Latest News
Are “back to work” stimulus checks in the offing?
Arianne Cohen of Fast Company has a short piece here of an idea that is growing in popularity in Republican circles– back-to-work payment plans, which reward returns to the workforce with cash. She explains Idaho’s program. Sen. Bob Portman (R-OH) and Rep. Kevin…
Stimulus II: Who’d qualify for some money, if anyone?
Discussions are happening in Washington about what the federal government should do, if anything at all, to keep the economic recovery going in this time of pandemic, particularly when a number of provisions from enhanced unemployment benefits and foreclosure stop orders are due…
The “Mom Gap” in Social Security Explained
Author Marcia Mantell, founder of Mantell Retirement Consulting, believes age 22 is the time for folks, especially women, to be educated about Social Security, not in their 50s and 60s. Why? Many young women will start thinking about motherhood in their…
Social Security is Withholding Income From Seniors at Worst Possible Time
Maurie Backman explains how retroactive benefits work. Someone must be beyond full retirement age to request six months retroactive benefits should they decide they really need a lump sum. Of course the benefits adjust to the lower monthly rate, rather…
Snafus with Round 1 Stimulus. Round 2 in Works
Kevin Landrigan of New Hampshire’s Union Leader has a comprehensive piece here that looks at some of the snafus with round one stimulus checks from The Cares Act. He notes that congressional analysts confirmed last week that while 160 million checks…
NEW Feature to Help You Protect Your Social Security Benefits
We don’t see much in the way of newness and innovation from The Social Security Administration very often. Christy Bieber covers everything you’d want to know about going online to designate a representative payee in advance. This new tool allows those applying for Social Security benefits,…
Retirement Planning 101
“Retirement Planning” sounds to many like a catch-phrase, especially to those just starting out in their career. But the reality is that planning for your retirement in your early years is crucial to living your future “golden years” in relative…
Deciding When to Claim Social Security
This article posted at “FedWeek” (a publication for Federal employees), offers a helpful discussion about when to claim Social Security benefits, as viewed by experts at the Social Security Administration. As explained in the article, timing is everything, and exactly…
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) – A Safety Net
Even the best of retirement plans can run into unexpected issues, especially if your health puts you in a position of no longer being able to work. And if you’re eligible for Social Security when that condition occurs, some might…
Redesigned Social Security Retirement Portal
In its continuing effort to take better advantage of online capabilities to provide more efficient services, Social Security has unveiled their new online portal for obtaining information about Social Security benefits, and for applying tor and managing those benefits. In this…