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An Unexpected Consequence of the Shutdown
Fraud victims, including Social Security beneficiaries hit by scams, are feeling the pain of the government shutdown. The inability to obtain assistance and guidance from the Federal Trade Commission is cited as a problem facing identity theft victims in an article…
Do you have a map to navigate your retirement?
In this Kiplinger article by investment advisor Michael Ladin, the author opines that “Retirement isn’t the finish line; it’s the starting line for a whole new way of life. One without a paycheck.” In fact, retirement is a whole new…
More on the latest Social Security scam
Though we’ve posted other recent articles about the latest Social Security scam, it’s a serious problem which bears repeating to make sure as many people as possible are aware of the danger of scammers who pose as Social Security. The latest…
Will Social Security benefits be cut?
It’s fairly well known by now that Social Security is facing some financial issues – the reserves put aside over the years are now being tapped to supplement the money needed to pay benefits. Said another way, Social Security’s income (from…
Divorcing to get survivor benefits from an ex-spouse
In his regular “Social Security Matters” column, retired long-time Social Security employee Tom Margenau discusses a question which occasionally arises in Social Security circles: Should I divorce my current spouse to collect a higher survivor benefit from my deceased ex-spouse?…
An example of a scam Social Security call
Scammers never take a holiday, and are always hard at work trying to get you to fall for their tactics to relieve you of your money. The latest scam is a robo-call purporting to be from Social Security, threatening to have…
Responding to questions about Medicare and Social Security
Philip Moeller is a well known and highly respected author on financial matters, including the topics of Social Security and Medicare. Mr. Moeller is a frequent contributor to PBS News Hour, and in his column today he responds to a…
Social Security shouldn’t be your primary source of income
All you need to do is compare the average Social Security monthly benefit amount of $1460 to your actual monthly living expenses to understand with complete clarity that Social Security isn’t, and was never meant to be, a primary source of…
WV proposes eliminating State tax on Social Security
There are now only 13 U.S. states which levy a tax on Social Security income but, if West Virginia’s governor has his way, that number will soon go to twelve. In his State of the State address yesterday, Gov. Jim Justice…
Planning for your retirement? Here’s what NOT to do
Retirement planning is, at best, an un-exact science. After all, who can accurately predict the future with any great degree of accuracy. That’s true, of course, but having a firm grip on what you should NOT do as you plan…