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Don't Blame the Government -- Blame Yourself May. 04, 2022
Sometimes people will write to me complaining that the government, specifically the Social Security ... Read More
Angry Al and Me Apr. 27, 2022
I get lots of emails from my readers. Most are from nice people who have questions about their parti... Read More
Questions from Young Widows Apr. 20, 2022
Last week, I answered questions about Social Security widow's benefits. But I ran out of column spac... Read More
Social Security Benefits for Widows Apr. 13, 2022
I've saved up some questions that are either from widows or from husbands or wives wondering about f... Read More
The Best Social Security Book I've Ever Read Apr. 06, 2022
I just finished reading the best book about Social Security that I have ever read. In just under 100... Read More
Carrying a Social Security Grudge for Years Mar. 16, 2022
I'm always amazed by the number of emails I get from people who have been getting benefits for 10 ye... Read More
Most Common Social Security Questions Mar. 02, 2022
I get hundreds of emails each week from my readers. I try to answer them all, but I probably answer ... Read More
When and How to File for Social Security Benefits Dec. 15, 2021
Hundreds of thousands of people will be filing for Social Security benefits in 2022. So today, I'm g... Read More
How a Social Security Benefit Is Figured -- For Beginners and for Experts Nov. 17, 2021
There are some columns I could repeat over and over again — because I'm asked the same questio... Read More
Even More Questions From Women Nov. 10, 2021
I've speculated before that most of the readers of my column are women. And that conjecture is based... Read More
Questions from My Women Readers Oct. 20, 2021
In last week's column, I presented a brief overview of the Social Security rules that apply to women... Read More
What To Do When SSA Steers You Wrong Aug. 25, 2021
These are the columns I hate to write. Columns that are critical of some of my former colleagues at ... Read More
Will Collecting a Public Pension Reduce Your Social Security? Jun. 16, 2021
Dear Carrie, I'm retiring soon with a pension that's outside of the Social Security system. I've al... Read More
Should I Take the Lump Sum Option From My Pension? Feb. 17, 2021
Dear Carrie: I'm about to retire, and I have to decide between taking a lump sum or lifetime income ... Read More
February 21, 2020 Feb. 21, 2020
Dear Annie: I was interested in the letter from "Still Stressed Out," who is the caregiver for paren... Read More
Give What You Have Dec. 11, 2019
"As a new resident of a small, southern town, I often noticed a stocky, gray-haired man ride by my h... Read More
Hire an Adviser Jan. 02, 2019
Dear Mr. Berko: Please don't use my initials or city, because my comments might encourage the local ... Read More
Politicians' Deceitful Promise Oct. 24, 2018
Will you be able to retire? Maybe not. Will your state pay what its politicians promised? Almost ce... Read More
Chicago Bonds Oct. 03, 2018
Dear Mr. Berko: I'm an 86-year-old retired steelworker. I am in good health and receive substantial ... Read More
Public Pensions Are on an 'Unsustainable' Course Apr. 17, 2018
For decades, politicians across the country have blissfully adopted an "If we ignore it, maybe it'll... Read More
