Latest News
BBB on Seniors: Medicare beneficiaries are prime targets for scammers
The phone calls are endless. You get offers of back braces and medical alerts. Someone calls and wants to help you save money on your Medicare costs. Maybe you have gotten a call that Medicare has changed and you need a…
Disability Insurance: a non-hot topic with very hot implications
The Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is one of the two components of the American Social Security Program (the other is the Retirement trust fund). It insures workers against loss of income and grants access to the government’s Medicare program…
With Kaiser in sight, Anthem creates new plan with major California hospitals
Health insurer Anthem Blue Cross and seven competing health systems in Southern California are joining forces to create a new health plan that executives believe will enhance competition in the area while reducing healthcare costs. Anthem, a subsidiary of Indianapolis-based WellPoint…
Social Security resumes mailing benefit statements
The Social Security Administration has resumed mailing statements to workers letting them know the estimated benefits they will get when they retire, the agency announced Tuesday. Social Security began phasing out mailed statements to most workers in 2011 to save an…
They’re 65, Collecting Social Security & Have Student Loans
t’s not uncommon to hear young professionals complain about having to pay back their student loans on their modest salaries. Those young professionals have company– those who are 65 and older with student loans! The Consumerist analyzed data from the Department of…
7 Questions About Divorcee Social Security Benefits
Included in the myriad of questions that I regularly receive from readers are questions about how a divorced person can collect benefits based upon his or her ex-spouse’s Social Security record. For a divorcee (as with many married couples) sometimes the…
Social Security: Verification of benefits
Need verification of your Social Security benefits? There’s no need to visit or call an office to get the verification you need. Simply visit www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount. There are a number of reasons you may need written verification of your Social Security benefits. You…
Social Security the “third rail”
Social Security is often called the “third rail” of politics, but it is a vital program that needs review and reform, according to the Association of Mature American Citizens, which, since its founding, has been actively seeking Congressional intervention. Read…
Scam Alert — Don’t Fall for this ID Theft Trick
Watch out for scammers pretending to represent the Social Security Administration or Service Canada. Con artists are contacting citizens via email and requesting personal information, which they use to commit identity theft. Read more… Notice: The “Read more…” link…
What to do if you started saving later in life
Saving when you are young can have major benefits to your overall financial plan. Saving just $1,000 every year starting at age 25 will leave you with a total of about $290,000, assuming a hypothetical 8% rate of return, when…