Latest News
Is Your Local Social Security Office Open?
The Social Security Administration has over 1,200 field offices providing services to local communities throughout the United States and it’s territories. And, although you can now do a large number of transactions online at www.ssa.gov or through your personal “my…
How to Lose Your Social Security Benefits
Social Security is usually thought of as a bedrock retirement benefit that will be there for the rest of your life, no matter what – and it is, for most people. But there are ways you can lose your Social…
Changing Rules for Retirement Savings
In the last days of 2022, the Secure Act 2.0 became law, thus changing the rules governing your retirement savings starting in 2023. For one thing, the age at which you must start taking Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) from your…
A Novel Approach to Social Security Reform
With all of the headlines about Social Security’s impending solvency issues, the primary focus has been on two potential solutions – raising revenue and cutting program costs. For the former, most on the left want to raise the amount of…
2023 Changes to Social Security
With all of the hoopla about the 2023 Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) yielding an historic 8.7% increase in the Social Security benefit amount, some other changes in the program may have gone largely unnoticed. They are, however, nonetheless important,…
Claim Your Social Security Now, If …..
Most Social Security advisors, including this author, will encourage you to delay taking Social Security as long as you can in order to snag the highest possibly monthly benefit. After all, a higher monthly check is a great way ensure…
Retirement Income – What is Your Goal?
Most financial planners will say your income in retirement should be at least 70% of what you income was before you retired in order to maintain your same lifestyle. That can be a pretty challenging goal for many of us,…
The COLA Rollercoaster Ride
The 8.7% COLA (cost of living adjustment) for 2023 becomes effective with your January Social Security payment – a welcome improvement in your monthly income to help offset the highly inflated prices we’ve all been paying for a long time.…
Long-term Home Care Isn’t Covered By Medicare
To be sure, Medicare is a complicated program and one that most American seniors over the age of 65 depend upon for their normal healthcare needs. “Normal healthcare needs” includes most expenses while hospitalized, and also most expenses incurred from…
SS Disability Approvals Now Taking Longer
Applicants for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits were, before the pandemic, typically subjected to about 3 – 4 months wait time before a determination was received on their application. This was unless their disability was related to a condition…