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Financial Planning Tip: Social Security claiming strategies that can be worth thousands to retirees
You read that correctly. It’s no gimmick. There are several ways for retirees to potentially add thousands of extra dollars to their annual income by doing some things and not others. It all hinges around what you do when you…
A Rich Retirement: How to get the biggest Social Security check
According to the Employee Benefit Research Institute, only two-thirds of Americans have saved for retirement and most have saved less than $25,000. The average retiree depends on Social Security for 70 percent of his or her income. Unfortunately, Social Security just…
Medicare Season Fast Approaches On Oct. 15
Medicare’s open enrollment period runs from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, just like last year. But there may be a little more confusion this year. That’s because we’ll also be hearing about open enrollment for the new Health Insurance Marketplaces. They are part…
Social Security Disability and mental impairments
While individuals may collect benefits for both physical and mental medical conditions under the Social Security Disability program, it is much harder to secure benefits for a mental illness. This is because symptoms associated with a mental disability are difficult…
Pulse of The People: Reject Chained CPI
A flawed policy initiative called the Chained CPI is gaining steam in Washington budget talks that would shortchange New Yorkers who receive federal benefits such as Social Security and federal annuities by low balling their annual cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs.) Chained CPI…
Don’t Destroy Your Social Security Disability Claim By Failing to Accurately Complete the Work History Report
When you apply for Social Security Disability benefits the Social Security Administration is going to send you a form called the Work History Report form (SSA-3369-BK) http://www.ssa.gov/online/ssa/3369.pdf. Unfortunately, many Social Security Disability applicants don’t do a complete job of filling out the…
New study warns of US long-term debt problems
A new government study says that federal health care and retirement programs threaten to overwhelm the federal budget and harm the economy in coming decades unless Washington finds the political will to restrain their inexorable growth. The long-term pressures promise…
FTC Cracks Down On Bogus Medical Discount Scam Targeting Seniors
The Federal Trade Commission has shut down a medical discount scheme that scammed seniors across the country by offering phony discounts on prescription drugs and pretending to be affiliated with Medicare, Social Security, or medical insurance providers. In a complaint filed…
Guide to Social Security
After years of being told that Social Security is “going broke” or that it “won’t be enough”, or that you have to be “old” to collect, baby boomers are starting to realize that Social Security will be an important source…
Elder Care Benefits and Social Security
Seniors receive lots of elder care benefits and Social Security is among them. Social Security is among the long-term benefits the seniors receive in addition to Medicare insurance. Receiving benefits usually begins at 65 and continues before the dying of…