Latest News
Is 2019 Your Year to “Pull the Plug?”
We’re already two weeks into the New Year, and most folks have developed thoughts on what they want to accomplish in 2019. If exiting a career is one of those accomplishments on your planning horizon, there are some basic questions…
More on Filing for Benefits at Age 62
In a short youtube video posted by Devin Carroll, the fact that roughly a third of those aging into Social Security eligibility elect to file for benefits at the earliest possible point: age 62 is discussed in detail. Carroll explains some of…
The Shutdown and Your Social Security Benefits
OK, the record has been set…this is now the longest federal government shutdown in history. And with no resolution insight, it’s likely to continue to pile on the days as discussions start and stop, and as compromise remains elusive. In…
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…