Social Security
A Plug for 401k Plans
With only about two-thirds of those eligible to participate in a 401k plan actually doing so, it’s no surprise that so many of those aging into retirement are behind the financial planning curve. This nasdaq.com article by The Motley Fool’s Katie…
By the Numbers…Ways to Offset the Lack of Sufficient Savings
It’s no secret that many Americans face a lack of sufficient savings for their retirement years. But that’s not a reason to despair…there are steps you can take–and the sooner the better–to improve your situation so that your Social Security…
Some Preliminary Thoughts on Social Security
As the article attached to this post suggests, there are some very basic questions that folks starting to think about Social Security might be afraid to ask, even before delving into the myriad details. For example, in broad terms how…
Your Social Security Benefits Can Be Less Than You Expect
It may come as a surprise (or a shock!) to some that the dollars they expect to be winding up in their hands from Social Security may not be as great as they thought. It could be the taxation issue, or…
Patience is a financial virtue when it comes to claiming Social Security
In this Benefits Pro article by Marlene Satter, the author discusses a new study by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, comparing the propensity to claim Social Security benefits early to the seemingly natural inclination to defer purchasing…
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.…