse who wants…
When Should I Sign up for Social Security?
Perhaps no question is asked more often by near retirees than when to begin Social Security. An “it depends” is often the answer experts give. Why? Maurie Backman explains it all and suggests people contemplating Social Security (one can commence…
Social Security in 10 Years – with no fixes
Kailey Hagen explains what Social Security could look like in a decade (or less) with no changes, though she admits it’s unlikely Congress would ignore the issue as cuts were going into effect. Across the board cuts of 20% or…
Social Security whistleblower says continued telework creating major problems
Kelly Laco, writing in The Daily Mail, says an organizational payee worker in Sioux City, IA disclosed that the local Social Security field office has been ignoring outreach entirely since December. “I’m at a loss of what to do to…
Three Program Changes for Social Security 2024
There hasn’t been any major structural change to the Social Security law since 1983. But there are yearly changes that are mostly “automatic.” Still, they have an effect on beneficiaries. Vince Cariaga goes over three here. They are the 3.2%…
What’s the Social Security “Do-over” rule?
Everyone has likely had buyer’s remorse at some point, asking themselves, “Why did I spend money on that?” Maurie Backman covers the regret some have with claiming Social Security early (i.e. before their full retirement age – now 67). There…