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Medicare Advantage and In-Network Services
Medicare Advantage plans – private healthcare plans which replace “original Medicare” Part A and Part B – have increased greatly in popularity. That’s not surprising, considering that most Advantage plans offer additional services, such as coverage for prescription drugs and…
Pandemic Anomaly – Social Security Applications Are Static
As is generally known, the COVID-19 pandemic took a big toll on the American workforce, with many either forced to, or choosing to, leave their employment. Unemployment statistics jumped as the economy struggled to cope with lockdowns and strict rules…
The Best Time to Claim Social Security
Perched atop our list of most frequently asked questions is some variation of this: “When is my ideal time to claim Social Security?” The answer to this superficially simple query is actually very complicated, because so many things – life-expectancy,…
State Income Tax on Social Security Benefits
While no one suggests you change where you live because of it, some U.S. states levy an income tax on retirement income, including Social Security benefits. Fortunately, the list of states which do not tax Social Security benefit is longer…
Living on a Fixed Income
As many beneficiaries are keenly aware, Social Security was never meant to be the sole source of retirement income. Nevertheless, a large percentage of Social Security recipients rely heavily on their monthly Social Security benefit to live, and soaring inflation…
Women Face Retirement Challenges
It’s hardly a secret, but women almost always face a much more challenging retirement landscape than do their male counterparts. According to a recent Transamerica survey, only 33% of women even had a retirement strategy in place, and even fewer…
Your 2023 Medicare Premium May Be Affected by Your 2021 Income Tax Return
Since we’re right in the middle of income tax season, this article is timely because it explains how your income reported on this year’s tax filing (for the year 2021) may very well affect your Medicare premium next year. In…
Social Security “Continuing Disability” Reviews
This article by the Social Security Administration (SSA) appears at The Pentagraph online publication, and offers insight into how Social Security conducts their “Continuing Disability Review,” a regular procedure the agency uses to obtain updated information on a beneficiary’s medical…
Social Security for Divorced Spouses
A divorced spouse may be eligible for benefits from their ex, depending on whether certain conditions are met. The basic rule is that you must have been married for at least 10 years to be eligible for ex-spouse benefits, but…
The Pros and Cons of Claiming Social Security Early
Age 62 is when you first become eligible to claim Social Security retirement benefits, but whether to do so at that time is a question most of us wrestle with. Reality is that there are good reasons to claim at…