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Inflation’s Devastating Impact on Social Security Benefits
The release of another month of terrible inflation news has prompted a steady deluge of news reports and pundit forecasts about what the 2023 COLA calculation might bring for those drawing Social Security benefits. But there’s another side to this…
New Social Security Filers: Some Thoughts on Approach
If you are now on your final approach to the Social Security, but haven’t made the big decision on when to begin your benefits, there are some important things you should consider at this point. The Motley Fool’s Maurie Backman,…
Retirement Requires More than Social Security
Social Security is designed to help you in retirement, but not to necessarily to meet all your financial needs during that phase of your life. In fact, by its very design, Social Security retirement benefits are generally intended to replace…
Retirement Pre-Planning 101: Some Basic Items to Consider
Thinking about retiring? If you’re in that frame of mind, now’s the time to consider some strategic points while you still have time. EFC Wealth Management’s Corey Chapman, in a post today on Kiplinger’s Retirement page, lays out five key…
SOCIAL SECURITY SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING ON STRENGTHENING SOCIAL SECURITY’S CUSTOMER SERVICE
A post by Stephen Silver today on nationalinterest.org reports that the House Ways and Means Committee has scheduled a formal hearing on complaints about the quality of Social Security’s customer service. The hearing appears ready to delve into the SSA’s…
The Importance of Considering Survivor Benefits When Claiming
When discussing the spousal benefit consequences of the when-to-file decision, many folks tend to overlook the potential impact on survivor benefits. This post by The Motley Fool’s Maurie Backman, appearing today on wfmz.com, provides an analysis of why “…spousal benefits…
The Intersection of Social Security and Medicare Can be Confusing
Those who have already sailed through the process of signing up for Social Security and Medicare already know this, but there are some points of confusion surrounding when and how to sign up for what. And for those just beginning…
How Your Social Security Benefit is Calculated: The Basics
To many folks, the manner in which the Social Security Administration determines the benefit they, or their dependents, are eligible to receive in retirement is a bit of a mystery. Actually, it’s not really that complex, as explained in a…
Explaining the Complexities of Divorce and Social Security
In a post today on creators.com, former Social Security Administration official Tom Margenau explores several complicated sections of Social Security’s rules and regulations associated with benefits for divorced spouses. After leading off with a basic premise (“With just a couple…
Social Security and the Complex World of U.S. Visas
As outlined in a post by Bloomberg Tax, certain types of visas for work in the U.S. provide exemptions for the FICA tax provision which, of course, provides funding for our country’s Social Security and Medicare programs. This comment in…