Social Security

Married? This is the Single Smartest Social Security Decision You Can Make

Social Security 2017: You might want to keep your eye on the money. While President Trump promised on the campaign trail that Social Security would not change if he achieved victory, many pundits are worried that this is one promise he will not be able to keep. Most experts have assumed that Social Security would […]

It is no secret that delaying the start of your Social Security benefits will probably pay off big in the long run.  However, most retirees eschew the advice and start getting Social Security paychecks almost as soon as they are eligible. According to a report by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, 90% […]

Should retirement issues influence how you vote?We are in the midst of a presidential election like none that has ever come before.  And with record numbers of people turning age 65, retirement issues are important. If you are at or approaching retirement age, you may wonder which candidate is a better bet for your interests […]

An illness or injury can totally derail the best laid retirement plans, making it difficult or impossible to earn an income. In 2014, 2.5 million Americans applied for Social Security Disability. But only 810,973 were granted disability payments. What happened? What went wrong? Government agencies can be tricky to navigate at the best of times, […]

A few big new Social Security changes will begin being implemented on May 1, 2016 Most of these rules aim to eliminate the ability to manipulate benefits so that you can continue to delay the official start of your own Social Security payments — thereby maximizing your monthly benefit amount.  The longer you delay starting […]

Rebecca Wiggins is the Executive Director of AFCPE and holds a Masters of Family Financial Planning from Kansas State University. Search for an AFCPE Certified Professional in your area by using the association’s search tool. Now in its 80th year, Social Security is still the cornerstone of the American retirement plan. Following the Great Depression, […]

Choosing the right time to claim your Social Security benefits could improve your retirement plan. If you review your Social Security choices — your options for claiming Social Security benefits, you will find that you can increase your monthly Social Security income by waiting until after you are 62 years old to claim your benefit. […]

With Social Security celebrating its 80th birthday this year, it’s a good time to reassess whether the program still works, and whether it might even exist once your retirement rolls around. It’s seen its share of negativity, with many people doubting its solvency and ability to roll with the unsteady times. But a funny thing […]

August 14 marks the 80th birthday of the program that we know as Social Security. Eighty years ago, the country was suffering through the Great Depression. Jobs were worse than scarce, and families were worse than poor. Pensions had all but disappeared, so the elderly suffered along with younger people who couldn’t find adequate work. […]

Choosing when to claim your social security benefits can be one of the most important decisions that you make in retirement. Proper timing is important, but with conflicting information and advice, it can be hard to determine what the best course of action is for you. Let’s explore what factors you should consider when making […]

You can reasonably count on Social Security benefits once you retire, but determining how much you’ll receive is a different story. There is a formula, of sorts. But as Mark Miller for Morningstar explains, it’s still complex. Although you might not come to a precise dollar amount in predicting your benefits, it’s still interesting to […]

How I Boosted My Social Security Benefit by $100,000

Retirement is a tricky business. You can save and plan your whole life, but that doesn’t mean you’ll know how to best use your Social Security benefits. Counting on the Social Security Administration (SSA) to help you find your way doesn’t always work either. And then there’s the elephant in the room, which is the […]

Have Dependent Children? Social Security Dependent Benefits May Make Taking Social Security Early a Good Choice for Your Retirement You have probably read and reread that you should delay the start of your Social Security benefits until at least your full retirement date (typically around age 66 if you are retiring soon). This advice is […]