Latest News
Another Look at the Social Security Earnings Test
Kiplinger editor Rachel L. Sheedy examines the two stages of Social Security’s earnings test for early filers in a post on www.kiplinger.com, explaining the basic test applied up until the year in which full retirement age is reached, and then outlining the…
Taking a Look at Spousal Benefits and the Rules
Forbes contributor Laurence Kotlikoff, in a post today on Forbes.com, responds to a series of questions regarding spousal benefits and the rules associated with certain situations, including re-marriages and waiting periods, the application of earnings test criteria in child in-care situations,…
Thoughts on Improving Your Retirement Finances
Running out of money late in life is a worry for millions of Americans, but there are steps you can take prior to retirement that can help you overcome this fear. For example, as Stanwood Camano News reporter Elisabeth Azpeitia suggests…
The Savings Crisis and an Inevitable Outcome
Alana Semuels, staff writer at The Atlantic, offers a real-life account of the one person severely impacted by America’s “savings crisis,” noting that “Increasingly, we’re seeing folks who are becoming poor for the first time in old age.” The statistics are covered…
The Original Intent of 401(k) Plans
Morphing is an incredible process. We see original creations evolve over time under the pressure of things around them, and such is the case with the tax-qualified, defined-contribution 401(k) plans introduced in the late 1970s as a means for workers to defer…
Does Early Retirement Equal Early Death?
Researchers at Cornell University and the University of Melbourne, studying a spike in death rates at age 62, have developed conjecture that there may be a causal relationship with early filing for Social Security benefits. Seeking Alpha’s editorial staff explores this…
Tax Time: Another Clarification on the Issue of Taxation of Social Security Benefits
It comes up all the time, but most frequently around this time of the year, when everyone’s mind is on income taxes. In their weekly post on Cincinnati.com, Nathan Bachrach, Ed Finke and Amy Wagner explain how taxation of benefits takes…
On Reaching Your Full Retirement Age…
Hitting your “full retirement age” (either 66 or 67, depending on when you were born) is a milestone many have looked forward to for a long time. But it’s also a decision point for you in your quest to build…
Nevada Congressional Candidates Debate Issues and Social Security
Candidates for Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District debated a number of issues yesterday, and one of them was Social Security and the program’s imminent solvency issue. During the session, former CBS affiliate reporter Michelle Mortensen, described on her website as a…
Predicting Social Security Benefits: Understanding the Variables
Ok, so you’ve hit the coveted $100,000 income level, and you’d like to get a feel for what that might mean for your future Social Security benefits. While knowing this type of information is helpful–essential, even–for your retirement planning efforts,…