My Comments: Too many people choose to take early benefits. If you need the money, hate your job, don’t have a job, plan to die soon, or simply don’t have confidence in your life, then maybe it’s OK. But it usually turns out to be a mistake. There is a do over, but you have …
Continue reading Will You Regret Taking Social Security ASAP?
My Comments: The headline above should probably read ‘Sometimes’ instead of ‘Often’. It depends to some extent on when you die. Since that date is completely unknown, the only solution is to play the odds, and my recommendation these days is to assume you will live to be 100. That’s the conservative approach. Unless you …
Continue reading Claiming Social Security at Full Retirement Age is Often a Mistake
My Comments: The default decision for many is to simply sign up for benefits when they reach age 62. The argument is they’ve put money in the system for years, the system might go broke, and it’s time to get rather than give before it's too late. But the demographics suggest this may not be …
Continue reading Social Security Recipients May Regret This Decision
My Comments: Next month I start a series of workshops about Social Security. I’m somewhat fearful since this past weekend, I had questions from a couple of folks and while I thought I knew the answer, I wasn’t sure. One solution is to have you become a free member of an organization called the American …
My Comments: Every choice when it comes to filing for Social Security benefits comes with trade-offs. Whether one works for you to a large extent is determined by how long you live, and for most of us, that’s the elephant in the room. But if you assume you and your spouse will live to a …
Continue reading A Social Security Claiming Strategy to Consider
My Comments: Next month I start a new job; teaching folks about Social Security. Actually, it’s a function of my need to keep busy and an apparent ability to share 40 years of experience as a financial planner with people who need to know about this very important financial element of their lives. This article, …
Continue reading 10 Things You Must Know About Social Security
My Comments: A major determinant for when you should start taking your Social Security benefits comes down to when you plan to die. If you plan to die soon, then start the payments as early as possible; if you plan to live to be 100, and have enough money now, then delay the start of …
Continue reading Ready to retire? Don’t rush your Social Security start date
My Comments: A critical date is fast approaching for those of you who have not yet signed up to receive your Social Security benefits, for one reason or another. This writer clearly knows his stuff and if you have questions of me, I’ll do my best to answer them. None of this may apply to …
Continue reading Do the recent changes in Social Security rules allow you to file and suspend?
My Comments: This is a hot topic. No one likes to leave money laying on the table. Given the chance you will live longer than expected and don’t have the financial reserves you thought you might have, taking advantage of everything possible from the Social Security system is critical for many of us. By Dan …
Continue reading Can I File and Suspend My Social Security Benefits?
My Comments: Social Security is a complicated topic. If you are not yet 70 years old, and/or have not yet committed to how you will take your Social Security benefits, you should read this. With so many variables, the typical process for making a good decision is total confusion for most people, even financial planners. …
Continue reading Read This Before You Take Social Security Benefits
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