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Snowbirds and Estate Planning
In Kimberly Lankford, Contributing Editor for Kiplinger’s Personal Finance website (www.kiplinger.com) she answers a reader’s question from a snowbird on whether or not her current will, and other estate-planning documents, applies in both states. Read her answer here… Notice: The link…
CPI-E Act of 2017
Earlier this month, John Garamendi (D-CA) introduced the CPI-E Act of 2017 (Consumer Price Index for the Elderly) into Congress. This bill would replace the CPI-W in calculating Social Security’s COLA. Read article here… Notice: The link provided in the text…
Social Security is key to retirement, and the FICA you pay is what funds the program
Social Security is clearly the cornerstone of retirement planning for nearly all American seniors. This article by Madeline Patrick appears on the Normangee Star website and summarizes how your benefits are calculated, and also discusses the program’s importance to American seniors and…
Medicare: The more you know, the more you benefit
For America’s senior citizens, Medicare is probably the most critical part of their healthcare plan for the rest of their lives. From how much it costs (Part A – hospital coverage – is the only part that may be free), to…
Clueless about Social Security? Here’s some key information you should know
Considering that Social Security is a significant source of income for nearly all retirees, and that most people have contributed to the program for decades, it’s surprising that so many people approaching the age they can apply know so little about…
Preparing for retirement? Here’s a question you should know the answer to
Based on a recent survey about retirement, Americans are woefully uninformed about how large a nest egg they should have when they pull the plug on their working careers. As this CNBC article by Kathleen Elkins points out you’ll probably be…
Do you know how much Social Security tax you’ll pay this year?
Every worker knows that their take home pay is a little smaller each payday because of a withholding called FICA, a large part of which is Social Security tax. But do you know how that tax is calculated, how much…
Even financially comfortable people should use Social Security wisely
Those who enjoy a more wealthy financial portfolio than most of us should not discount Social Security and how it can play a very important role in their future well being. This article at Barron’s online magazine counsels that even…
Basic things to know about Social Security
There is probably no other Government program more important to American seniors than the Social Security program. But surprisingly, far too many people approaching age 62 don’t really know some of the most basic aspects of the program. This article by…
Estimating your “biological age” vs. your chronological age
Everyone knows their chronological age, the number we give when someone says “how old are you?”. And many if not most people planning for their retirement use this as one of the guideposts. But when planning your retirement, your “biological…