My Comments: Call me a Socialist if you must, but know that my Social Security check every month, along with my wife’s, is critical if we expect to sustain our standard of living. Where we are today is largely a function of how we arrived at this point over the past 50 years. When you …
Continue reading 10 Social Security Rules Everyone Should Know
I’ll say it once again: Social Security is a fundamental source of retirement money for millions of Americans every month. To the extent those of us receiving money from the system want and need it to continue, we represent a massive voting block to make sure it continues to benefit us as before. My source …
My Comments: I don’t care if you are in your 20’s or late 80’s, this is good information. If you can’t get online for some reason, find someone who can get online and help you explore what the author has to say. I'm hoping there's something here you can take advantage of. That is, unless …
Continue reading 15 Social Security “things” You Can Do Online
Social Security was signed into law by President Roosevelt on August 14, 1935. It’s since become an ubiquitous part of the financial lives of virtually every American. COLAs, or Cost of Living Adjustments, started in 1950. But it wasn’t until 1972 that legislation provided that starting in 1975, automatic cost of living adjustments became normal. …
My Comments: Despite it being criticized back in the 1930’s as a Socialist enterprise, Social Security today is a fundamental staple of the financial world we Americans take for granted. It’s so fundamental that for those of us who receive Social Security retirement benefits, few could sustain our existing standard of living without experiencing severe …
Continue reading 3 Social Security Realities You Need to Face
The current regime in the White House and Congress has provided ever increasing pressure on the economy by it's actions, among them the 2017 tax act and the trade war. As it happens, recent increases in the national debt is pushing us toward a crisis. Whenever crises happen, people for scapegoats. Some would have you …
Under the current structure, the Social Security Administration allows someone with enough work credits to choose any one of 96 months to start their retirement benefits. Millions of retirees chose #1. This is the month they become age 62. The assumption is they have paid in for many years and wouldn’t it be nice to …
Continue reading Claiming Social Security at Full Retirement Age
Our existing Social Security system lives comfortably in the capitalist economic model we have here in the US. We can agree it has flaws which need to be addressed from time to time. The current flaw is that without some changes, it won’t be able to provide the financial safety net for older Americans that …
Continue reading Can We, and/or Should We, Fix Social Security?
My comments: The American Social Security system is designed, among other things, to keep older folks from having to sleep in the streets. As a child in 1950, I spent two years in India, courtesy of my father’s company who sent him there to train locals in the use of American made machinery provided to …
Continue reading 10 Interesting Statistics About Social Security
Chances are you are already thinking about Social Security if you were born in 1960 or earlier. You are also aware of articles all over internet about when it’s best to sign up and start taking your retirement benefits. As someone who has taught workshops about Social Security for years, I can tell you that …
Continue reading A Few Reasons to File for Social Security at Full Retirement Age
Helping Define Your Financial Future 