Social Security
Retirement Planning 101: A Look at Some Basics
As the article says at the outset, it’s never too early or too late to plan for your retirement. The simple fact is that the planning must start somewhere, and this post by the good folks at L’Observateur appearing on…
Are the Perils of “Wokeness” Overshadowing Concerns for Social Security?
Good question. A poll of Republican primary voters conducted by Wall Street Journal during the week of April 11-17, 2023 suggests that might be the case, with more than half of the participants suggesting that “Fighting woke ideology in our…
Using Social Security as a “Bank”
No, you can’t get a loan from Social Security to cover a large expense. You can, however, if all of the circumstances work for you, strategically obtain a short-term repayable advance on your benefits. This strategy involves the program’s one-time…
More on the 2023 COLA Trajectory
Fox News reporter Megan Henley offers thoughts on what next year’s Social Security cost-of-living adjustment might look like. Her post summarizes the methodology used to calculate the adjustment, as well as the timing for release of next year’s adjustment percentage,…
Social Security: If this is your year to claim, read this!
There are some very basic–and very important–fundamentals anyone on the cusp of claiming their Social Security benefits should know. For example, where you stand chronologically compared to your full retirement age is a key to what your monthly benefit payment…
Ticket to Work: A Benefit for the Disabled
Enterprise reporter Joelle Jones at KOIN 6 digital news in Portland, Oregon writes on the importance of those drawing Social Security’s disability benefits knowing about the program’s Ticket to Work program. As she explains, “The little-known Social Security Administration program…
Medicare and Social Security are the two largest federal government programs
Mandatory outlays by the federal government totaled $4.1 trillion in 2022; nearly half was for Social Security and Medicare. However, most people are not aware of the details of these two programs. Romina Boccia and Dominik Lett created a fact…
Will the 2024 COLA be lower than three percent?
Although the public announcement of the 2024 Social Security cost-of-living-adjustment is six months away, financial experts are predicting a significantly lower COLA increase for 2024. It appears that the Social Security cost of living adjustment (COLA) for 2024 will be…
A Look-ahead at Next Year’s Cost-of-Living Adjustment…It Won’t be Pretty!
Social Security beneficiaries are still catching their breath from last year’s big run-up in inflation, using the extraordinary 8.7% COLA to fill some of the holes in their monthly expenses. The 2023 COLA was the largest in four decades, providing…
Social Security Recipients and Income Tax Obligations
If you’re a Social Security beneficiary and you haven’t yet filed your annual federal income tax return, now’s a good time to be sure you’re clear on what your legal obligation is. To help, CNET’s Nina Raemont, in a post…