Latest News
Medicare Costs Increasing in 2027
As we are all so acutely aware, healthcare costs for retirees have been going up for years, and it looks like 2027 will be no exception! As discussed in this Investopedia article by Elizabeth Guevara, Medicare Part B monthly premiums…
Medicare “Open Enrollment” - Take the opportunity to check your coverage!
On October 15th, the annual Medicare “Open Enrollment” period begins and lasts until December 7th, a window during which you have the opportunity to review and, if needed, change your healthcare options. Unfortunately, far too many Americans allow this time…
COLA will probably be a let-down for most seniors on Social Security
As we move into the fall months each year, we all look forward to finding out how much of a Social Security raise we will get next year. Each year in mid-October, the Social Security Administration announces next year’s Cost…
Reasons not to claim Social Security at 62
Although you have an 8 year window to claim those Social Security benefits you’ve worked your whole life for, age 62 is the age at which the most people claim. Understandable, since most have worked for decades contributing to a…
Fundamental Changes to Retirement Planning by the Creator of the Popular “4%” Rule
Most of us who plan for retirement have heard of the “4% rule” - that is, if you limit your withdrawals to 4% of your investment portfolio annually, it should last you a lifetime (that’s a simplified description, but fairly…
Social Security changes this fall: COLA and others
Of course, the most anticipated Social Security change everyone looks for in October of each year is the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for the forthcoming year. And the 2027 COLA will be announce by SSA on October 14th. However,…
The “Promise Act” and Social Security’s Full Retirement Age
For a long time, there has been a debate among pundits and within political parties about raising Social Security’s full retirement age (FRA), which is the age at which 100% of earned benefits are paid. Generally speaking, those on the…
National Institute on Retirement Security Survey Points to Growing Concerns
“80% of Americans now say the country faces a retirement crisis,” according to the findings from the most recent NIRS survey. Perhaps even more striking in these findings is the conclusion that “61% of respondents are concerned they will not…
Social Security in 2027–A Look Ahead to Changes
In reality, not much is changing, other than the usual items like the cost-of-living adjustment, the taxable maximum, and the parameters associated with the retirement earnings test. A recent post on finance.yahoo.com by Senior Writer Hal Bundrick, CFP recaps the…
Dealing With Overpayment Notices
A Newsweek.com article by reporter Suzanne Blake, published yesterday, examines the predicament faced by many Social Security recipients, namely, the issue of Overpayment Notices. Citing the issuance of approximately 2 million notices annually to Social Security recipients, Ms. Blake describes…