- How to Find and Read Your Social Security Statement
If Social Security benefits figure into your retirement income plan, then reading your Social Security Statement is a must. This statement can help you estimate how much you’ll receive from Social Security once you retire. That can be useful when… read more…
- 2025 Social Security Changes
The Social Security Administration (SSA) makes changes to Social Security programs every October that go into effect the following January. The biggest changes tend to concern Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA), which ensure that retirement, disability and survivors benefits keep… read more…
- 10 Strategies to Maximize Social Security Benefits
Social Security benefits, when combined with savings from a 401(k) and individual retirement account (IRA), can help you retire the way you want. Of course, not everyone earns the same amount from Uncle Sam. Here are 10 strategies to maximize your… read more…
- What Is Social Security?
Social Security provides a progressive benefit. This means it’s weighted so that it replaces a larger percentage of earnings for workers who were on the low end of the income scale than on the high end. Still, how much you… read more…
- Social Security Tax Limit for 2026
The most you will have to pay in Social Security taxes for 2023 will be $9,932. That’s what you will pay if you earn $160,200 or more. As its name suggests, the Social Security tax goes to the Social Security program. For… read more…
- Are You Eligible For Social Security Benefits?
If you’ve worked in the U.S. for at least a decade, you can expect to receive some Social Security retirement benefits once you retire. The idea is that if you pay into the system throughout your career via FICA payroll taxes, then you… read more…
- 10 Social Security Secrets You Should Know
Social Security benefits may be an integral part of your financial picture in retirement. In fact, 55% of retirees and pre-retirees aged 50 or older say Social Security will be their main source of retirement income, according to a 2018… read more…
- Will Social Security Run Out Before I Retire?
While there are a lot of questions about the future of Social Security, the fact is that it is highly unlikely the program will ever actually run out of money. The federal government founded the Social Security program during the… read more…
- SSI vs. SSDI: A Guide to Social Security Disability
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) often get lumped together or confused with each other, despite being two distinct government programs. This is understandable: They are both government disability assistance programs with very similar acronyms. That… read more…
- Documents You Need to Apply for Social Security
Applying for your Social Security benefits is less of a daunting process than it may seem, especially since the Social Security Administration (SSA) allows you to apply online. Once you’ve determined the best age to apply for your situation, the… read more…
- How to Open and Use a My Social Security Account
With a mySocialSecurity account, you can manage your benefits online. For example, you can set up the direct deposit of your check or notify the Social Security Administration of your address change. But people who aren’t yet receiving benefits may… read more…
- Social Security Form SSA-1696-U4
The Social Security Administration (SSA) is an enormous organization, and the decisions it makes regarding your benefits can have a big impact on your finances. It’s not unusual to feel overwhelmed when you’re applying for benefits or appealing a decision.… read more…
- Social Security Form SSA-3373-BK
Applying for Social Security disability benefits can be a long process. It can involve interviews, multiple applications and sometimes rejections and appeals. The Social Security Administration (SSA) needs to determine both that your injuries or conditions are actively preventing you… read more…
- Social Security Form SSA-561-U2
When you seek assistance from the Social Security Administration (SSA), it will make a decision on whether you’re eligible to receive that assistance. The SSA may also make decisions about any assistance you’re already receiving. If there’s ever a point… read more…
- Social Security Form CMS-L564
The process of applying for Medicare benefits is more complicated than it may initially seem. If you want to apply for a portion of Medicare insurance called Medicare Part B, you can only do so during certain parts of the year.… read more…
- Social Security Form SSA-3288
From time to time, you need to provide information or records about yourself to another party – for instance, a doctor or insurance company. When this happens, you’ll need to ensure that all the information is accurate. You can request that the Social Security Administration (SSA) send your information or records directly to the third… read more…
- Social Security Form SS-5
Your Social Security number is an essential piece of information, used for everything from getting Social Security benefits to opening a bank account. You’ll find your number on your Social Security card, which can also be used as proof of your identity.… read more…
- What Are Social Security Spousal Benefits?
If you pay into Social Security while you work, then you benefit from it when you retire. However, there are some lesser-known features of Social Security that can make a big difference for your retirement. Social Security spousal benefits are just… read more…
- The Right Age to Take Social Security Retirement Benefits
As you get older, you start thinking more about retirement distributions than contributions. One of the biggest questions that near-retirees have is, “What is the best age to start collecting Social Security benefits? Most take the benefits right away, but that… read more…
- Full Retirement Age Defined and Explained
Your full retirement age is the point at which you’re able to earn the full amount of benefits that you’ve earned throughout your career, according to the Social Security Administration (SSA). However, that doesn’t mean it’s the age at which… read more…
- What Would Privatized Social Security Look Like?
The last Social Security privatization proposal with legs came in 2005. Former President George W. Bush proposed a system of voluntary investment accounts. These accounts would contain money from workers’ payroll taxes. Since that failed, no other privatization proposal has gotten as far. But could that change? Let’s talk about what privatized Social Security could look like. … read more…
- How Does Early Retirement Affect Social Security?
Many adults look forward to retirement and some wouldn’t mind leaving the workforce a little earlier than they are expected to. However, few people think about the drawbacks of retiring early, especially if they haven’t thought through and fully planned… read more…
- Top 4 Things Retirees Get Wrong About Social Security
Social Security benefits supplement existing savings in retirement and while they’re valuable to many seniors, they’re often misunderstood. In a recent survey, only 28% of participants earned a passing grade when quizzed on their knowledge about Social Security. Here’s a look at the most common things seniors get wrong when it comes to Social Security. Find… read more…
- Social Security Retirement Benefits
Are you factoring Social Security benefits in to your retirement planning? If so, you should know the basics of Social Security eligibility and payments. That way, you won’t get any unpleasant surprises when it comes time to claim your benefits after decades of hard work. Don’t worry – we’ve got you covered with our guide… read more…
- Is Social Security Income Taxable?
Social Security income is generally taxable at the federal level, though whether or not you have to pay taxes on your Social Security benefits depends on your income level. If you have other sources of retirement income, such as a… read more…