It’s a horrible thought. You finally get to the time in life when you can reap the benefits of a lifetime of work, you file for your Social Security benefits, and discover that some of your benefits will be garnished to pay off old debts. This reality hit home recently with a report, Snapshot of […]
Your child, or grandchild is a minor. When a child is entitled to Social Security benefits, the Social Security Administration (SSA) will appoint a representative payee to receive benefits on behalf of the child. Usually this is the parent. The representative payee collects the benefits and pays the child’s living expenses until the child turns 18 […]
Most people look at the benefits they would receive today when making their decision about when to begin receiving their Social Security. They also underestimate how long they may live unless they already have medical issues that are known to reduce longevity. These two impulses cause many couples to begin their benefits too early which […]
Most people don’t know how their Social Security benefit is determined. Being unaware leads to this very common question – Will working longer increase, or decrease my Social Security benefit? Working longer, even part time, will NOT reduce your benefit. And in some cases, may increase your benefit. The below short article explains in […]
When it comes to Social Security, divorce, remarriage and/or being a survivor of any spouse may get confusing. You’ve had a complicated life – what do you do when it comes to Social Security? Workers generally receive their own benefit based on their own work record IF that benefit is higher. Spouses may receive a spousal […]
There can be confusion about Federal Employees and Social Security about CSRS, FERS, and something called “CSRS offset.” Let’s see how these federal retirement plans interact with Social Security. The Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) was enacted in 1920 to give federal employees pension benefits at retirement. When the Social Security Act was passed in 1935, […]
Social Security does have a maximum payout called the Family Maximum. It may apply to families who are retired, family survivors, and families of a disabled person receiving benefits. There is a formula for the benefit which is complicated. Your Social Security statement specifies what the maximum benefit may be. The values the formula uses […]
Most people don’t realize (or do, but don’t plan for it) that, as a couple, there is lost income from Social Security automatically built in. I discussed examples in a post titled “Social Security and Survivor Considerations.” In this post, the question is … How much money* is needed to replace that lost income? First, the […]
Security Planning isn’t just for people who haven’t claimed yet. People who are already receiving Social Security often forget about other benefits they may be entitled to after having filed. The wise owl circles back to review things they’ve done in the past to be sure something wasn’t forgotten! This is not second guessing – it […]
Did you know that Social Security for couples has a built in pay cut for survivors? How does that happen? Retirement has three basic phases for couples: Phase 1: Both are here – Retirement Plan. Phase 2: One is here as the survivor – Survivor Plan. Phase 3: Neither are here – Estate Plan. Most couples […]
