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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…
According to the polls, more people say they’ll rely on Social Security
A recent Gallup poll has revealed that an increasing number of both younger and older people believe that they will need to rely on Social Security for their retirement. This is attributed to, among other things, the demise of most…
Retirement myths you should avoid
Retirement planning is something that all working people should focus on at some point in their career, if they want to live their “golden years” in relative comfort. But when doing that planning, be sure not to fall for some…
Think before you file for Social Security benefits
When you file for Social Security benefits has a very big impact upon how much your benefit will be. If you claim benefits at your full retirement age (somewhere between 66 and 67, depending on when you were born) you…
Give your retirement plan a tune up now to protect it from market volatility
Despite some recent volatility in the stock market, we’re still in a bull market phase that yields some pretty good returns for smart investors. And now, while the market is up, is the right time to give your retirement portfolio…
Income isn’t the only important thing in retirement
Sure, without income there is no retirement, but income alone isn’t the only thing that will make your retirement comfortable. As this Kiplinger article by David Braun explains, there are actually four pillars of retirement which any good retirement planning…
Ten years after OMB guidance, most agencies still overusing Social Security numbers
It’s been about a decade since the Government’s Office of Management & Budget issued guidance to all Federal agencies to cut back on their use of Social Security numbers as a means of identification. Although some progress has been made,…
Social Security Administration agents often wrong
Although agents at the Social Security Administration aren’t allowed to give advice on claiming strategies, they can sometimes steer you wrong. Social Security is an extremely complex topic, and SSA’s front line agents – the ones you will deal with…