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Medicare: Looking at Some of the Basics
Medicare is one of those programs that we all know about, but do we really? It’s always good to step back and take a fresh look at programs like this to be sure we have a good understanding of the…
Coronavirus (COVID-19): Important Information about Social Security Services
(Source: Social Security Administration) All local Social Security offices will be closed to the public for in-person service starting Tuesday, March 17, 2020. This decision protects the population we serve—older Americans and people with underlying medical conditions—and our employees during…
Jump-Starting Your Retirement Savings Plan
Quite a bit has been written about the inadequacy of savings across a wide spectrum of future retirees, and many times the culprit seems to be confusion on how to accomplish the process. The Motley Fool’s Christy Bieber, in a post…
How long does your “nest egg” need to last?
It’s a frightening question to many, especially those who have a pretty good idea that their accumulated retirement savings just might not be sufficient. It’s also a question that by its very nature is unanswerable. It’s sort of like “how…
Can Your the Value of Your Social Security Benefits Decrease?
Well, yes, and there are several ways that this could happen. As outlined in an article by Selena Maranjian posted on missoulian.com, there are two scenarios under which benefits could be impacted negatively, with the first being the result of the “earnings test”…
Don’t let the current market whiplash spook you!
These are tense times for retirees and those looking near term at retirement. It would be naive to say that all is well, although history tells us things will settle down and there will be a recovery, but what is…
3 Reasons Why Social Security is Important to Women
(Source: Social Security Administration) In the 21st century, more women work, pay Social Security taxes, and earn credit toward monthly retirement income than at any other time in our nation’s history. Yet, on average, women face greater economic challenges than…
The Importance of a Balanced Savings Strategy
It sounds kind of counter-intuitive to say it, but a post by The Motley Fool’s Katie Brockman on ravallirepublic.com suggests that the reflex to “…start saving as early as possible and sock away as much as you possibly can in your retirement…
The Market Downturn and Your Social Security Strategy
These are strange times, indeed. As 2020 dawned, who’d have seen us plummet into a bear market in a space of less than three weeks? For that matter, who would have thought we’d be self-quarantining ourselves and implementing something called “social…
More Thoughts on Deferring Social Security Benefits
The value of holding off on Social Security benefits is pretty well known these days, and many financial advisors extol the virtue of an 8% return on your deferred benefits (especially in view of the paltry–and declining–interest rates offered by…