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Planning for the Looming Healthcare “Wild Card” in Retirement Finances
“Healthcare is one of the largest expense areas for retirees. The average couple will need to save about $285,000 in 2019 dollars for medical expenses in retirement, and that excludes long-term care.” This excerpt from a post by Nick Dmitrovich puts a frame…
A Quick Briefing on Key Social Security Basics
While detail information and guidance is always available from the AMAC Foundation’s Social Security Advisory Service (a free service of the Foundation featuring trained and certified advisors), and while the Social Security Administration website (ssa.gov) can be a portal to…
Scams…It’s Not Just Social Security Now!
Fraudsters impersonating “Senior Center” staff, whatever that might be, are beginning to target Medicare beneficiaries, according to a post on “The Mountaineer” Mike Causey, North Carolina Insurance Commissioner, warns that “First, Medicare won’t call you. Second, Medicare will never ask for your Social…
Fraud Advisory: Inspector General Warns Public About New Twist to Social Security Phone Scams
The Inspector General of Social Security, Gail S. Ennis, is warning the public that telephone scammers may send faked documents by email to convince victims to comply with their demands. The Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General (OIG)…
Staffing Increase Advocated for Social Security Administration
Citing the premise that “drastic cuts to the administration of the program are forcing fewer workers to do more work with fewer resources,” Sen. Patrick Leahy, Sen. Bernie Sanders, and Rep. Peter Welch have called on Social Security Administration (SSA) to…
The SECURE Act and RMDs…Some Changes to be Aware Of
The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act was signed into law in late-December, bringing to fruition Congressional objectives of helping to ” … ensure that all hard-working Americans have a chance to build a nest egg for their retirement.”…
Things That Could Derail the Soundest of Retirement Plans
The Motley Fool’s Maurie Backman, in a post on their website, outlines three situations that could be impediments to an enjoyable retirement. From the daunting issue of taxes that haven’t been considered, to the looming costs of long-term care, to the…
Social Security Benefits for Those Who Have Not Paid FICA Tax
Eigibility for Social Security benefits depends mostly on one’s work history and the number of work credits one has earned. But what if you’ve not help a job outside of the home and therefore have not been able to compile…
Understanding RMDs and Related Tax Consequences
As retirees plan for the “distribution phase” of their retirement financial plan, it’s important to clearly understand the nuances of required minimum distributions (RMDs). They’ve changed, as have several of the related rules, especially with respect to when RMDs are…
Census Time is Coming…Beware of Scammers!
Another decade has passed, and the 2020 census count is set to begin. Unfortunately, the criminal element is really looking forward to it, and will likely be gearing up with new scams and attacks on your personal information, all disguised…