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Neumann: What’s new in Social Security in 2014
This post from Randy Neumann, Columnist for North Jersey Media Group’s NorthJersey.com website, offers a series of interesting perspectives on many of the U.S. Social Security program’s 2014 changes, including the COLA increases, the wage base increment, and the annual earnings…
Medicare is the best care if you are age 65 or older
If you are age 65 or older and haven’t signed up for Medicare Part B now is the time to consider doing so. The general enrollment period for Medicare Part B runs from January 1 through March 31 each year.…
Getting approved for disability benefits still tough as applications rise
If you know of someone who has applied for Social Security Disability benefits, you know that the approval process can be lengthy with many applications being rejected. However, the difficult approval process has apparently not been much of a barrier…
Social Security Goes Digital Along With Everything Else
The digital revolution isn’t just coming–it’s already here. Less than a year ago, the government mandated that all Social Security recipients are required to receive their payments electronically, through direct deposit or a debit card (side note: the debit card is…
Advisors Still Don’t Know Enough About Social Security
Over the last few years, financial advisors have begun to recognize the importance of Social Security benefits to their clients – even to clients with significant financial assets. But there is still a major lack of understanding on the workings of…
Older Americans are Delaying Retirement to Pay Off Mortgages
Older Americans who have debt typically put off retirement, find researchers out of Boston College’s Center for Retirement Research, but may need to turn to a reverse mortgage eventually if their age and health preclude them from working while they still owe…
SSDI offers rapid decisions for more conditions
The Social Security Administration (SSA) has added 25 conditions to the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) Compassionate Allowances. People who qualify for SSDI can get access to Medicare as well as disability benefits. Getting ordinary SSDI determinations often takes years. Read more……
More Evidence that Medicare Advantage are Cuts Hurting Seniors
Medicare Advantage payments for 2014 were cut by 6.5 percent – resulting in higher costs, reduced benefits, and fewer choices for seniors in the program. Read more… Notice: The “Read more…” link provided above connects readers to the full…
How Will Medicare Pull Back The Curtain On Pay For Doctors?
After successful legal challenges, Medicare will soon begin to release data about how much it pays doctors. The details remain unknown, but three recent projects offer clues. Don’t expect an app or website that will be easy for consumers to…
How to Squash 5 Retirement Fears
With baby boomers either retired or heading down the retirement path, retirement fears tend to creep in. Some retirees or soon-to-be retirees have nothing to fear about retirement, but others’ fears may be well-founded. Do you have realistic retirement fears? If your retirement…