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Living abroad while collecting Social Security
Many retirees dream of spending their retirement living in an exotic place, perhaps their family’s country of origin. But after a lifetime of earning your Social Security benefits, what happens to your benefit payment if you’re living abroad? Well, although…
Social Security: the age you claim is key
Yes, your Social Security benefit will be based upon your highest-earning 35 years of your lifetime working career, but there’s another factor which will have a profound effect on how much your benefit will be. That is the age at…
Save for retirement, but enjoy the present too
For anyone who stays current on America’s retirement planning topics, the financial advisor mantra of “save for your retirement” is one that permeates nearly every article written. But, in this article, columnist Michelle Singletary confesses to being a “save for…
Social Security is there for you – even when you’re on vacation
In this Advantagenews.com column, Betsy Bucheit gives a summary of how the Social Security Administration is there to help you through the complex maze of rules and regulations which comprise the Social Security system. Starting with how you can access…
An early prediction about the 2020 COLA increase
Cost of Living Adjustments (COLAs) are vitality important to those who rely heavily on Social Security as an important source of their retirement income. So, with COLA having varied so much in the last decade, what might beneficiaries expect for…
Careful where you retire – some states tax Social Security benefits
Most who collect benefits know that the Federal Government levies income taxes on Social Security benefits if certain very low income thresholds are exceeded. And while it’s true that 37 states do not tax Social Security benefits, it’s also true…
Americans concur: Fix Social Security!
According to a recent survey, most Americans are aware of Social Security’s future financial woes and want the problem to be fixed. While a significant percentage suggest simply increasing funding is the way to go, an equally impressive percentage of survey respondents…
Phone scams: Impostors calling more than ever
The whole phone scam epidemic seems to be reported in the news a lot more frequently now, which is a good thing. But the reason for the increased reporting is that the volume of impostor calls, as well as the…
Social Security scam calls; here’s what to do if you get one
That scam artists are calling people trying to extract personal information is not exactly new news, but unfortunately the scammers are getting more and more sophisticated in their methods. A basic rule to understand is to never, ever give out…
Benefits for a child when a Social Security-eligible parent dies
Social Security survivors benefits are most often thought of as available to a spouse who survives someone who is collecting, or at least eligible to collect, Social Security benefits. What’s not so commonly understood is that the surviving minor or…