Social Security
The Medicare Premium Impact of COLA
In all the hoopla surrounding last week’s announcement of the 2026 Social Security cost-of-living adjustment, many media accounts gloss over the effect of Medicare’s premium increase. And it’s a big effect, since it amounts to an 11.6 percent increase in…
Ask Rusty – Should I Ask for Retroactive Benefits?
Dear Rusty: I turn 70 next month, October 3, and am making an application for Social Security benefits to begin in January 2026. I want the maximum Delayed Retirement Credits (DRCs) and the highest permanent monthly benefit. I do not…
Understanding the 2026 Social Security COLA: What Seniors Need to Know
After weeks of anticipation and a two-week delay, the Social Security Administration has announced the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2026. Beginning in January, recipients will see a 2.8 percent increase in their monthly benefit payments. This yearly adjustment is meant…
Social Security Announces 2.8 Percent Benefit Increase for 2026
The awaited announcement of the 2026 Cost of Living Adjustment has finally been made. Please see this article from the Social Security Administration. Also, if you’re unsure about how these basics apply to you, or if you have any questions…
Understanding Social Security for Divorced Spouses
Divorce is usually traumatic and sometimes acrimonious, but such emotions are absent from Social Security’s rules governing benefits for divorced spouses. If the marriage lasted at least 10-consecutive years, benefits from a former spouse are the same as if the…
Retrospective on “WEP/GPO”
This article on the elimination of the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO) provides a union-perspective of those two Social Security (SS)provisions and how their recent elimination affects nearly 3.1 million public servants. Essentially, the provisions…
“No tax on Social Security:” Here’s the real story
Be careful of campaign promises and political spin – they don’t all happen, and sometimes they may actually happen, but take an unusual and different approach. Such is the case with the bold assertion by the Administration that “income tax…
COLA will be announced today! Do you understand the process?
Historically, the annual Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) to everyone’s Social Security benefit is announced on October 15th, but this year the announcement was delayed to October 24th because of the government shutdown. Thus, today is a big day for…
Demystifying Medicare
Medicare, part of President Lyndon Johnson’s “Great Society,” was first enacted in 1965. As it has evolved over the decades, Medicare now consists of four unique “parts,” each designed to provide specific healthcare insurance coverage to American seniors. “Original Medicare”…
About Working While Collecting Social Security
If you are planning to claim Social Security benefits in the near future and you are still working, it’s important to understand Social Security’s “Annual Earnings Test” (AET), the rules of which may limit how much you can earn while…