Folks who already claim Social Security retirement benefits heard they would get more in their checks starting in January, 2019. Good news indeed! In fact, the Social Security COLA—cost of living adjustment—was quite large: 2.8%. That is the highest increase since 2011. But in real dollars that will be available for retirees to spend, well, some might consider the increase … [Read more...] about Social Security COLA for 2019: Sort of Like a Soft Drink
Social Security
Social Security Solvency: It Better Be Here to Stay
You may recall last month's blog post, Social Security Solvency: It’s Here to Stay. In that post, I shared where you can get the numbers to see how the program is working and what the projections are for its longevity. This month, I wanted more analysis of Social Security solvency in a way to bring home how impactful, or not, changing Social Security would be on the … [Read more...] about Social Security Solvency: It Better Be Here to Stay
Social Security Solvency: It’s Here to Stay
There are some 45,000,000 retirees collecting Social Security retirement benefits today. More than half of these folks decided to claim their benefit before their Full Retirement Age or FRA. In fact, 52% of men pushed the “grab-and-go” button well before Full Retirement Age. And, nearly 59% of women did the same. Full Retirement age is the age considered officially … [Read more...] about Social Security Solvency: It’s Here to Stay
Social Security: Claiming Categories
Where do you fit in Social Security's 4 claiming categories? April is Social Security education month. So, let’s learn more about this crazy-complicated, but oh-so-important program that will become the foundation to your retirement income. A critical topic to understand: the 4 claiming categories. To help you get your arms around Social Security, I’ll post … [Read more...] about Social Security: Claiming Categories
Protect Your Social Security Number: Four Important Tips
Freezing Your Credit Does Not Protect Your Social Security Number In light of breaches at major credit reporting agencies and at many places we shop, it’s extremely important to note that freezing your credit account and taking extra steps to monitor credit history do nothing to protect your Social Security number. Your Social Security Number (SSN) is the cornerstone of … [Read more...] about Protect Your Social Security Number: Four Important Tips
