Q & A
Ask Rusty – If I Apply Now, When Will I Get My First Social Security Payment?
Dear Rusty: If I were to apply for my Social Security retirement (I’m 68 on August 1, 2021), when could I realistically expect to receive my first check? Signed: Ready to Claim Dear Ready: Social Security suggests applying for benefits…
Ask Rusty – My Social Security Income Hurts When I File My Taxes
Dear Rusty: I am getting hammered with taxes on my Social Security (SS). I am retired and draw a meager work pension and SS benefits. When my wife and I filed our joint tax return we owed the IRS a…
Ask Rusty – I’m Terminal; What Are My Wife’s Options as My Survivor?
Dear Rusty: I’m 60 and my wife is 62. I have terminal Stage IV prostate cancer, but my wife is in pretty good health. If I draw at 62 would that affect my wife’s survivor benefits? When should she start…
Ask Rusty – Disability vs. Survivor Benefit
Dear Rusty: I have a question regarding Social Security. I’m 54 and applying for disability. I’ve had rheumatoid arthritis since I was 19. My son, 16 years old, receives survivor benefits from my deceased ex-husband. We were married for 20…
Ask Rusty – Should I Claim Family Benefits?
Dear Rusty: I was born in 1956 and my wife in 1961. I’ve got 45 years of SSA earnings, and I will have income in 2021. We have 4 minor children, the youngest born in 2012. When is the best…
Ask Rusty –Should I Claim Social Security at 62, or Wait Longer?
Dear Rusty: I turn 62 next year, and I am getting different answers to my questions so I hope you can help me. The amount I would collect is different at 67 and 72. If I start to collect Social…
Ask Rusty – When Should I Claim My Survivor Benefit?
Dear Rusty: My wife passed away in 2014. I’m 60 years old and have been retired since August 2020. I know I’m entitled to survivor benefits, but my question relates to when to file for them. To say the information…
Ask Rusty – Why Can’t I Get Survivor Benefits from My Husband?
Dear Rusty: My husband and I were only married 5 years before he passed away from cancer. I am 61 and was told by SS that I don’t qualify to receive his survivor benefits because we weren’t married long enough,…
Ask Rusty – Can I Get a Higher Benefit Now Because I’m Older?
Dear Rusty: I started getting Social Security at age 62 and I am now 77. Can I get a higher benefit now that I’m older? Signed: Needy Senior Dear Needy Senior: Probably not. When you first start collecting your Social…
Ask Rusty – Why Did Social Security Ask My Mother This Question?
Dear Rusty: When my father passed away and we went to update my mother’s Social Security benefits, a question arose that I was confused by. We were asked “Do you want to claim just your father’s benefit (which was larger)…