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Scam artists still after your Social Security
Although this article deals with “phishing” attempts in Orlando, Florida, the message is nevertheless national because it reveals that scam artists will stop at nothing to try to separate you from the Social Security benefits you so heavily rely upon.…
Is age 66 your best age to claim benefits?
In a nutshell, your Social Security benefit amount is based upon your “primary insurance amount” (computed from your 35 highest-earning work years), your “full retirement age” (which is based upon your year of birth), and the age at which you…
What to know before claiming Social Security
Here’s a fact you should know: For about 90% of American seniors, Social Security is an important source of income in retirement. So given the program’s importance to so many, it follows that you should exercise considerable caution when deciding…
Thinking of retiring in 2018? Ask yourself these questions
If 2018 is the year you’re considering for graduating from your working career to a life of leisurely retirement, there are some questions you should ask yourself before you make that final decision. For example: Do you have enough money…
Does Social Security cost too much, too little or just the right amount?
What do you think? Does the Federal Government spend too much money on Social Security? Or too little? Or is the amount spent just about right? Those are questions that have been asked over the decades and the results have,…
A few bad reasons to claim Social Security early
No question that there are some really good reasons for collecting Social Security benefits early, say as soon as you turn 62. But along with the good reasons, there are also some pretty bad reasons that some people decide to…
Seniors shouldn’t be too dependent on Social Security
Although the Social Security system was never intended to be a primary source of retirement income, about 34% of beneficiaries rely on it for 90% to 100% of their income after they stop working. And for about 62% of beneficiaries, Social Security…
Age 70 and still working: What about Social Security?
They say that 70 is the new 60, and judging by the number of American septuagenarians still working there’s a lot of truth to that statement. But when it comes to Social Security, reaching that magic age of 70 has…
Retirement Planning: Balancing Social Security Against Spending Plans
It’s not an easy task, and it takes a lot more than a good crystal ball, but figuring out what income you’ll have in retirement and balancing it against how you’ll spend it is essential to achieving peace of mind…
The Importance of Double-Checking SSA’s Records
The Social Security Administration admits that there is room for errors in the posting of earnings information, citing a “more than 98%” accuracy rate. So, is this 1% to 2% error rate acceptable to you? If not, you might want to…