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Don’t forget to tell your children your retirement plans
You’ve probably spent a lot of time preparing yourself for retirement, and that’s certainly a good thing. But if you have children, making sure that they understand your retirement outlook, especially your money, health and where you plan to spend…
Getting the most out of your retirement
Because so much is written about the financial aspects of retirement planning, the emotional side is too often overlooked. But enjoying your golden years by pursuing your passions is at least as important as making sure you have enough income to be…
Inflation taking a bigger toll on stagnant Social Security benefits
Everyone now collecting Social Security knows that the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) has been zero in 3 of the last 8 years and a paltry 0.3% this year. And, unfortunately, the Consumer Price Index from which those COLA adjustments…
The reasons why more people don’t wait until age 70 to take Social Security
A large majority of Social Security recipients claim their benefits earlier than their full retirement age. But despite the significant financial benefit of waiting beyond full retirement age, a very small percentage – only 2% of men and 4% of women…
Americans are getting smarter about claiming Social Security
Though a majority of Americans still apply for Social Security before their full retirement age (between 66 and 67 depending on when you were born), recent polling data show that the percentage of folks planning to take benefits as soon…
When the rich collect Social Security
Though they don’t really need it, the rich and even the super-rich among us are entitled to and frequently collect Social Security benefits, although they are subjected to the same maximum benefit rules as everyone else. But there are circumstances…
Deciding when to retire should mainly consider four things
The question most frequently asked Social Security Advisors is “When should I retire?”. Of course the answer is always “It depends” on several factors, and certainly each person is different. This Motley Fool article by Jason Hall explains that the…
How to avoid Social Security surprises, and other money saving tips
Far too many people leave Social Security money on the table because they’re simply not aware that certain benefits are available to them. In addition to some advice on how to avoid some Social Security “surprises”, this article appearing at…
Social Security number is being removed from Medicare cards
With an eye toward reducing fraud and protecting your identity, the Federal Government’s goal is to replace all Medicare cards with new ones that no longer include your Social Security number. The change-over is scheduled to be completed by April 2019,…
Social Security number never intended as a universal ID
Despite that it has very much become so, your Social Security number was never intended to be a universal identification number for use by various Government agencies. Such wide-spread use increases the risk of identity theft, which is why some…