Widows
Ask Rusty – Widow Stung by Social Security’s “Claw Back” Rule
Dear Rusty: My husband of 48 years died on December 30th, and he received a Social Security direct deposit for December’s benefits in early January, but Social Security demanded the bank return his December payment. I used part of his…
Social Security and Widowed Spouses
Understanding the benefits available to widowed spouses is key to financial planning for the aftermath of the loss of a loved one, and WTOP’s Dawn Doebler takes care in a post to explain the process for obtaining the benefits available. Her…
Social Security: Understanding Who Gets What
With nearly one trillion dollars being paid out to a variety of recipients, folks often wonder exactly where it goes. Well, there are more than 62 million individual recipients, and it might or might not surprise you that retired workers…
Spotlight on Widow/Widower Benefits: Understanding the Math
The recent Social Security Administration’s inspector general report highlighting the lack of correct direction provided to surviving spouses has received quite a bit of media attention over the past few weeks. With so much money on the table, it’s important that…
More on the Issue of Social Security Shortchanging Widows and Widowers
It’s been a pretty hot item in the media for the past several weeks, ever since the Office of the Inspector General issued its audit report titled “Higher Benefits for Dually Entitled Widow(er)s Had They Delayed Applying for Retirement Benefits.”…