Latest News
Social Security’s Death Master File Hits the News Again
With about 9,000 Social Security recipients mistakenly classified as deceased each year, it’s a more frequent problem than many realize. In this account of what happens when a beneficiary’s financial accounts are accessed after a mistaken classification, you can get…
Preparing for Retirement Years Takes Careful Financial Planning
Narrative Television Network’s Jim Stovall, in an article published on www.tulsaworld.com, provides some insights into the importance of careful, fact-based financial planning for your retirement years. As his article points out, “Living a longer life presents many exciting opportunities and a…
More thoughts on when to file for benefits…
NerdWallet’s Blake Fambrough takes a look at the persistent question of when to start drawing Social Security benefits..age 62, age 70, or somewhere in between. As in all analyses of this issue, it comes down to the fact that there is…
Viewpoints on Social Security’s Long-Haul Situation
America’s Social Security program, so successful for so many years, faces some challenges in the decades ahead. Nobody doubts that, and many have been advocating a wide range of solutions. Here is a succinct anaylsis of the issue by Luke…
Medicare Basics and Tips
Social Security is difficult enough to navigate by itself but Medicare is another necessary program that adds to the frustration brought on with retirement planning. As with Social Security, when you enroll greatly affects your finances. Missing your personal enrollment…
Medicare beneficiaries per state for all 50 states & Washington DC
(By Laura Dyrda for Becker’s Hospital Review) How many Medicare beneficiaries does each state have? Continue reading article here…… Notice: The link provided in the text above connects readers to the full content of the referenced article. The URL (internet address) for this link…
Planning for Retirement…Thoughts on Dealing with Challenges
Whether it’s running running out of money, dealing with the time on your hands, or maintaining your health, there are issues you’ll face in retirement. Here are some thoughts on how to look at the challenges these areas might present.…
Another look at the issues cited in GAO report
The incomplete information provided by Social Security claims specialists to people seeking clarification has been the subject of quite a few media reports over the past week. In an article by Aimee Picchi of Moneywatch, the implications of this problem…
SSA Staff losses worsen SSDI backlog
Substantial staffing losses at the Social Security Administration are making the current average of 543 days for an SSDI claims hearing even worse. With more than 1.1 million SSDI applicants already in the backlog, and about a 14% drop in…
The Impact of GPO on Surviving Spouse Benefits
Liz Weston of NerdWallet, in a post on www.latimes.com, provides insight into the Government Pension Offset rule, specifically with respect to its impact on surviving spouse benefits. In her Q&A article, she also addresses two miscellaneous items dealing with financial planning…