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Working longer is key to retirement security
Most financial planners will harp on adequate savings as being the key to a secure retirement. There can be no argument that the more you have saved the more secure your retirement will be, but the fact that by far the…
The importance of health in deciding when to take Social Security
The longer you wait, the more you get. That’s a pretty general rule describing what to think about when deciding when to take your Social Security benefits. In fact, claiming as soon as you’re eligible at age 62 could mean your…
Will your Social Security check change next year?
There’s been a lot of publicity about the forthcoming 2% cost of living adjustment (COLA) that will affect 10’s of millions of Social Security recipients in 2018. And when you think of a cost of living adjustment, you might also…
How home equity fits in your retirement plan
Equity in their home is usually one of the most significant assets for anyone entering their retirement years, followed by their Social Security benefit and any investment savings they have managed to accumulate during their lifetime. But far too often,…
A facetious account of the Social Security COLA increase
By now, most beneficiaries have gotten a letter from Social Security about the exciting 2% cost of living increase they’re about to get, but had that excitement immediately dampened by the next sentence in the letter which informs them that their…
Ask Larry: About misinformation from Social Security staff and other things
Laurence Kotlikoff is a syndicated writer of the “Ask Larry” column, which answers questions from readers about Social Security. In this column Larry answers several questions, including ones about misinformation given to a reader by SSA staff on divorced spousal…
Social Security numbers – what does the future hold?
Just take a moment to think about the data base hacking of many retail giants (i.e. Target) and various Government agencies (the IRS, the VA, etc.) capped with the Equifax data base raid that exposed the personal records of 145…
Want a worry-free retirement? Here’s how
Everyone who looks forward to retirement wants it to be worry free, which means that you won’t run out of money during your golden years. There’s really no secret to making sure you have enough: You have to start saving…
Trend points to more people waiting to start Social Security
Though a majority of people still claim their Social Security benefits earlier than their full retirement age, it seems that more people are now choosing to wait a little longer to apply. Some would argue that is because of the…
How divorce affects retirement accounts, including Social Security
It’s a sad commentary on American marriage, but about 40% of nuptials today end in divorce, often leaving a chaotic scramble to decide how to split up assets and uncertainty over what Social Security benefits are available to ex-spouses or…