Q & A
Ask Rusty – Social Security Credit for Military Pay
Dear Rusty: I have tried to contact Social Security many times but been put on hold for over 40 minutes, received no call back, etc. Also, I tried to find out online at my S.S. account, but got no answers…
Ask Rusty – Computing Spousal Benefits
Dear Rusty: I read an article today which talked about how one spouse’s benefits should be 50% of the other spouse’s and about something called a “spousal boost”. I do not make 50% of my husband’s Social Security benefit and…
Ask Rusty – Maximizing benefits and When to Retire
Dear Rusty: I am looking for advice regarding maximizing social security benefits. In our case, my husband is 59 and has been on Social Security Disability for about 5 years. I am also 59 and work full time as a…
Ask Rusty – Estimated vs Actual Benefits
Dear Rusty: I am going to stop working in October 2018 at age 62. I do not want to start drawing my Social Security then (at age 62 it would be $1,005/month; normal retirement is 66 years, 4 months, $1,454/month).…
Ask Rusty – Survivors Benefit vs. Retirement Benefit
Dear Rusty: I am a 58 year old widow, born in 1958. My husband, born in 1953, was collecting Social Security Disability benefits when he died, worked throughout his lifetime and had earned enough credits to be eligible for regular…
Ask Rusty – Maximizing Widow’s Benefits
Dear Rusty: I am 64 years old, born in October of 1952, and in rapidly declining health. I took my Social Security early, as soon as I was 62, and now get $1838 per month in Social Security benefits (before…
Ask Rusty – College benefits for dependent child?
Dear Rusty: I am an older father, having recently been blessed with another child from my second marriage. I started collecting Social Security at my full retirement age and although my current wife is not yet eligible to receive benefits,…
Ask Rusty – Delayed Retirement Credits
Dear Rusty: I have delayed taking my Social Security retirement benefits for about 3 years past my full retirement age. I now want to start collecting benefits and am confused about the benefit calculation if I start midyear. Yesterday, I…
Ask Rusty – SSDI and the Ticket to Work Program
Dear Rusty: I am 60 and currently getting Social Security Disability, but I would like to return to work as much as possible. I am concerned with how my earned income would affect my Social Security at age 65 (or…
Ask Rusty – Railroad Retirement Benefits vs Social Security
Dear Rusty: My neighbor was a long time employee of the railroad and has told me that he doesn’t receive Social Security like I do, but rather gets Railroad Retirement Benefits which are, according to him, better than Social Security.…