Q & A
Ask Rusty – Social Security for Children and Younger Wife
Dear Rusty: I am 59. My wife is 48 and has been a stay at home mom for 15 years. We have children aged 13, 10, and 5. I know it makes sense to delay the start of benefits, but…
Ask Rusty – Why Are our Medicare Premiums Different?
Dear Rusty: What is the Medicare monthly payment based on? I pay $139.60, my husband pays $144.60, a friend pays $136.60. I receive $388 per month in Social Security, my husband receives $1200, and my friend receives $1000 per month.…
Ask Rusty – About Working Overseas and Earning U.S Social Security
Dear Rusty: My daughter had menial jobs – part time – here in the USA during high school and college but shortly after college moved to South Korea to teach English. After 8 years there she will be going to…
Ask Rusty – Retiring from Work; When Should I Claim Social Security?
Dear Rusty: I turned 63 August 12th, 2019. I will be retiring June 30th, 2020 from my current job. I will have made approximately $35,000 by then and am receiving severance pay of $19,000 on June 30th. Will the pay…
Ask Rusty – Using IRA instead of Claiming SS; Disability Appeal
Dear Rusty: I am currently unemployed and drawing funds from my IRA. I am 62 years old. My financial adviser instructed me to not take Social Security because once I do that the percentage of increase would stop. He said…
Ask Rusty – About the Dreaded “IRMAA” Provision
Dear Rusty: About a month or two ago I was notified that my Social Security was being reduced from $1,583 a month to about $1,283 a month – a $300 deduction! They said it was because my income was over…
Ask Rusty – Will Taking My Benefit Early Affect My Widow Benefit?
Dear Rusty:. My husband is 70 and has been taking Social Security for several years. His benefit is $2,100 per month. I am 60 and will turn 61 in March. I have very little built up and my expected SS…
Ask Rusty – Does Social Security Ever Make Mistakes on Benefits?
Dear Rusty: Can or does the Social Security Administration occasionally make mistakes in determining the benefits due? I’m now 72 but I retired early at age 61 and knew that my benefits would be reduced. I’ve always wondered if my…
Ask Rusty – Will Selling Large Asset Affect Wife’s Social Security?
Dear Rusty: If I have reached full retirement age (FRA) and wish to sell a $500,000 asset, will it affect my wife’s Social Security if we file jointly? I have heard that it will affect my Medicare (the amount withheld…
Ask Rusty – Why Did My Social Security Payment Go Down?
Dear Rusty: Upon reading a magazine article about the 2020 COLA increase, I thought I’d share the following: Like others, I received the 1.6% raise in my Social Security benefit. However, after their manipulations with Medicare, the net result was…