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Retire early? Or retire later? It depends.
It’s the age old (well, at least since the late 1930’s) Social Security dilemma – what is the right age to start benefits? The answer is, of course, that it depends on your own personal circumstances. But according to Social…
Is Your Medicare Advantage Plan Costing You Thousands of Dollars in the Coming Year?
In a recent report by the Urban Institute, by 2055, a median income 65-year-old is expected to receive more in lifetime benefits from Medicare than Social Security. In a separate report by WellCare, found that 62 percent of elderly enrollees…
How to Figure Out How Much to Stash Away for Retirement
Many Americans are not on track to have 10 times their salary saved by the time they retire. However, is that figure based in reality of slow wage growth and high costs of living? The attached article will help you…
Understanding Government Pension Offset
When you receive both your own non-government pension and a Social Security spousal benefit, your Social Security benefit may be reduced by Government Pension Offset (GPO). Understanding how the GPO will affect any spousal, widow or widower benefit should be…
Is Early Retirement a Possibility for You?
Early retirement is a possibility for some people and Social Security can be a big help toward it. In the attached article takes a look at why you might want to start collecting Social Security at age 62. Read article…
No change to standard Medicare premium next year: Good news, or not?
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have revealed that the standard Medicare Part B premium for new enrollees will not change for 2018. That’s good news, right? Well, not necessarily for the 70% of Social Security recipients who…
Earning Social Security work credits, and how to do it
Work credits are the basic building blocks which determine whether or not you are eligible to collect Social Security retirement benefits when you reach the magic age of 62. But not all the money you receive and claim on your…
The benefits of getting older? Senior Discounts!
For many of America’s senior citizens, retirement means a lower monthly income and more time to spend it. And getting the most out of your retirement dollars is not only financially prudent, it can make your spending experience at least…
Your 2% COLA increase will start in 2018
After several years of no and very low COLA increases, Social Security beneficiaries will finally see a decent 2% raise in their benefits starting in January of next year. While certainly not a windfall, the average retired worker getting $1,377 can…
Your identity data’s value on the black market
With so many recent reports of identity information being stolen, especially the massive identity theft from credit reporting company Equifax, you may wonder how such stolen data is worth to cyber-criminals. Not as much as you might think because the…