Archive: Social Security

Times are tough. Money is very tight, especially since the start of the pandemic. The cure is here, but that doesn’t stop funds from being scarce. Many people have turned to Social Security benefits. Some people really need the benefits more than others. For example, if you are handicapped, it can be even tougher to […]

My online friend Kelly Phillips Erb has an excellent column in Forbe’s about the upcoming increase in Social Security benefits for 2019. Please read the entire article for a full explanation. Here are the opening paragraphs: Rising interest rates may be wreaking havoc on the markets, but they mean good news for those relying on […]

In all of your investment planning for retirement, you may have forgotten to take into consideration how much money you should also be getting from Social Security. While exact numbers may change over the years as new tax laws are enacted and the national debt rises, you can still get a fairly accurate estimate of […]

Divorce is tough, and once the decision is made it can be quite some time before all is said and done. While it’s always best to take as much time as you need to understand the legal effects of your divorce, there could be some other reasons that your soon-to-be-ex isn’t willing to move as […]

Social Security disability payments provide vital income support for millions of people. These benefits are not normally taxable. However, there are exceptions. There are actually two income programs for people with disabilities: Social Security Disability Income and Supplemental Security Income. The rules are different for these programs, so you have to look at them separately. […]

The Social Security Administration provides lump-sum death benefits of $255 to over 800,000 survivors each year. These survivors include certain spouses and children who were receiving benefits on the worker’s record or became eligible on the worker’s record after his or her death. The lump-sum death benefits paid each year are expected to increase from $200 million in 2015 to $217 […]

By Rosalie Alviar Social Security Regional Public Affairs Specialist in Dallas, TX “There’s been an awakening. Have you felt it?” This winter, Americans of all generations are awakening to the newest film in the Star Wars franchise, Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Many readers probably remember seeing the first Star Wars film in theaters in 1977. Audiences watched […]

The Social Security Administration has recently redesigned its Web site, and the new one is full of information and fairly easy to navigate. One thing some people may not realize is that the Social Security Administration provides a vast amount of helpful information online. They also have many publications you can download from the Web […]

It’s been a few years since I put up an acronym post, and things do change. One of the most daunting challenges to beginning a Social Security Disability practice is the ridiculous number of acronyms you need to learn. The National Organization of Social Security Disability Claimants Representatives (NOSSCR) has put up two comprehensive lists […]

It seems everyone is catering to smartphone users these days, even the staid old Social Security Administration. In a press release this week the agency announced a new mobile-optimized Web site. Here is the release from SSA: Agency Leverages Technology to Meet Customer Service Expectations Carolyn W. Colvin, Acting Commissioner of Social Security, announced the […]