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Retirement Withdrawals & Social Security: Be Strategic
Social Security benefits are taxed above a certain threshold, so it is important for all beneficiaries to know what these limits are in order to avoid or at least minimize income taxes on benefits. It is often best to withdraw…
How Delaying Filing Can Produce Benefits in the Long Run
As the late Tom Petty crooned, “The waiting is the hardest part.” When it comes to filing for Social Security benefits, many would agree, since the impulse to grab the money at the earliest possible time is pretty strong. But as…
COLA Watch: 2020
It’s way too early to project what the numbers will show when it’s time to post the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2020, but at least one source is saying a return to the zero COLA days might be in…
Social Security Scams and Identity Theft In The News
It seems like just about every day, we learn of another security breach resulting in the release of personal information that can be used by fraud perpetrators and scam artists to target us. For example, check out these two articles…
Beware of Scammers Pretending to be Social Security
(Source: Social Security Administration) In the digital age, frauds and scams are an unfortunate part of doing business online. During the holiday season, Social Security has traditionally seen a spike in phishing scams, and we want to protect you as…
Social Security’s Insolvency – An Essay
Columnist Alan Beideck, in a post on www.adirondackdailyenterprise.com, takes a look at the Social Security insolvency dilemma, boiling the matter down to a simple conclusion: “…future receipts/revenues of the program will not meet the program’s future expenses.” As he points out,…
Retirement Finances: Three Basic Mistakes That Can Do You In
Whether its misjudging your ability to spend in retirement, or mismanaging your investments, there are some fundamental (and common) missteps that can negatively impact your retirement dream. A third item–also very common–is to not preparing for the taxation issues that…
Dealing With the Financial Transition Into Retirement
The sheer change from career to retirement is a big deal in and of itself, but the financial aspects of this shift in lifestyle can be even more traumatic if not planned for. Forbes contributor Robert Pagliarini offers some guidance to…
Focus on Social Security Survivor Benefits
Benefits for survivors of those who have contributed to Social Security through their workforce participation are often misunderstood, bith in terms of how they’re calculated how eligibility is determined. An article posted by guests columnists Brian Rudolph and Rhonda Whitenack…
Five Key Basics You Should Know About Social Security for 2019
From benefit increases to taxable earnings limits, and from eligibility credits to Supplemental Security Income increases,there are a few basics that those who follow Social Security should know. Newsmax Finance reporter Bill Hoffmann outlines them in an article posted at www.newsmax.com. Check…