My Comments: Social Security has for many years been a critical financial component in the lives of almost every citizen of the US who is aged 62 or older. I know it is for me and my wife. Changes are going to happen to help maintain it’s viability as the population demographics change and society …
Continue reading Grab This Social Security Benefit While You Still Can
My Comments: Social security payments to my wife and I are a critical element of the life we live. It can be argued that without those payments, we’d have scaled back in terms of what we spend for food and housing. The fact remains that given expectations of a monthly income from that source, our …
My Comments: The monthly income my wife and I get from SSA is a significant part of our financial freedom. We paid into the system for 50 plus years and while I like to think I’m just getting my money back, it’s really much more than that. As a financial planner and investment advisor for …
Continue reading Everything You Need to Know About Social Security
My Comments: With so many of us soon to retire, and the not so obvious complexity of Social Security, there comes a time for many when decisions made ask for a redo. Some are possible and this short article describes some of them. If you have yet to claim benefits or are less than 12 …
My Comments: Many of my close friends, clients and associates have long since started taking their Social Security benefits. For those of you who have not, there are probably some issues you need to explore before you sign on the dotted line. A generation ago, 65 was the automatic full retirement age. Rembember the phrase …
My Comments: Many are railing against capitalism these days and others against socialism. If you’re adamantly opposed to socialism, I trust you’ve refused to cash your social security checks. Yes, you paid into the system, but the bulk of the money you get comes not from what you put in, but from what our children …
My Comments: This article was directed at advisors who provide financial advice to those who are starting to take their Social Security benefits. This includes me, both as an advisor and recipient of benefits. I’ve long maintained that periodic tweaking of the rules, similar to what has happened in the past, will serve to make …
Continue reading Social Security: Stronger Than Most Realize
My Comments: If you know about Social Security plannning, as I claim to do, the prevailing wisdom is to delay taking your benefits for as long as possible. The argument is that each year you wait, you increase the size of your payments by 8%, even before the expected annual increase due to inflation. What …
Continue reading QLACs Change the Game in Social Security Timing
My Comments: With the GOP now controlling the House and Senate, there is increased talk about threats to the Social Security system. After all, this is a socialist program, designed to help the financially weakest among us. I’ve long maintained that small tweaks, similar to what Congress has already done some 20-25 years ago, will …
My Comments: As someone who paid into the SSA system for over 50 years, it’s hard to describe the satisfaction my wife and I experience from the deposits made to our checking account every month. As an economist, I’ve watched how the system has been modified over the years to remain the safety net it …
Continue reading 4 Ways Social Security Could Be Healthy Again
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