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Taxation of Social Security Benefits…Some Background on the issue
In 1983, as part of the Social Security Amendments passed to avert a solvency crisis, Congress required all retirees to pay income taxes on 50% of their benefits if their incomes reached a minimum threshold.[1] The 1983 decision, however, did…
Data breaches continue to be common news. You can take steps to protect yourself!
In 2024, the United States reported 3,158 data compromise cases. Meanwhile, over 1.35 billion individuals were affected globally in the same year by data compromises, including data breaches, leakage, and exposure. While these are three distinct events, they share a commonality. In…
SSA Press Release: 100 Days of Progress
Much has been written in the past few months, most of it portraying the Social Security Administration in a negative light during the first 100 days of the Trump Presidency. However, despite the negative media coverage, a closer examination reveals…
New Changes Going on at the SSA to Protect You
The Trump Administration is hard at work reducing waste, fraud, and abuse within the Social Security Administration (SSA). They are working on improving payment accuracy, usually caused by underreporting of earnings by people working and receiving early retirement benefits. SSA…
Divorced Spouse Social Security Benefits
As a divorced spouse, if you were married at least 10 years, you are eligible for a spousal benefit based on your ex-spouse’s record if you meet the other requirements. Even if your ex-spouse has remarried, if you are single,…
How to lower healthcare costs
The cost of the U.S. healthcare system has ballooned to $4 trillion a year. Although the number of heart-related deaths remains the same, chronic heart disease has exploded. Insurance paid out $35 billion for weight-loss drugs, while it pays nothing…
Is the Social Security Advisory Board on the way out?
A Reuters article posted on Jpost.com recently suggests that the Trump Administration may be moving to eliminate the 30-year ild Social Security Advisory Board (SSAB). The article attributes this speculation to the Office of Management and Budget’s zeroing out of…
What Is the Best Age to Claim Your Social Security?
This depends on your personal situation. If you are married, this decision should be made with your spouse. Look at your expected longevity (family history), your other retirement accounts, and how heavily dependent will you (or your survivor) will be…
When Will You Get Your Social Security Payment in May 2025?
Social Security does not send everyone’s payment out on the 1st of the month. The 1st is when Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments are received. You receive your Social Security payment based on the day of the month that your…
SSA Takes a Step Into AI Training Mode
Social Security Administration employees are being asked to use a generative AI chatbot in their routine tasks, with a prerequisite that they watch a 4-minute video on the tool known as the “Agency Support Companion.” While the training might be a…