Latest News
Dispelling the “Social Security is an Entitlement” myth
USA TODAY Network’s Paul Fain, in a post www.knoxnews.com takes a look at what he describes as one of today’s strongest addictions–the concept of entitlements and the reliance that leads to the “amazing ability of humans to quickly convert “wants” to “needs”…
“Robo-Services” Poised to Play Larger Role in Retirement Planning
Reuters’ columnist Mark Miller reports that some combination of robotics and cybernetic organism (a.k.a., cyborg) could possibly be the source of financial advice for many in the years ahead. In a post on www.reuters.com, Miller describes a future where “technology actually will…
Adding Additional Security to Protect What’s Important to You
(Source: Social Security Administration) Social Security continues to evaluate and improve how we protect what’s important to you. We take this responsibility seriously, and we have a robust cyber-security program in place to help protect the personal information you entrust…
Drug Coverage Denied By Medicare? How Seniors Can Fight Back
(By Judith Graham, Kaiser Health News) Kenneth Buss had taken Xarelto, a blood thinner, for more than a year when his mail-order pharmacy refused a request to refill his prescription several weeks ago. Buss, 79 and prone to dangerous blood…
Another Plug for Financial Literacy
Steve Vernon of Moneywatch adds his voice to recent media posts about the importance of improving financial literacy across all generations, Citing the American College Center for Retirement Income’s recently released retirement income literacy quiz as a worthwhile tool for understanding what you…
Retirement Challenges for Women: Things to Consider
A statistically longer lifespan for women requires a different perspective on retirement financial planning, with the implications of lower Social Security benefits, more years of health care costs, and potentially more years of nursing home costs requiring strategic attention. In…
401k Plans Appear to be on a Rebound
The results of a recent Gallup poll point toward an uptick in the number of future retirees expecting their 401(k) or other retirement savings account to be a major source of income in their golden years, according to an article by…
New Security Features for my Social Security
(Source: Social Security Administration) Social Security is adding a new requirement to protect the privacy of my Social Securitycustomers. We will be alerting current my Social Security account holders of the change via direct email over the next few weeks.…
Medicare premiums and IRMAA–An Example of Benefits Means Testing
With the current rhetoric building on means testing for Social Security, it’s meaningful to remember that Medicare is already subjected to rules that affect the amounts high earners pay for the benefit. Kiplinger’s Retirement Report Editor Rachel Sheedy provides a refresher…
Is the trend toward early filing reversing?
Avoiding the impulse to file for Social Security as early as possible seems to be taking hold, according to the results of a Fidelity Investments survey. Financial journalist Dan Kadlec examines this emerging trend in an article posted today on time.com; he also recaps…