Category: Social Security

Social Security Pop-up Ads Are So Misleading

In the last month or so, I’ve written two columns about Social Security “news” articles I’ve seen in various publications with misleading headlines that are intended to lure you into reading the rest of the story. What’s contained in the article is never as dramatic or newsworthy as the exaggerated headline would indicate. These Social…


Social Security Payments Update Coming This Week, and It Could Be Significant

The Social Security Administration is expected to announce its cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, for Social Security recipients this week—and it could be the largest increase in decades. Analysts with the Senior Citizens League say the COLA hike will be 8.7 percent to keep pace with year-over-year information. Last year, the Social Security Administration announced a…


Questions Seldom Asked

Because I’ve been writing this column for about a quarter-century now, you probably can guess that there are questions I’ve been asked hundreds (if not thousands) of times during the past 25 years. And I don’t think there is a single Social Security-related question I’ve never been asked. But it dawned on me as I…


Medicare Part B Will Cost Less Next Year

In a historic move, Medicare costs have declined for the first time in years. Seniors on Medicare will enjoy a reduction in the cost of Medicare Part B by a few dollars. The reason for the savings is that a drug called Aduhelm, which treats Alzheimer’s, was less expensive than was projected for 2022. Medicare…


Social Security Income Restrictions

By Elliot Raphaelson From Tribune Content Agency In a recent column in Investment News, Mary Beth Franklin discussed issues related to payroll taxes and to lost potential Social Security benefits for those who apply prior to full retirement age. Franklin has written an excellent ebook covering all Social Security issues, which you can order at…


Four Ways Retirees Can Protect Their Savings

Even though the United States has a retirement system, it is not perfect. Compared with the retirement systems in other developed nations, it has become apparent that there are flaws in America’s system—chiefly because not everyone has access to a secure financial future. 1) Have a Retirement Plan The biggest retirement system flaw, says Yahoo.News,…


100 Social Security Myths Busted

I’ve just released a new book. It’s called “Social Security: 100 Myths and 100 Facts.” You can get a hard copy of the book for less than 10 bucks at Amazon.com. You can get an electronic version of the book at BarnesAndNoble.com and other online booksellers. Regular readers of this column may recall that I…


The Unsure Future of Social Security and Your Retirement

In the past, Americans looked forward to the day they could retire and collect Social Security. It was something that you could count on because you had been paying for it your whole working life. Now, it seems this staple of life can no longer be counted on in the not-so-distant future. What the Social…


Personal Finance for Newbies

Managing your personal finances involves managing both short- and long-term aspects of your finances. It also refers to an industry that offers products and services to help individuals manage their finances and investments. But, if you’re new to personal finance, all that may not mean much to you. So, let’s explain why personal finance is…


Will You Be in a New Tax Bracket Next Year?

No one likes paying taxes, but they are part of life. Getting your annual taxes as low as you can is something everyone wants, but this next tax year may mean paying more taxes for some. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will make a tax bracket-adjustment soon—and it probably will put some people into a…