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What happens to our Social Security checks if my husband dies?
I have been married for 41 years to the same wonderful man. We only have our Social Security checks with a little pension from his job. I am very concern about losing his Social Security check of $1,800 a month…
U.S. assistant labor secretary talks about new disability hiring standards
Kathleen Martinez, U.S. Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Policy, recently joined more than 60 representatives of area businesses and agencies to discuss disability employment and the newly implemented federal disability hiring standards. “I want to thank you for being…
A Doctor Takes A Look In The Medicare Mirror
After decades of fighting to keep how much Medicare pays individual doctors a secret, the federal government bowed to pressure from journalists and consumer groups and released the information in April. The data let reporters — and anyone else —…
BRIEF: Unemployment, disability benefits to go up
Maximum weekly benefits paid to jobless Iowans and to workers injured on the job will increase July 6,Iowa Workforce Development announced Thursday. The rise in benefits was triggered by an increase in wages covered by unemployment insurance. The average annual…
Web Winners: Tips for deciding when to apply for Social Security
The workings of the U.S. Social Security Administration can be clouded by jargon and bureaucracy. Check these sites for answers to big questions and how to deal with those bureaucrats. The retirement “estimator” at Social Security’s SSA.gov site will give…
Retirement Planner: Fear of the unknown at retirement age
My wife often asks why I waste time reading “Dear Abby.” She just doesn’t appreciate how much it has made me a better person over the years for having applied some of the advice to myself.For example, a letter from…
In divorce, retirement is at risk
Splitting a retirement plan in divorce often means tax problems. While matrimonial attorneys usually assist in the division of assets, 401(k)s, IRAs and other retirement plans require special handling since eventual distributions generally will be taxable. Unlike most other assets,…
Medicare researcher: Cost an indirect measure of waste
A growing body of health care research shows significant waste can be found by looking at the overuse of certain medical services. “Cost is an indirect measure of overuse,” said Dr. Aaron Schwartz, a doctoral candidate at Harvard Medical School,…
Your Retirement: What you may not be considering when electing your Social Security benefits
Conventional wisdom among many retirees has been that if I delay Social Security benefits, I may either pass away before I get my money’s worth or the system itself will go broke. Although dying early is a risk, a greater risk…
Don’t Let This Common Social Security Mistake Tempt You
Deciding when to take Social Security benefits is a huge decision. But too many people make a simple mistake with the benefits: they assume that as soon as they retire, they have to take Social Security right away. In the…