Q & A
Ask Rusty – Will my Wife’s Survivor Benefit be Less if she Claimed Her Social Security Early?
Dear Rusty: I claimed Social Security at 70. My wife claimed her own SS at 62, and her earnings were significantly lower than mine. I understand my wife will be eligible to claim my benefit if I pass before she…
Ask Rusty – Veteran Asks About Special Credits for Military Service
Dear Rusty: I just learned that if I served in the military during an active-duty period, i could get extra earnings for Social Security and that these benefits would be automatically added to my record, but I was never asked…
Ask Rusty – Should my Husband File and then Suspend His Benefits?
Dear Rusty: My financial advisor used a computer program which told my husband to take his SS at age 68, then suspend it after a few months. What I understood was if my husband started and then stopped taking distributions,…
Ask Rusty – Husband Upset about HIs Wife’s Survivor Benefit
Dear Rusty: This is a matter that I find particularly irksome. My wife – a retired teacher – was told that, should I pre-decease her, she is not eligible to get survivor benefits from my Social Security payments. I’m sure…
Ask Rusty – Federal Retiree Asks About His Social Security
Dear Rusty: I retired with a (gross) $4600 per month Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) annuity from the US Postal Service in December 2022. I am 66 and will attain full retirement age in November of this year. I know…
Ask Rusty – Does Some of my Social Security Payment Include Repayment of my Contributions?
Dear Rusty: I have a question about my Social Security benefits. Would I be correct to assume that part of the monthly Social Security income I get is a repayment of what I contributed to the fund while I was…
Ask Rusty – Does Congress Pay into Social Security?
Dear Rusty: I’ve been told that members of Congress do not have Social Security deducted from their pay; Additionally, that their retirement dollars come from the Social Security Administration purse even if they only serve as a member of Congress…
Ask Rusty – I was Self-Employed and Don’t Have Enough Credits for Social Security
Dear Rusty: For a thirty-year period, I was making a living as an independent contractor and freelancer. I was working on behalf of myself. Thus, I was only paying state and federal taxes when applied. Due to changes in the…
Ask Rusty – Should I Retire at 65 or 67? And What About Earnings & Taxes?
Dear Rusty: I’m just trying to figure out how to determine whether to retire at 65 or 67 and, if I retire, approximately how much could I make outside of my Social Security without being overly taxed. Signed: Thinking About…
Will IRA Withdrawals Affect My Medicare Premiums?
Dear Rusty: I am a member of AMAC and learn so much from the Ask Rusty column. I hope you can give me some information about a question that has come up in my family. My husband is retired and has…