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Social Security’s Diminishing Ability to Keep Pace
With national health care spending growing at an average rate of 5.5% for the next decade, it’s easy to see why the recent trend in Social Security’s cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs)–1.1% average for the past five years–is cause for concern among the System’s…
Some Disability Questions Answered
This post from www.shorelinemedia.net addresses two basic questions pertaining to Social Security’ Disability Income provision: What happens when a disability recipient reaches full retirement age, and the frequency of case reviews. Check it out here… Notice: The link provided above…
Reverse Mortgages and Their Current Use in Retirement Financial Planning
The NerdWallet’s Liz Weston examines the current state of reverse mortgages and the role that they can play in retirement financial planning following recent changes in the law. Whether it’s portfolio protection, debt reduction, or supplemental income, changes mandated by…
Social Security’s Basic 2018 Changes Recapped
In a post on www.financial-planning.com, columnists Kimberly Foss and Amanda Schiavo examine five of the basic changes implemented in Social Security for 2018. The changes range from the COLA adjustment to the changes in earnings limits and maximum benefit payouts, and include the changes…
Student Loans and Social Security: New Legislation Introduced
Www.plansponsor.com’s Rebecca Moore takes a look at H.R. 1937: Student Security Act of 2017, introduced last year with an objective of providing “loan forgiveness to borrowers of Federal student loans who agree to delay eligibility to collect Social Security benefits, and…
Tax Planning, Social Security, and Retirement Planning: A Primer for the Savvy Widow
For widows (and widowers, for that matter) wrestling with the decision on when to retire, it’s a good idea to think strategically and weigh a variety op options before taking the plunge. For example, understanding the benefits of working longer than…
More on the Issue of Social Security Shortchanging Widows and Widowers
It’s been a pretty hot item in the media for the past several weeks, ever since the Office of the Inspector General issued its audit report titled “Higher Benefits for Dually Entitled Widow(er)s Had They Delayed Applying for Retirement Benefits.”…
Future Retirees: Taking the Long View
Azcentral.com reporter Russ Wiles takes a long range look at retirement prospects facing younger Baby Boomers and Generation Xers, suggesting that the somewhat rosier scenarios playing out for current and near-term retirees may begin to evaporate as time passes. In…
Making the “Big Decision” on Your Social Security
You’re probably well aware that you can file for Social Security benefits as early as age 62, or as late as age 70. There are pros and cons on each of these goal posts, and quite a bit has been…
More on Fixing Social Security’s Solvency Problem
In a post on www.Madison.com, The Motley Fool’s Sean Williams offers another recap of Social Security’s oft-reported long-term solvency problem. Along with his synopsis, Williams hearkens back to a similar–albeit not as dire–situation in the 1980s, and illustrates how a…