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Social Security and erroneous death reporting
Imagine your surprise when you go to pay for a meal with your debit card, only to find out it doesn’t work because Social Security has erroneously reported your death to your bank. This was the case for an unfortunate…
Medicare Advantage Plans: What you need to know
A Medicare Advantage plan, essentially an alternative to traditional Medicare Parts A & B (and often Part D), can be a very cost effective vehicle for your heath care needs. But these plans are offered by private insurers who can…
Decomplicating your retirement planning
There are few who would argue that planning for retirement is an easy task; after all, forecasting a future filled with unknowns seems almost like an exercise in futility. But retirement planning is, perhaps, one great example of where the “KISS…
What you can do about the Equifax data breach
By now most consumers know about the massive breach of personal information for about 143 million Americans. Equifax has been scrambling trying to offer suggestions for how to protect yourself, but the suggestions they’re offering are mostly about using their own credit monitoring…
When claiming Social Security at 62 is a bad idea
Of course, there’s never a simple answer to the question of when to apply for Social Security. Each person’s circumstance is different, and for married couples there are actually two people whose benefits might be affected by the decision. At first glance,…
Brushing up on Social Security survivor’s benefits
Losing a loved one is never easy, but knowing that Social Security survivor’s benefits will be there to help can go a long way toward easing your anxiety Generally, survivor’s benefits are usually available to the dependents of a worker…
Working in retirement? It’s a way of life for some
For many, retirement is not decades of leisure dozing in a hammock and remembering a lifetime of working. Many senior are finding they have no desire to simply hang up on work, but rather want to continue being active. The…
Are your retirement needs a mystery?
If you’re in the dark about how much money you’ll need in retirement and where it will come from, you’re in good company. Over 80% of Americans have no clue about how to fund their retirement years, and most of…
How much Social Security would the average $30,000 worker receive?
Of course, the actual benefit amount for each Social Security beneficiary can only be determined from their personal earnings record and the age at which they decide to start collecting benefits. But it’s still an interesting exercise to take a…
Don’t be scared by these misconceptions about Social Security
Working while you’re collecting Social Security, how the family maximum might affect you, and if and how your benefits are taxed are often terribly misunderstood by those approaching or already collecting Social Security benefits. And of course, these are very…