Social Security
Prices might be rising faster than the Social Security COLA
In 2025, the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment was 2.5 percent; however, the cost of living is still high. On a national average, a single person would need $2,099 per month without a mortgage to cover housing, food, transportation, health care,…
Ask Rusty – About Social Security Benefits for Someone with Multiple Ex-spouses
Dear Rusty: If a financially well-off individual had multiple ex-spouses, could it happen that the multiple ex-spouses could each be collecting Social Security based on their own financial situation as compared to their rich ex-spouses? Thus, multiple payouts by SS?…
“Ask Rusty- Clarification of Medicare, IRMAA and MAGI”
Dear Rusty: I am confused by an article in my local newspaper which said that “MAGI” (modified adjusted gross income), on which my Medicare Part B premium is based, is my Adjusted Gross Income, plus any non-taxable interest, plus 50%…
A Look Back in Time: Comparison of Social Security Benefits in 1974 and 2024
Stefon Walters for The Motley Fool provides a look at how Social Security has increased over the years. He also mentions the difference in the cost of goods between then and now. Read here… The link provided above connects readers to…
Identity Theft Awareness Week – January 27-31
The Social Security Administration is providing two webinars during the week to help you learn how to protect yourself from ID Theft. Attendance is free. Along with information on avoiding identity theft you will also hear about free tools and…
Social Security Overpayments to Deceased Individuals
Social Security has begun a campaign to collect repayment from family members of deceased persons. These overpayments are rare but do occur because of delays in death notifications, errors in record updates and automatic deposits. Gabriela Leon for MSN explains…
An Analysis of the Future Potential Result of the Passage of HR82
The repeal of the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO) made the headlines at the end of 2024. So what happens next? How will the repeal affect Social Security Solvency? Will there be some corrective tax…
Review of Three Important Social Security Rules
Social Security has hundreds of rules. Most are pretty straightforward, but there are a few that are somewhat obscure and not very well known. It is crucial to know about these rules if you happen to be affected by them.…
Potential Social Security Changes Under New Administration
President Trump has already made changes during his first day in office. So far we do not know when or if there will be changes to Social Security. His main agenda is to eliminate federal taxes on Social Security benefits.…
Migrant Contributions to Social Security
Millions of migrants living in the United States illegally pay into Social Security but are not eligible to collect it. Mass deportations could affect the financial solvency of the program. Jeff Arnold for NewsNation explains here… As an example of…