Latest News
Your Benefit: Ways to Keep More of it
For most folks, there’s not a whole lot of breathing room between their Social Security benefit and the bills they need to pay. So, it becomes essential to do whatever they can to control the outflow of funds, that’s a…
Social Security Offices Slated to be Open by Jan 3…But It’s Complicated!
A staged plan for Social Security Administration personnel to return to on-site presence was announced last week, but there are still many wrinkles in how the “re-entry” will unfold. According to their “Phased Reentry Plan,” SSA senior leadership personnel will…
Actions Needed by SSA to Ensure Disability Medical Consultants Are Properly Screened and Trained GAO-22-103815
(Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office) The Social Security Administration pays benefits to eligible people who are unable to work due to disability. State agencies review claims for disability benefits, and use “consultants” (physicians) to determine if claimants are medically eligible.…
Social Security and Wounded Warriors
It’s important to be aware that the Social Security Administration has a dedicated webpage designed to address the many questions wounded Veterans have about the disability benefits available to them under America’s Social Security program. The webpage, which can be…
More on the Impact of Delaying Social Security Benefits
The media airwaves often sound a bit like a broken record on the subject of waiting to file for benefits rather than grabbing them at the first opportunity. And, there’s a sound mathematical reason for this persistent admonition, as explained…
A Discussion on Social Security’s Progressive Design
As a universal benefit program, everyone who has paid into Social Security through their FICA tax assessment during their years in the workforce has earned the eventual return of these tax dollars. It’s important to note, though, that by design,…
Understanding the Timing of Social Security Benefits
For seniors relying heavily on Social Security benefits to exist, the timing of their benefit arrival is of paramount concern. So, what happens if the payment doesn’t hit your account or arrive in your mailbox when you expect it? This…
Boosting the Value of Your Earned Social Security Benefit
Social Security, by design, is really only intended to supplement a portion of your pre-retirement income, so it’s important to ensure that you are taking steps along the way to make this benefit is as high as it can be.…
Social Security’s “Do Over” Option Explained, and Other Options
The U.S. labor market has been rattled in the past year and a half by the COVID-19 pandemic, and many folks elected to jump into Social Security benefits as a lifeline to survive. After making this move, though, they found…
Accuracy in Social Security Records is Crucial
Responsibility for ensuring that all of your earnings are correctly reported to the Social Security Administration (SSA) rests ultimately with you, the ultimate receiver of calculated benefits. For this reason, it is essential that you make the effort to verify…