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What if the Retirement Earnings Test Were Eliminated?
Social Security’s Retirement Earnings Test (RET) is a somewhat complex provision that often comes as an unpleasant surprise to many who claim benefits before their full retirement age (FRA). Social Security regulations stipulate that upon beginning retirement, spousal, or survivor…
Strategic Thinking for Married Couples to Enhance Benefits
Financial planning for retirement is important for everyone, but for married couples, the timing of claiming Social Security benefits can take on added importance. Delaying claims to take advantage of delayed retirement credits is, of course, one step toward achieving…
Women’s History Month and Social Security
Source – Social Security Administration During Women’s History Month, we recognize the important role Social Security has played in the lives of women across generations. In 1940, Ida May Fuller became the first person to receive recurring monthly Social Security benefits. From…
Deaing With the Anxieties of Social Security’s Insolvency Problem
Nearly every day, the media airwaves sound another edition of the general alarm about the Social Security trust fund depletion projections. With this constant drumbeat, there is little wonder why a growing number of retirees and future retirees are paying…
A Conversation with the Commissioner–“Preserving Social Security for Future Generations”
In an interview with Washington Examiner’s Kelly Sadler, Social Security Commissioner Frank Bisignano discusses the Agency’s “protect and preserve” philosophy for modernizing and improving the customer experience for the 330 million Americans relying on it. In his remarks, he focuses…
Questioning the “Inevitability” of Benefit Cuts
As Social Security steadily spirals toward a 2032 insolvency, repeated media accounts warn of an across-the-board benefit cut of more than 20%…some say as high as 28%. Without question, that is a concern for many seniors and Social Security beneficiaries,…
Sovereign Wealth Fund in the News…Again
The idea of a $150 trillion debt-funded solution to Social Security’s long-term actuarial problem has been in play for some time, with conflicting views on how — or if — it would be a viable solution. We covered an initial…
OBBBA and it’s Long-Term Impact on Social Security Finances
The $6,000 temporary “senior deduction” included in last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act created welcomed relief for many taxpayers. That’s the good news. The not-so-good news, as explained in a 247wallst.com post by contributor Maurie Backman, is that this…
Debating the Suggestion to Eliminate the Taxable Maximum
It’s an on-again, off-again topic when it comes to dealing with Social Security’s financial woes. Popular thought often leans toward applying the payroll tax to all wages, not just the portion below the annual maximum ($184,500 in 2026). Rational thought,…
Social Security and Divorce: Clarifying the Rules
As if a divorce situation doesn’t create enough anxiety, enter the world of Social Security and its rules for retirement benefits and spousal benefits for former marriage partners. Qualifying for benefits depends on multiple factors, including who can file when,…