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Three Social Security Facts to Know Before You Claim
Deciding when to claim Social Security may be one of the most important financial decisions of your life, and there are some basic factors you should know before making that decision. Your claim age relative to your full retirement age…
Returning to Work after You’re On Medicare
It’s a reality of today’s economy and higher life expectancies – many people who retired are returning to work, either to supplement their retirement income, or because they want to stay active as they age. Whatever the reason, if you…
Can You Get the Maximum Possible Social Security Benefit?
The maximum possible Social Security benefit in 2022 is $4,194, but there really aren’t many beneficiaries who will be able to reach that goal. That’s because to do so would mean you would have to have had earnings equal to…
Keeping Up With Social Security
With inflation roaring and the cost of our basic daily needs skyrocketing, it’s easy to put thoughts of our future retirement on the back burner. But although our current myriad national issues may consume much of our attention, it’s also…
Speeding Up Social Security Disability Claims
As most who have applied for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits will tell you, it often takes 3 to 5 months to get a decision from the Social Security Administration. And to add to that frustration, about 2/3rds of…
Improving Customer Service at the Social Security Administration
We hardly need to remind anyone who has attempted to engage directly with the Social Security Administration (SSA) in recent years that customer service has been (to be kind) very challenging. Excruciatingly long telephone wait times, up to an hour…
Things to Know Before Claiming Social Security
Although this article describes several important factors as “secret,” they are hardly so. But they are, nevertheless, very important points to know before claiming your Social Security benefits. Specifically, the age at which you claim carries a lot of weight…
Should You Take a Lump Sum Pension Distribution?
Many employers offer those contemplating retirement an option to take their retirement benefits as a lump-sum, rather than choosing the lifetime monthly payout option. Getting this large lump-sum distribution can be very tempting to those about to enter retirement, but…
How To Lose Social Security Benefits
Most people believe that when they claim their Social Security benefit, the amount they receive is sacrosanct and unaffected by outside forces. But you may be surprised to find that your Social Security benefits can, indeed, be affected in what…
Alzheimer’s Disease and Medicare
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), almost 6 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, nearly all of whom are age 65 or older. That’s a staggering statistic, but fortunately Medicare provides coverage for most Alzheimer’s-related medical care –…