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Identifier or Authenticator? The Social Security number is now both
When the Social Security program was introduced, and for many years thereafter, the Social Security Number (SSN) was a reasonably secure method of identifying participants in the program both for providing benefits and recording payroll contributions. The problem is that the…
Get rid of these three debts before you retire
It pretty much goes without saying that you should strive to keep your expenses in retirement as low as possible. After all, your income will probably be less and you’ll need to rely on your investments to cover whatever your…
Finding your retirement passion, and other questions answered
Will you be doing what you really love to do in retirement? Should you take a Medicare Part D drug plan even though you don’t use many prescription drugs? This Wall Street Journal article by retirement columnist Glenn Ruffenach answers…
Your 2018 COLA increase, and how it might look to you
Quite a bit of fanfare surrounded the announcement last month that Social Security recipients would be getting a 2% raise starting in 2018. Of course any raise is better than none at all, but 2% is pretty low when compared…
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI): The basics
Often written about, and sometimes confused with other disability programs, Social Security Disability Insurance SSDI) provides a lifeline to eligible workers who become totally disabled and, as a result, are not able to continue working. It’s not easy to qualify…
Social Security helping disabled veterans
For disable veterans and “wounded warriors”, Social Security has programs to help. With its disability program, Social Security can provide disabled veterans with benefits in addition to their military pay while on active duty, even if they’re hospitalized or on…
Retirement planning and Social Security solvency
Financial planners often get questions from their clients about Social Security, where it fits in their retirement plan, and what happens if benefits are cut due to Social Security’s financial issues. The answer is never simple, of course, but this…
Social Security for divorced women
In this article appearing at www.tucson.com (Arizona), Tom Margenau, a long-time but retired employee of the Social Security Administration, answers questions from divorced women about their benefit options. Social Security for divorced women is governed by a somewhat different set…
When should you take Social Security? It depends
When to take Social Security? It’s a normal question, but not so easily answered except to say “It depends”. It depends on whether you really need the money; it depends upon how long you can expect to live; and it…
Lift the payroll tax cap? Both sides of the discussion
Given that Social Security’s Trust Fund balance of nearly $3 trillion will soon start to be depleted, there’s much discussion these days in the halls of Congress, and also in the Media, about eliminating the annual payroll tax cap. The…