Latest News
Basic Social Security questions and answers
Understanding how Social Security works should be a goal of everyone approaching retirement, because it will undoubtedly play a very important role in your future. From how it is funded, to who can collect benefits, to how you qualify, this…
Comparing Social Security and Railroad Retirement benefits
America’s railroad system is still a crucial part of our transportation infrastructure, and employees in that industry participate in a retirement and social insurance program totally separate from the Social Security system. Though separate, many of the benefits parallel Social Security’s and…
Divorced spouse? Here’s how to collect on your ex
Even as an ex-spouse, it’s possible to collect Social Security on your ex’s record if you meet certain eligibility requirements. Those aren’t necessarily hard to meet, and if you are divorced you should investigate whether you qualify. In this Newsday article,…
Don’t get bored in retirement
While some people can’t wait to pull the plug on their career and spend their days doing nothing for a change, others can’t see themselves without an active lifestyle. And even those who plan to simply live a sedentary retirement…
Erroneous death errors made by Social Security
It’s sad but true: The behemoth bureaucracy at the Social Security Administration can, and does, make mistakes. And if one of their mistakes, perhaps a simple keystroke error, results in you being listed on their “death index”, you could be…
Teaching High School kids about Social Security
As a topic to discuss with high school kids, “Social Security” would surely get a lot of rolling eyes and sighs, and probably a pretty cavalier response from some of those students. But among his experiences working many years for the…
Social Security number may be removed from your W-2
Recognizing the ever increasing risk of identity theft, and how use of the Social Security number (SSN) as a means of identifying tax payers contributes to that risk, the Internal Revenue Service has proposed a change which would allow employers…
Social Security facts you may not know
Over 61 million Americans receive Social Security benefits, and for most it is a very important part of their financial stability. Given the size of the program and its importance to nearly everyone’s well being, it surprising that many people simply…
Recent hurricanes could boost Social Security benefits
If there can be any good news resulting from the recent devastating hurricanes, it’s that America’s seniors may see a somewhat better COLA increase than was projected just a couple of months ago. Because Hurricane Harvey shut down oil refineries…
Fixing the retirement savings system: Don’t tamper with the things that work
With tax reform now front and center stage in the political arena, some in D.C. have suggested changing the traditional savings vehicles like IRA’s and 401(k)’s in favor of the Roth IRA, in order to force Americans to use the…