AMAC Foundation Social Security Advisory Service
An Overview of Survivor Benefits
Retirement benefits are available to spouses, ex-spouses, children, or dependent parents of someone who worked and paid Social Security taxes before they died. It can be complicated, but the Social Security Administration has taken great pains to clearly explain what…
A Quick Refresher on Getting the Most Out of Social Security
The maximum Social Security benefit as of this year is approaching the $5000 mark, but it’s unlikely that many beneficiaries will reach that level of payout. In fact, the average benefit for 2024 is $1,907 after the 3.2% cost-of-living adjustment…
Ways to Jeopardize Your Social Security Benefits
A steady flow of monthly income via Social Security is something claimants certainly look forward to. After all, the program has been around for over eighty years and has never missed a scheduled payment. While that consistency is certainly a…
A Quick Refresher on Social Security Solvency…and Steps You Should Consider
WDIO’s Grace Koppen hosts a brief discussion on the much-reported Social Security insolvency issue, featuring commentary from Barry Bigelow (Great Waters Financial) clarifying what to expect as the calendar moves toward the projected depletion of the program’s financial reserves. The…
A Perspective on Social Security’s Looming Insolvency
We’re well inside of a decade until Social Security’s accumulated reserves disappear completely. The nearly $2.9 trillion financial cushion that has been dissipating steadily for the past two years is expected to evaporate completely by 2033–and some project that point…
A Quick Refresher on Spousal Benefits
Although so much of Social Security’s rulebook involves complicated qualifications, there are a few very basic premises that anyone planning their retirement finances should know. Many folks are already aware of these basics, but it’s still a good idea to…
A Quick Review of Spousal/Survivor Benefit Rules
The general issue of which benefits are available to spouses and survivors contains some fairly explicit rules, so it’s always a good idea in financial planning exercises to be sure they’re well understood. The editorial staff at moneywise.com offers a…
“Peak 65” is Here.
According to a morningstar.com post by contributor Jessica Hall, 2024 represents a statistical milestone in the steady wave of people reaching age 65–12,000 per day to be more precise, also referred to as “Peak 65.” This rate of growth in…
AFGE Issues Urgent Appel for Increased Funding
The American Federation of Government Employees, representing three-quarters of a million federal employees, yesterday declared the Social Security Administration (SSA) to be “an agency in crisis,” outlining its case for $20 billion in a proposed supplemental funding package over the…
Spousal Benefits: The Importance of Knowing the Rules
With Social Security benefits playing a key role in so many retirement financial plans–and especially for married couples–being fully aware of the many rules that govern eligibility for–and calculation of– spousal benefits is critical. From the provisions for one spouse…