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Full Retirement Age – Few know what it is or what it means
Do you know your full retirement age as it pertains to Social Security? Apparently not many Americans do. It is easily mixed up with early retirement age and maximum retirement age. Maurie Backman explains that what it is and when…
Social Security billing problem with Medicare premium deductions
About 250,000 Social Security recipients have not had their correct Medicare Advantage or Part D premiums deducted properly for five months. The Social Security Administration (SSA) just discovered the problem. That means a quarter of a million people will soon…
Younger Workers Ready to Give Up on Social Security
In yet another in a slew of polls in as many years, pessimism about Social Security abounds. According to Northwestern Mutual’s 2019 Planning & Progress Study, 22% of non-retired Americans think it unlikely that Social Security will be available to pay them…
Memorize these three Social Security rules
Since most people will rely on Social Security benefits to at least some degree in their golden years, maximizing those benefits should be a goal. Doing so means understanding three main rules, according to Maurie Backman. First, even though age…
How Working During Retirement Will Change Your Social Security Benefits
There are a myriad of reasons that people choose to work during retirement, from enjoyment o necessity to somewhere in between the two. According to a survey from the Insured Retirement Institute, about 33% of baby boomers say they plan to work…
Smaller Social Security Raise Predicted in 2020
Forget a repeat of the 2.8% cost of living adjustment (COLA) Social Security recipients received this year, according to Dan Caplinger’s analysis of inflation data for this year to date. He explains the CPI-W index used to calculate the COLA…
Record High Reliance on Social Security
Social Security has been wildly successful as an anti-poverty program, but it was never intended to become a primary source of income for older Americans. The program only replaces about 40 percent of pre-retirement income. The Gallup Organization’s new survey, however,…
Will you tell the truth about your retirement?
Retirement planning is almost always about the financial aspects of your future – do you have enough money saved? Will you have enough income to pay for your essentials during retirement? And things of that financial nature. But almost equally…
Social Security cuts may happen in 15 years
According to a report by the NY Times, Social Security will have depleted it’s reserves in about 15 years, which will result in a cut in benefits at that time. That is, unless Congress starts working together across the aisle…
Use Social Security to secure your retirement savings
According to pundits, about half of Americans will suffer an income shortfall to cover essential expenses in retirement. That’s a pretty sobering statistic for anyone trying to plan for their so-called “golden years.” but one which should cause us to…