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Clamping Down on Social Security Fraud – What YOU can do
Social Security fraud is such a problem that the Social Security Administration along with its Office of the Inspector General announced last week that it will be opening three new units to investigate and prevent fraud specifically related to the…
Social Security Trustees – who is overseeing this important program?
This year’s Social Security and Medicare reports found both programs in deteriorating health. The insolvency date for Medicare is 2026 and 2034 for Social Security. But in 2018, for the first time in 36 years, Social Security’s expenditures will exceed its annual income,…
About the all important “break-even age” when collecting benefits
James Lange, writing in Forbes Magazine, hits on the question most have when thinking about claiming Social Security benefits. That is, should one grab every penny possible at age 62 or wait to get a higher amount later? It’s a…
Opinion: Using Social Security for Parental Leave is a Bad Idea
Alicia Munnell argues against passage of Senator Marco Rubio’s “Economic Security for New Parents Act” in this MarketWatch piece. The bill would create an option for new parents to use a portion of their Social Security benefits for parental leave…
Public Employees, Social Security, and Government Pension Offset
Many public employees in the 15 states not covered by Social Security often get a rude awakening at retirement time due to two provisions called the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO). Both provisions were intended to treat…
Social Security Scam Warning
The Social Security Administration (SSA) is issuing a warning about callers claiming to be from the SSA who declare your Social Security accounts have been suspended due to suspicion of illegal activity. It may be a real live person or a robocaller. The caller then says that…
Donald Trump’s Social Security check
Sean Williams of The Motley Fool writes a captivating piece that speculates what the president may be collecting, though it is not known for sure if Donald Trump claimed benefits at age 62, 70, in between, or even at all. By…
A “real” raise is in the works for most Social Security recipients in 2019
The cost of living adjustment (COLA) that will take effect in January 2019 will be announced this month for Social Security recipients. Educated guesses by mthose who follow the issue pegs the increase at 2.7%, which is about $38 a month…
Take Medicare at 65 but maybe wait on Social Security
Maurie Backman of The Motley Fool answers the important question about whether one should take Social Security benefits at the same time as signing up for Medicare with an, “it depends.” Unless working and covered by an employer’s health care plan,…
Reform ideas to achieve a higher Social Security benefit
Forbes contributor Teresa Ghilarducci points out that most older workers have inadequate savings for retirement. It is well known that Social Security is not enough for most retirees to maintain their living standards. Ghilarducci therefore suggests Social Security should become more…