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What does that letter on your Medicare card mean?
At least until it’s changed in coming years , the identification number on your Medicare card is your Social Security number followed by a letter, such as “A”. But that trailing letter could be anything from A to W, depending…
“Course corrections” should be part of your retirement planning
For most of your major long term objectives, life’s circumstances will require you to make adjustments along the way to be successful. This is especially true of retirement planning, that long term strategy for your future, which you should visit…
Social Security is a linchpin for retirement financial planning
Few would argue that Social Security isn’t an important part of nearly everyone’s retirement planning. And for most financial planners, developing a strategy for maximizing Social Security benefits is an important part of the whole financial planning process. This Northwest…
When the reality of retirement hits, here’s how to plan
For many people, the reality of retirement hits somewhere in their mid-50’s, and that’s when it’s time to really hunker down and figure out what you want your retirement to look like. Retirement is, after all, just another phase in…
Improve your retirement with these tips
Retirement planning can seem a little onerous sometimes, but it’s important to keep a few simple things in mind as you plan for your golden years. A survey of 2000 wealthy investors reveals their thoughts on how to make your…
Some thoughts about Social Security’s finances, and the latest scam
Nationally syndicated financial columnist Michelle Singletary gets questions every day about retirement, and they almost always include concerns about Social Security’s financial problems. In this column appearing in The Washington Post, Michelle talks about Social Security’s purported “death spiral”, as…
A novel approach to Social Security’s financial woes
It’s pretty well known that Social Security’s Trust Funds are facing depletion in about 17 years, and there’s no shortage of opinions and ideas on what to do about it. But with Social Security being “the third rail” of American…
How much will my Social Security benefit be?
Social Security was never meant to replace all of your salary from your working years, so it makes sense that your benefit will be less than you were earning while you were working. But if you’re about to retire from…
2.2% COLA increase in 2018? We really don’t know yet
Yes, the Social Security trustees, in their recently released annual report, did project a 2.2% COLA increase for 2018. But reality is that COLA is determined annually by measuring a specific Consumer Price Index (CPI-W) in the 3rd quarter of…
Medicare HI Trust Fund needs Congress’ attention too
With so much publicity about Social Security’s future financial woes, it’s important to also realize the Medicare’s HI (Hospital Insurance) Trust Fund is also having financial difficulties. The HI Trust Fund supports Medicare’s Part A (hospital) coverage and, according to…