Latest News
About Social Security’s accuracy rate
It should be no surprise that in a benefit program as massive as Social Security, there are a certain amount of errors. Of course the program tries to keep those errors as few as possible because in addition to the…
Getting a new Social Security card
Many parents get a Social Security number and card for their children while they are very young, even as an infant. And that’s a good thing, because the one’s Social Security Number (or “SSN”) will be needed for many things in life, including…
Data breach at Healthcare.gov
There seems to be no end to the ongoing security breaches by cyber-criminals these days, and the Government’s own Healthcare Marketplace electronic files are the latest victims. It seems that personal data of over 75,000 individuals, including names, birthdates, addresses, and…
Getting the most you can from Social Security
So who wouldn’t like a little bigger Social Security benefit? Of course, the answer is “no one”, but the key is that you need to understand how Social Security works before deciding to claim benefits, and also know which states…
Retirement planning: Live for today, but plan for tomorrow
Continuing advances in medical science are constantly moving longevity forward, and this is certainly a blessing. But it’s a blessing that can create substantial risk to your retirement, unless you have a solid retirement plan which will sustain you in…
Don’t let election results alter your retirement planning
While the mid-term elections turned out well – or not so well – depending upon your personal view, the reality is that politics and the emotions which often surround it shouldn’t affect how you plan your retirement. Changing your investment strategies…
Want a bigger Social Security check? Here’s how
Though Social Security was never intended to be a sole source of retirement income, who among us wouldn’t like our benefit payment to be a little bigger? Not surprisingly, you are actually largely in control of whether your benefit payment…
The big question: Wait until age 70 for Social Security?
As any financial planner or benefit advisor will tell you, waiting until you are 70 years old to claim Social Security means you’ll get the maximum benefit possible. True, there’s an 8 year window between age 62 and 70 when you can claim,…
A new retirement dynamic: Raising grandchildren
While it usually isn’t included in the retirement planning process, many seniors today are finding themselves taking on a parental role for their grandchildren. This new family dynamic can be a result of any of several circumstances, including extended military…
How to avoid running out of money in retirement
It’s pretty well known that the most worrisome thing for those planning for their golden years, and those already enjoying retirement, is that their nest egg isn’t large enough to sustain them for the rest of their life. If that includes…