Latest News
ALS (Lou Gerhig’s Disease) Patients Gain Relief
Those who suffer from ALS, commonly known as “Lou Gerig’s Disease,” achieved a great victory late last year when President Trump signed into law the “ALS Social Security Disability Insurance Access Act.” For ALS patients, this law eliminated the usual 5 month…
A Fraud Warning From Social Security
Unfortunately, fraud attempts seem to be on the rise these days, and Social Security recipients have become one of the scammer’s favorite targets. So much so that the Office of the Inspector General of Social Security has issues a new warning…
The Wave of the Future – Online Social Security Services
Social Security has, for years, been migrating more and more of its functional capability online. Although that strategy helps Social Security keep their operating costs lower to help meet Congressional mandates, there’s an obvious advantage to current and future beneficiaries.…
Social Security Benefits For Minor Children?
In this edition of the Tri-County (CA) Sentry’s regular “Savvy Senior” column, an older father asks if his minor children can collect Social Security benefits from his earnings record. Though it’s a surprised to many, the answer is yes, provided…
Recipe for a Comfortable Retirement
Most financial advisors agree – America is facing a “retirement crisis.” Unfortunately, most Americans don’t have nearly enough in savings and investments to retire comfortably, which means that their retirement days could be quite far away from “the American dream.”…
Beware of Scam Phone Calls About Your Social Security
We warn in these pages often that scammers are out there every day, working out new ways to try to trick you out of your personal information and, thus, your money. Nevertheless, we cannot emphasize too much that cyber-criminals are always…
Social Security Has Made Some Changes
Social Security, that stalwart program that serves over 63 million beneficiaries might seem like it’s stuck in low gear and doesn’t often change. But reality is, Social Security changes every year, at least some parts which increase as a result…
Are You Ready To Claim Social Security?
Claiming your Social Security benefits is arguably one of the most important financial decisions you’ll make in your lifetime. So are you ready? Do you know your full retirement age? Have you consulted with your spouse? This article by Maurie…
Are Social Security Disability Benefits Taxable?
As with so many questions about Social Security, the answer is “it depends.” While Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits aren’t normally subject to Federal income tax, there are actually some situations where SSDI benefits may be taxed. This article…
Making Your Spousal Benefit Bigger
As with most things Social Security, what seems simple on the surface gets more complicated as you dig further. Such is the case with benefits for spouses. Most think simply that a spouse will get 50% of the benefit the…