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Some Quick Pointers on Social Security
The CheatSheet’s Karen Bennett, posting on their :Money & Career page, provides a snapshot of some basic Social Security parameters. Her items range from taxation of benefits to the nagging solvency issue, with some important details in between. Read her post…
Social Security’s BEST: A Resource You Can Use
Social Security’s BEST–Benefit Eligibility Screening Tool–is a set of tools that should be on the favorites list of anyone trying to get a handle on the basics of this critical senior benefit. Using a questionnaire approach, BEST can guide you through…
Retirement Planning for the Long Haul
Your retirement–that light at the end of the tunnel you feel you’ve been toiling in for so long–might be a brightly lit road of a length longer than you expected. It’s important, therefore, that you take steps at appropriate waypoints…
A Reminder…File Your Tax Returns Quickly to Thwart the Scammers
Tax ID fraud is a real and growing problem these days so, if you’re one of the 14% of American taxpayers who wait until the last minute to file your return, you could be putting yourself at risk. This type…
The Impact of Inflation on Social Security Benefits
In a post on seekingalpha.com, Daniel Amerman, CFA offers viewpoints on how inflation, in reality, affects the purchasing power of Social Security benefits. Challenging the assumption held by many that Social Security benefits are inflation proof via its COLA provisions, Amerman…
More Reasons to Not Wait Until Age 70
If you’ve been thinking about when to draw benefits, you know that the longer you wait, the larger your monthly benefit will be. In an article and video posted on kxan.com, a spokesman from REAP Financial offers some thoughts on why…
Want to enjoy your retirement? Avoid these major blunders
A wise man once said “Retirement ain’t all it’s cracked up to be”, and that can certainly be the case if you haven’t planned well during your working years. Starting a retirement savings plan early allows you to enjoy the real…
Retiring in a few years? Here’s what to do now
Most people start thinking deeply about retirement at least a few years before they actually plan to exchange their work clothes for more casual dress in their post-career years. While starting your retirement planning much earlier is obviously the real key…
The “gig economy”, and why those workers aren’t saving for retirement
The “gig economy” is a term applied to those whose work is done not as a corporate employee but rather as an independent contractor – someone who sells their particular specialty or technology talent on the corporate market. But those folks…
Delaying benefits until age 70: Some bad reasons to do it
As most people know, delaying benefits past one’s Social Security full retirement age can yield some pretty significant financial benefits, especially waiting until age 70 when your Social Security can reach its maximum amount – as much as 32% more than at your…