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Maximizing Your Social Security Benefits Requires a Strategy
Like the tale of the tortoise and the hare, it patience pays off in the end. Early eligibility begins at age 62, and like the hare, one can seek instant gratification. However, if you apply at 62, your monthly benefit…
Aging baby boomers create challenges, opportunities for the future in Steele County and beyond
Face it, we’re getting grayer by the day. Even a cursory peek at the demographics show that Steele County, the State of Minnesota and the nation as a whole are getting older. And that fact of the graying of America…
Manage risk in retirement savings by finding ‘glide path’
The primary goal of most people who save for retirement is to accumulate enough wealth to be able to replace most of their working income in retirement. If asked, most also would admit that a secondary goal is to limit…
5 Must-Do Retirement and Tax Planning Tips
As 2013 winds down, I want to offer a few simple reminders and pass along some retirement and tax planning tips that will help you end the year on a high note and propel you into a prosperous 2014. Read…
Focus on Compliance Reduces Risk for Payers in the Medicare and Medicaid Markets, according to White Paper by TMG Health
Compliance is a particular concern for Health Plans and Pharmacy Benefit Managers in the Medicare Advantage and Managed Medicaid markets. With regulations continually changing in response to Health Care Reform, payers can minimize the risk of sanctions and increase plan…
Attorney General’s Office offers consumer protection tips following payment card sata breach at Target stores
After an announcement by Target that approximately 40 million customers using payment cards at its United States stores between November 27 – December 15 were affected by a data breach, Attorney General Tim Fox cautions Montana consumers to watch for…
Help! I Think Someone’s Using My Social Security Number
Imagine going to your mailbox and getting a letter from a collection agency regarding a medical bill that you don’t recognize, and that was incurred in a state where you don’t live. Also troubling: The collection agency has your Social…
America’s hidden retirement crisis is racial
A troubling new study, Race and Retirement Insecurity in the U.S., reveals that America’s retirement crisis is particularly dire for blacks and Latinos. Read more… Notice: The “Read more…” link provided above connects readers to the full content of…
SCAMS INVOLVING THE IMPERSONATION OF AN SSA EMPLOYEE
We sometimes receive reports where individuals have been contacted by someone pretending to be an SSA employee. The intent of this type of call may be to steal your identity and/or money from your bank accounts. The caller generally asks…
10 Items for Your Retirement Checklist
A typical job lasts for about five years, according to Forbes magazine. The average marriage lasts about eight years, according to the Census Bureau. But figures from the Social Security Administration show that the average American is retired for over 20 years.…