Q & A
Ask Rusty – About “Registering” for Social Security & Medicare
Foreword: This is the 200th “Ask Rusty” article we’ve published. We started submitting them in the fall of 2016, and here we are 4 years later, still plugging away. Dear Rusty: I have a big 65th birthday coming up mid-March and would…
Ask Rusty – Younger Wife is the Higher Earner
Dear Rusty: I’ve seen examples of how to maximize Social Security, but I’ve never seen an analysis for our situation. I’m 61 and my wife is 57, but she has been the primary breadwinner, while I just barely made eligibility.…
Ask Rusty – Will My Social Security Benefits Ever Stop?
Dear Rusty: Has someone who paid into Social Security for most of their life ever lost their benefits later in life? For example, if they start collecting benefits at age 62 and live to be 85 or longer, could they…
Ask Rusty – Why Isn’t My Wife Getting Half of My Benefit?
Dear Rusty: My wife isn’t getting half of my Social Security benefit amount. Shouldn’t she be? Signed: Feeling Cheated Dear Feeling Cheated: A spouse does not always receive 50% of the husband’s Social Security benefit, because it depends on the…
Ask Rusty – I Need Guidance on Social Security and Medicare
Dear Rusty: I am turning 67 in October and as of today am still employed full time. I really do not plan on retiring unless I am forced to. But how do I arrange my Social Security and Medical care…
Ask Rusty – About the Mystery of Spousal Benefits
Dear Rusty: From what I’ve researched, the formula for spousal benefits seems very complicated. I read somewhere that it was a good idea to start the lower earning spouse’s benefit at age 62 and have the higher earning spouse file…
Ask Rusty – Can I Get Social Security With My Municipal Pension?
Dear Rusty: I retired from a municipal Fire Department seven years ago at the age of 54. It is a private pension, and I was exempt from Social Security while I was working. I receive about $50,000 per year in…
Ask Rusty – No Dumb Questions About Social Security
Dear Rusty: I have some questions about Social Security, but I’ve never been old before so these may be dumb questions. My 66th birthday is in October 2021; do I put in for Social Security in January 2022? Or when?…
Ask Rusty – Can I Help My Friend with His Social Security?
Dear Rusty: I am trying to help a good friend of mine who lives in Indiana and is 80 years old. I am very concerned as he’s not now collecting SS for some reason, and I have no idea why.…
Ask Rusty – Can I Claim My Widow’s Benefit at Age 57?
Dear Rusty: My husband passed away in 2001, and he paid into Social Security every year he worked, which would be over 30 years. If he were alive today, he would be 75 years old. I am 57 years old…