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Why $1 Million Is No Longer Enough
Gabrielle Olya’s piece here addresses how much people will need to have a secure retirement. Social Security replaces just 40% of pre-retirement income– not nearly enough to address anything beyond basic needs. The key point of this article is that…
3 Signs You Should Start Claiming Social Security in 2022
When to start Social Security benefits is one of the most common questions seniors ask. It’s equally difficult to answer too, as there is no one size fits all answer. Katie Brockman notes some people are better off claiming earlier in life,…
What Happens to Social Security Benefits When One Dies?
Vance Cariaga addresses a common question about benefits after one’s death. In short, funeral homes contact the Social Security Administration, though individuals are ultimately responsible for doing that. Any benefit paid after the month of the person’s death needs to be…
Average Social Security Benefits in 2022
Maurie Backman explains the average Social Security benefit per person and per couple as well as why one might care about those figures. Of course any one person’s or couple’s monthly amount is dictated by lifetime earnings and whether and for…
3 Social Security Surprises That Aren’t the Pleasant Kind
Maurie Backman notes some surprises with Social Security are good, such as receiving an 8% per year return on delaying benefits from full retirement age 966-67) to age 70. But three surprises to people are not pleasant. The are: 1.) Benefits have…
Filing at Age 62, Then Changing Your Mind. You Can, But…
There are valid reasons for claiming Social Security benefits at the earliest possible point (age 62), and if it works for you, that’s great. For some folks, however, it seems to be an impulse to grab benefits as soon as…
Reviewing the Rules for Spousal Benefits
The rules associated with Social Security benefits available to spouses can be complicated, as evidenced by the many questions we handle here at the AMAC Foundation Social Security Advisory Service. A good example of this complexity appeared today in our…
Thinking About Retirement Relocation? Check This Out.
Retirement planning is a long and detailed process, and one of the key elements of the plan is likely to be the choice of a destination for those leisure years. Do you want the warmth of the south, or are…
Your Social Security Statement: It’s Come A Long Way
Recent upgrades in the quality of the information available to you via the SSA.gov website–and specifically via the mySSA account data users can access–make it considerably easier to navigate some of the mysteries of Social Security. As explained in a…
Understanding and Estimating Your Social Security Benefit
If you’ve been following this site for some time, you’ve probably seen our frequent comments and referenced articles on how Social Security benefits are calculated. It’s important for future beneficiaries to understand that, and also to project what their benefits…