Latest News
COLA Watch: Some Ups and Downs, Maybe?
While some news accounts are predicting Social Security cost of living adjustments (COLAs) in the 3% range for 2019–highest since 2012–others are discussing the potential for a drop in certain Medicare premium rates. In the coming days and weeks, we’ll see…
Protecting Your Child’s Social Security Number
The consumer credit reporting agency Experian reports that the average age for identity theft involving children is 12, a statistic that can cause enormous problems for parents. In an article posted on gazette.com, reporter Katie Pelton outlines some of the warning signs that parents can…
Watch Out for Social Security Surprises
For those of you looking ahead to retirement and the big step of collecting you Social Security benefits, there are a few basic points you need to be aware of so you don;t encounter some unfortunate surprises when you arrive.…
More Thoughts on 401k Changes
In somewhat of a correlating report on President Trump’s “Strengthening Retirement Security in America” Executive Order (see today’s Headline Post), CNBC Personal Finance Reporter Sarah O’Brien offers conjecture on what might be happening this fall in the area of 4o1k regulations.…
Trustees Report Talking Points
The 2018 Social Security Trustees Report has been out for a few months now, and its contents and projections have been hashed about in a host of news articles. So, while just about everybody interested in the subject is clearly…
Somewhat Little-Known Social Security Benefits
As The Motley Fool’s Dan Caplinger suggests in this www.fool.com post, there some benefit provisions in Social Security that can come as a surprise. That’s why it’s important to be informed, and his post does the trick on these three…
Medicare and Social Security
The Motley Fool’s Christy Bieber, in a post on helenair.com, takes a look at handful of basic questions about Medicare, one of which reiterates the concern that many Social Security recipients have regarding when to sign up for this health care benefit.…
Women and Retirement–The Importance of Strategic Thinking
It’s a statistical fact, women on average live longer than men. And what comes along with that statistic is the corollary that women have a longer period of time for which they need to have living expenses covered. For this…
Contemplating Self-Employment? Here’s How Social Security Tax Works,
If you’re thinking of joining the ranks of the self-employed workers, or moving into the “gig economy,” you need to have full understanding of how Social Security taxes are handled. This www.rothira.com post by Daniel Kurt provides a quick review of…
Rethinking the “File at Age 62” Reflex
With so many folks electing to file for Social Security benefits at the earliest possible opportunity (age 62), one wonders if the long-term economics of this decision are being adequately considered. In a post on www.nytimes.com, reporter Peter Finch explores this…