Social Security
Found 254 Articles.
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Surprising Tax Havens
State tax laws discriminate based on age, and that can be a good thing for some taxpayers. Even notoriously high tax states can be tax havens for retirees. In fact, Florida and other retiree magnets might not be the tax havens they are promoted as when the full tax picture is considered. Florida has no […]
How to Maximize Medical Expense Deductions
Medical expense deductions are the elusive goal of many taxpayers. With higher medical expenses than others, retirees are the taxpayers most likely to be able to deduct their medical expenses. They can maximize those deductions by knowing the rules. The definition of deductible medical expenses is broad. Qualified medical expenses, however, can be deducted only […]
Life Insurance: How Much Do You Need?
Few people own the right amount of life insurance, because there probably is truth in the adage that life insurance is sold, not bought. Most people avoid the topic until they have to address it. Those that do seek out life insurance often receive all their advice from one commissioned agents instead of from several […]
Social Security and Medicare: What Lies Ahead?
The trustees of the Social Security and Medicare Trust Funds issued their annual report recently, and as usual it was dismal. Yet, buried within the report is some reasonably good news for those who want to see it. That news also is important to those who are planning their retirement income over the next few […]
Retirement Planning: How Are You Doing?
Financial and retirement planning start with answering the question in the headline. After determining how you are doing, the next step is to define the actions that are needed to either help you do better or at least maintain your current status. Answering the first question is not as easy as many people suppose. Traditionally, […]
Social Security and Your Spouse
Benefits for a spouse are among the least understood part of the Social Security program. Your earnings and your decision of when to begin benefits affect the benefits received by your spouse and even by an ex-spouse. Every married person eligible to receive Social Security benefits looks to two work records to determine the amount […]
What is the Best Age to Begin Taking Your Social Security
What is the best age to begin taking your Social Security benefits? The answer might be changing. We discussed this conundrum that faces those approaching retirement in both our past visits and in my book, The New Rules of Retirement. The general conclusion is that the vast majority of retirees who begin taking their benefits […]
Medicare Premium Hikes Coming
Medicare beneficiaries with higher incomes face higher premiums in 2007 and thereafter. We have better estimates of those premiums now, and beneficiaries can factor these higher costs into their financial plans. The higher premiums, called surtaxes, are imposed on a sliding scale. They begin rising for single beneficiaries whose incomes exceed $80,000 and for married […]
