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Why a Big 2023 Social Security Raise May Not Be Enough
Katie Brockman explains that the Social Security Administration will make a major announcement in mid October– the amount of the annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). The COLA is an annual bump in benefits designed to help Social Security keep up with…
Social Security Surprises – Here are 15 to Know
Christy Bieber’s article is a slide show with a good explanation of each point. Perhaps the most important points are the first and last ones– the program will only replace about 40% of pre-retirement income, and you can’t live on…
Investing for Retirement: Stock Market or Real Estate?
Of course, we’d all like to retire with an overflowing nest egg so we can relax in relative comfort in our golden years. There are, of course, many approaches to maximizing your retirement savings, but it often comes down to…
Social Security Disability Questions Answered
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits are best viewed as a safety net for American workers. Statistically, about one of every eight workers will, at some point in their life, become at least temporarily unable to work, and SSDI is…
Are You Ready to Take Social Security?
Sounds like a simple question, but it is actually quite serious. Deciding if you’re ready to claim your Social Security benefits should be much more than just a feeling. Rather you should seriously evaluate whether your personal circumstances are such…
Will Social Security be a Factor in the Mid-Term Elections?
Pseudo accusations aside, Social Security is facing a financial issue which, in a little more than a decade, could result in across-the-board benefit cuts for all beneficiaries. Social Security now pays out more in benefits than it receives in revenue,…
End of Life Doesn’t Always Mean End of Social Security Benefits
Of course, Social Security retirement benefits stop when a beneficiary dies, but surviving spouses, ex-spouses, surviving minor children, surviving disabled adult children, and, sometimes, surviving parents may be able to get benefits even after benefits have stopped for the deceased.…
Retirement Laundry List
Your life – Act II. After spending a large part of your life working and raising a family, you finally decide it’s time to hang up your work clothes, abandon the so-called “daily grind,” and retire. So, what do you…
How Long Must I Work to Earn Social Security?
Many American workers, of course, spend an entire career contributing to Social Security and are, thus, easily entitled to a benefit when they reach their retirement age. But what about those who don’t spend an entire lifetime contributing to Social…
Social Security for Married Couples
Social Security is a retirement benefit earned by those who work and contribute to the program. But it’s also more than that, because a worker’s spouse may be also entitled to benefits, even if they haven’t earned their own Social…