My Comments: Those of us old enough to be taking SSA benefits have experienced minimal increases in the last few years. That’s because the ‘official’ numbers for inflation have been low. There is an argument they should be even lower as a way to keep the so-called SSA reserves from going to empty. In my …
Continue reading Social Security Cost-of-living Adjustments Projected to Increase Slightly in 2015
My Comments: I’ve said it before and I’m sure I’ll say it again: when to claim Social Security benefits is a complex question. On one hand, if you know you will live to life expectancy, it’s a fairly simple math question. But on the other hand, if you don’t know when you will die, or …
Continue reading Hidden Bonus: Taking Early Social Security Payments
My Comments: The questions surrounding Social Security are almost endless. It’s a complicated system and as more and more of us reach eligibility, it is clear that simply signing up as soon as you are eligible will cost you and your family lots of money and options over the years. Philip Moeller / Sept. 9, …
Continue reading When It Comes to Claiming Spousal Benefits, Timing Is Everything
My Comments: By now you know that I provide financial advice about Social Security and about ways to maximize your SSA benefits. That all happens when you are alive. Inevitably, someone in a married relationship is going to leave the building, as Elvis did. Then what happens? by Paul Norr / AUG 18, 2014 …
Continue reading Social Security Survivor Benefits: What Advisors (and clients) Should Know
My Comments: You may not agree with me but Social Security is a complicated issue. If you hope to find a quick and easy summary of what is implied by the title, you'll be disappointed. My assumption is that if you haven’t yet applied for Social Security benefits, that day will come, and statistics tell …
Continue reading What You Don’t Know About Social Security—but Should
My Comments: I’ve now reduced retirement years to three types of years. They are “go-go”, “slow-go” and “no-go”. Planning for them before you reach retirement is a matter of attempting to get as many $ in the pot as possbile. After that, it’s a timing issue that is driven by health, the expected life style, …
Continue reading 3 Retirement Planning Essentials to Understand
My Comments: (I’ve missed a couple of posts for which I apologize. We went to my 55th high school reunion and met some interesting people. Much more interesting than thay were 55 years ago, assuming I remembered them at all. The prevailing sentiment was to congratulate each other for being upright, breathing and taking noursishment.) …
My Comments: Understanding the Social Security system and helping clients make the best choices has become a passion for me. Before a few months ago, I never realized there were a total of 97 months to choose from when signing up for benefits. I never knew the difference between the best month and the worst …
Continue reading 10 Numbers Everyone Should Know About Social Security
My Comments: It’s no secret that Social Security is a major issue these days. So many people are arriving at the magic number when you can apply. For financial advisors like myself, knowing most of the variables and being able to help clients and others make the best decision for themselves is important. When you …
Continue reading 10 Things You Should Know About Social Security
My Comments: Two days ago, I posted an article with 11 Tips About Social Security. Only it somehow got posted without a Title. I didn’t notice and no one called or emailed to tell me about it. Maybe the article was compelling on its own or more likely, few people pay any attention to these …
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