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Score a Bigger Social Security Check
Lots of people hawk articles or books for sale with tips to boost your Social Security checks. But the real secret sauce is just to wait. That’s right– wait. Each month you delay starting beyond age 62 means a higher…
COLA Watch: Expect less but there’s a silver lining
It’s fashionable among those who write about Social Security to speculate what the next cost of living adjustment (COLA) will be for recipients, even though the figure will not be known and released until mid October 2023. Maurie Backman says…
Retire on Less Money by Claiming Social Security Early
More workers seem to be employing the strategy of “take the money and run,” according to Brian O’Connor in this piece, even though it’s potentially tens or hundreds of thousands less over a lifetime. He cites a 2022 survey by…
Social Security Filing Age Matters – A Lot
The secrets to a higher Social Security benefit are not secrets at all. It’s just few know or care to pay attention to what experts consistently say. Delay benefits as long as you can is what most state unequivocally to…
Social Security Benefit Cuts on the Table Again
It’s something no politician truly wants to really say out loud nor any voter actually hear in their ear, but the truth is Social Security is unsustainable as currently constituted. As such, benefit cuts must be considered by Congress. Of…
How is Social Security taxed
If you feel inflation has eroded your Social Security benefits, you are not mistaken, but that is not the only reason. Although the government will regularly adjust many things for inflation, one thing they have not since 1984; is the…
Important milestones to remember while retirement planning
There is no strict retirement age in the United States; however, there is one to begin collecting your Social Security benefits. You can start your Social Security retirement benefits as early as age 62; however, you are entitled to full…
Social Security mistakes you’ll want to avoid
Social Security can be confusing; however, it is a program that addresses many situations. There are high-income workers and low-income workers, early retirees, and late ones. Plus, there are children, spouses, ex-spouses, and widows and widowers to consider. So, it…
Why it is important to have an emergency savings account
A recent study by BlackRock’s Emergency Savings Initiative and the Defined Contribution Institutional Investment Association’s Retirement Research Center found “low-income households with a least $1,000 in emergency savings were half as likely to withdraw money from their workplace retirement savings…
How scammers try to steal your Social Security Number
Do you know what is one of the fastest-growing crimes in America? Correct its identity theft, topping the list of consumer fraud reports filed with the FTC and other enforcement agencies. Your Social Security number is your identity. According to…