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April 8, 2019 — Your Social Security benefit is one of the pillars of your retirement. To make the most of it you need to make smart choices on how and when you take it. Make a wrong move based on misinformation or lack of knowledge, and it could cost…
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Category: Financial and taxes in retirement
(Updated October 3, 2018 – with an important new development) –July 18, 2018 — Back in May we reported on our experience of applying online for our Social Security retirement benefits. The plan was to have the application completed and accepted in time to start receiving benefits in August, 2018,…
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Category: Financial and taxes in retirement
May 16, 2018 — (Updated July and October with more experience). Back in March I received a letter from the Social Security Administration – “It is time for you to register for your retirement benefit!” I was impressed with their timing and efficiency, since my 70th birthday will be this…
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Category: Financial and taxes in retirement
Updated Oct. 2023 – There is no shortage of articles on how to “maximize” your Social Security benefit, often from some of the top experts in the field. Some of them advocate taking the benefit early, but just as many advocate waiting. It’s a complicated subject, but the best answer…
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Category: Financial and taxes in retirement
November 16, 2015 — The biggest change affecting Social Security benefits in at least 15 years is about to go into effect on April 30, 2016. It is a change that could cost certain beneficiaries $50,000 over a lifetime. As with any major change to a benefit program there has…
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Category: Financial and taxes in retirement
Note: This has become Module 8 of our Retirement 101 Online Retirement Course. We have written several other articles about Social Security you might also enjoy: "Social Security Quiz- A Learning Experience", and "What Is Your Social Security Worst Claim Scenario". Important changes to spousal claiming strategies occurred in 2016, these are referenced in our later articles.
April 24, 2012 -- We were vain enough to consider ourselves experts on when and how to start collecting social security. That is, until we attended a talk last week in Old Saybrook, Connecticut by Kurt Czarnowski of Czarnowski Consulting. Boy, the things we didn't know, and the others so misunderstood! This Module is Part 1 of a 3 Part Series. Here will give a brief background on Social Security and then dive into successful strategies for optimizing your return from this important safety net. Part 2 of this series concentrates on issues related to claiming strategies for couples, the rights of divorced spouses, and frequent misunderstandings/questions about Social Security. Part 3 explains "How to 'Buy' an annuity from Social Security".
First, let's start with a quote from Kurt Czarnowski: "The myths and misunderstandings about Social Security are staggering". This from a man who spent 34 years within the Social Security Administration, the last of those as a Communications Director. Given all the misinformation, it is important that
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