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Social Security Update for 2023 Dec. 28, 2022
It has been my custom for most of the past 25 years to write a year-end column that summarizes the S... Read More
Happy Birthday, SSI! Nov. 16, 2022
I was playing one of my morning online word puzzles when up popped a little blurb from a senior citi... Read More
Social Security COLA for 2023 Oct. 19, 2022
In mid-October every year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases its much-anticipated report on ch... Read More
Another Misleading Headline Aug. 17, 2022
I don't know how you folks get by without being scared out of your wits by misleading Social Securit... Read More
Full Retirement Age -- What's the Big Deal? Aug. 18, 2021
I am always getting emails from readers who are so hung up on making sure they start their Social Se... Read More
Clarifying Benefits for Wives May. 12, 2021
Several weeks ago, I wrote a column explaining benefits that are payable to spouses. And by spouses,... Read More
The 3 Rules About Social Security Checks Everyone Should Know Apr. 14, 2021
There are some basic facts about when and how Social Security checks are due and delivered that conf... Read More
I Don't Get the Allure of Retroactive Benefits Mar. 24, 2021
I just don't get people's fascination with the idea of getting retroactive retirement benefits from ... Read More
Social Security -- It's Not Rocket Science Mar. 10, 2021
I am constantly hearing from readers who comment on the perceived complexities of Social Security la... Read More
Turning Full Retirement Age in 2021? Consider Filing for Benefits This Month. Jan. 06, 2021
I write a column similar to this one every January. But I don't mind plagiarizing myself, because it... Read More
Social Security Update for 2021 Dec. 30, 2020
It has been my custom for most of the past 23 years to write a year-end column that summarizes the S... Read More
Full Retirement Age in 2021 and Beyond Dec. 23, 2020
I know many people are saying, "Good riddance" to 2020, partly due to political turmoil but primaril... Read More
Why Me? Ask the Social Security Administration for Help Nov. 25, 2020
Let me ask a question. If your furnace stopped working on the coldest day of the year, would you sen... Read More
Mom and Pop Businesses and Social Security Oct. 28, 2020
More than a few husbands and wives are involved in some kind of mom and pop business. And over the y... Read More
Less for Others and More for Me Oct. 21, 2020
I get hundreds of letters from my readers every week. And from them, I can glean a lot of insight in... Read More
Social Security Rules (Not Reps) Confuse Readers Jul. 29, 2020
Anyone who has read my column for any length of time knows that I have occasionally been critical of... Read More
The COVID-19 Virus and Social Security Jul. 22, 2020
Q: I keep hearing all this talk about how the COVID-19 virus is going to reduce future Social Securi... Read More
Mixing Apples, Oranges and Kumquats Jul. 08, 2020
Q: In a recent column, you said that someone's Social Security check might go down if they are still... Read More
Quick and Dirty Answers Lead to Confusion Jun. 24, 2020
As regular readers of this column know, every once in a while, I try to squeeze as many questions an... Read More
The Social Security 'Retirement Test' Gets a Failing Grade Jun. 10, 2020
There is a provision of Social Security law that is rather archaically called the "annual earnings t... Read More
