Social Security
Questions from widows, answered by an expert
Tom Margenau is a nationally recognized expert on Social Security matters, now retired after a long career with the Social Security Administration. In his most recent Social Security and You column appearing at Tucson.com, Tom fields a variety of questions…
Undoing the damage if you claim Social Security early
The most popular age that people start collecting their Social Security benefit is age 62, but by so doing they are taking a substantial cut in the amount of their Social Security payment, perhaps as much as 30%. True, there…
Widows could benefit by changing Social Security’s survivor rules
While it’s true that women have made great strides to correct income inequality in the workplace, it’s a sad fact that widows are three times more likely to live in poverty than their married counterparts. This is largely because of the…
Don’t fall for Social Security scams
It seems there is no end to the number and kind of fraud attempts that criminals will use to try to get at your money, and targeting seniors seems to be a very popular type of scam these days. Those…
Delaying Retirement as a Strategy to Deal With Financial Planning’s Uncertanties
Like so much in life, planning for your financial future in retirement is not easy. There are many unknowns, and many variables that even the best, most well-trained financial planners can’t adequately prepare you for. So, what should you do.…
Restricted Application for Spousal Benefits Only…A Strategy Still Available
The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 changed much of the strategic landscape for seniors, specifically with respect to options like “File and Suspend,” the rules for deemed filing, and so on. But one specific filing strategy that remains in effect…
Social Security Joins in the Celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month
(Source: Social Security Administration) From September 15 to October 15, we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. This is when we honor the contributions of Hispanics to American society and celebrate this warm and vibrant culture. According to the U.S. Census Bureau,…
A Good Source of Benefits Information
With a mission of increasing “… citizen access to benefit information, while reducing the expense and difficulty of interacting with the government,” the E-Government website Benefits.gov offers an array of information about services available to all citizens. Of particular interest to seniors are six…
The Saga of Social Security’s Worsening Outlook
Brenton Smith, in a post on www.marketwatch.com, takes an in-depth look at the Social Security solvency dilemma, calling to question the premise that all looks well through 2034. Smith’s article describes what he terms “a serious misconception about the data provided…
COLA Watch – 2.8% Looking More Certain, But…
It’s looking more and more like the 2019 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for Social Security beneficiaries will land at 2.8%. Yes, that’s the largest since 2012 and yes, it’s 40% higher that the 2018 adjustment. But as MarketWatch reporter Alessandra Malito points…