retirement
The maximum Social Security benefit is out of reach for all but a few workers
In 2024, the highest Social Security retirement benefit for an individual starting benefits is $4,873 per month, according to the Social Security Administration. But how many people achieve the maximum Social Security benefit? In reality, very few Americans will claim…
Don’t claim Social Security early for the wrong reasons
According to a report by the Employee Benefit Research Institute, almost half of the U.S. households will run short of money in retirement. Another report found only 18 percent of Americans retired with enough money to maintain their standard of…
Retirement Crisis: Over half of Americans 65+ are earning under $30k per year
Juliana Kaplan, writing in Business Insider, summarizes a new report from Sen. Bernie Sanders, Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee. It looks at the bleak future facing some older Americans and those who hope to retire someday.…
Retirement planning is not the government’s job–Dave Ramsey
American radio personality Dave Ramsey, in a post on nasdaq.com, presented three common myths that can influence those looking ahead to the financial side of retirement planning. Beginning with the belief that Social Security alone will allow for a comfortable…
Marital Status and Its Affect on Your Social Security Benefits
For those beginning to explore the Social Security benefits that will be available when they elect to claim, the issue of marital status becomes a pretty important factor. For example, benefits for a spouse may be available if the spouse’s…
“Influential Money Expert” Advocates Claiming Benefits at Age 62
Many of the posts we shared on this website through the years deal with the persistent question of which age is the best for claiming benefits. Most analyses focus on the simple math, and that says the longer you defer…
Survey Says: 79% of Americans Agree that a Retirement is At Hand
The National Institute on Retirement Security (NIRS) recently released the results of a survey of working age Americans conducted late last year, revealing that 79% of the more than 1200 respondents aged 25 and older agree with the Chair of…
Ask Rusty – About Medicare’s Dreaded “IRMAA” Provision
Dear Rusty: My wife is on Medicare and receiving Social Security benefits each month. We built a house and used money from our investments to pay for it. We knew we would pay taxes on that withdrawal, but my wife…
Social Security’s Uncertain Future Leading to Strategy Changes for Millennials
It’s certainly no secret that the long-term future of Social Security is a little shaky, This should come as no surprise to anyone who’s given thought to how this once predictable component of retirement financial plans will fit into their…
Approaching Social Security and still confused? You’re not alone!
A recent online quiz offered by MassMutual produced yet another dismal view of how much–or how little–folks aging into Social Security eligibility understand about the basics of this massive program. To be fair, it is not only massive and it…