Q & A
Ask Rusty – Divorced Multiple Times
Dear Rusty: Reading your current letter regarding Social Security benefits for ex-spouses, I pose this question: Would an individual who has had multiple marriages be entitled to distributions of Social Security for each of his or her marriages? Signed: Thrice…
Ask Rusty – Will my benefit amount ever increase?
Ask Rusty – Will my benefit amount ever increase? Dear Rusty: I’m still working right now, but everyone I talk to about Social Security seems to say that I should wait to take my benefits because once I start the…
Ask Rusty – Social Security’s ‘Full Retirement Age’
Dear Rusty: I was born in 1955, am 61 years old, and starting to think about when I should collect Social Security. I spoke to my local Social Security office and got confused when they started talking about my “full…
Ask Rusty – Spousal Benefits Lost
Dear Rusty: I took my Social Security at 62 since I had to stop working to care for my mom when I was 57. I was widowed at the time but remarried when I was 58 1/2 years old. I…
Ask Rusty – Social Security Isn’t Welfare
Dear Rusty: I receive Social Security, but I still go in the hole to the tune of about $300 per month! I hear some people describing Social Security as “welfare” but I resent that description. Between my employer and me,…
Ask Rusty – Raiding the Social Security Trust Fund
Dear Rusty: I would like to know how much money has been taken out of Social Security by presidents, and was any paid back with or without interest on the withdrawal? Signed: Wants to Know Dear Wants to Know: The…
Ask Rusty – Can I Re-marry, or not?
Dear Rusty: After a pretty difficult 32 years of marriage and ugly divorce a few years ago, I finally found the man of my dreams. We’d like to get married, but I’m collecting spousal benefits from my ex’s Social Security…
Ask Rusty – Government Pension Offset (GPO) & Maximizing Benefits
Dear Rusty: I recently retired from my job after 35 years at the U.S. Department of Defense. I know I’m not eligible for Social Security because I was part of the CSRS pension program and never had FICA taxes withheld…
Ask Rusty: Unmarried Couple – Stopping benefits after death and survivors benefits
Dear Rusty: A couple I am friends with has lived together for over 45 years. Unfortunately, he died last week and she is unsure about what happens to his Social Security benefits now that he has passed away. She’s also…
Ask Rusty – How is my Benefit Amount Calculated?
Dear Rusty: A friend and I, both approaching 62 years old, were discussing Social Security the other day, and he said that they take the average of your highest 10 years of earnings to figure out what your benefit is.…