retirement
About Social Security’s “Full Retirement Age”
Social Security’s “full retirement age” or “FRA” is when you get the full benefits you have earned from a lifetime of working. Those full benefits, based on your highest-earning 35 years, will be available at your FRA which, this year,…
2026 Social Security – Changes You Should Know
Social Security is an ever-evolving program, with certain changes automatically implemented every year. These changes are automatic and generally are based upon several government measurements, such as the Consumer Price Index and the Average National Wage Index, among others. Most…
Social Security Reform: A Potential Costly Mistake
If you follow the news at all, you are likely well aware that the nation’s premier senior retirement program – Social Security – is facing some financial issues in merely seven years! That is certainly cause for concern among our…
Ask Rusty – If We Both Collect Social Security, will our Benefits be Affected?
Dear Rusty: I reached full retirement age back in June, but I have not yet filed to collect Social Security. My husband currently collects SS funds, and he waited until he had reached full retirement age a few years ago.…
Don’t Spend that extra SS money yet – Medicare will cut into your COLA increase!
In an announcement by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), we were told that the new cost of our Medicare Part B coverage for 2026 would be $202.90, instead of the $185 per month we paid in 2025.…
2026 COLA: When will we see it?
The government just recently released the 2026 Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) percentage which those eligible for Social Security can expect next year. But some confusion always exists about when we will actually see our Social Security increase. Well, the…
Closing the “Retirement Savings Gap”
It’s pretty well recognized, especially among financial planners, that Americans suffer a fairly large “retirement savings gap” – that is, they have less in savings than they will require in their so-called “golden years.” That is, of course, an unfortunate…
CMS Announces 2026 Medicare Costs
Somewhat delayed by the recent government shutdown, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has finally announced the costs seniors will be required to pay for their healthcare coverage. As you likely know, Medicare consists of several “parts” called…
Looking to Increase your Retirement Savings? Here’s some good news!
For those of us who see retirement on our horizon, saving as much as possible for those “golden years” is essential. And many choose to use traditional IRAs to bolster our savings, or contribute to our employer-sponsored 401(k) or 403(b)…
People Born in 1959 Reach Their Full Retirement Age of 66 & 10 Months in 2026
In 2026, the full retirement age (FRA) reaches 66 and 10 months. The FRA has been slowly increasing since 1983 to help keep Social Security financially stable for the future beneficiaries. As the FRA retirement increases, the reduction for taking…