Social Security and You from Creators Syndicate

What's Best for Mom in a Mom-and-Pop Business? for 02/15/2012

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0800

Q: My wife and I are in our 30s. We're partners in a business that nets us about $80,000 per year. What's the best way to report our income on our tax returns to maximize our Social Security benefits?

A: Even though you're asking about your future Social Security benefits, I don't like giving tax advice because I'm definitely not a tax expert. So your question really should be directed t ...

Updated: Wed Feb 15, 2012

Bleeding Hearts and Bootstraps for 02/08/2012

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0800

Q: I was surprised by the woman who wrote to you and said that people living on a small amount of Social Security were just lazy. Let me share my story to help this callous woman understand why people like me don't get very much from Social Security.

Believe me, I am not lazy. I worked for quite a few years before I married my husband. Shortly after we were married, I withdrew a ...

Updated: Wed Feb 08, 2012

Don't Base Critical Decisions on Prophets of Doom for 02/01/2012

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0800

Q: I'm about to turn 66. I want to put off starting my Social Security until age 70 because if I do, I'll get an extra $600 or so per month in a delayed retirement bonus added to by Social Security checks. But my husband said I should take my Social Security now because he doesn't think Social Security will even be there in another four years. So should I take it now or wait until age 70?

< ...

Updated: Wed Feb 01, 2012

Geezers and Floozies for 01/25/2012

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0800

Q: I'm part of a group of old geezers who gets together every week at the local coffee place. Social Security is a frequent topic of conversation. At our last meeting, the subject of benefits for divorcees came up.

One of our geezers was married to his first wife for 16 years and to his second wife for 30 years. His first wife remarried, but she is now divorced from that guy after 20 yea ...

Updated: Wed Jan 25, 2012

Social Security's Most Misunderstood Rule for 01/18/2012

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0800

Regular readers of my column know that over the years, I've dealt with many misunderstandings that people have about their Social Security benefits. In fact, I just wrote a column a couple of weeks ago that dealt with many of these misconceptions. But I can tell from the hundreds of emails I've received as a result of that column that there is one issue people get wrong more than any other.

...

Updated: Wed Jan 18, 2012

Brand New Year, Same Old Garbage for 01/11/2012

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0800

If anyone thought the new year would bring about a refreshing wave of truth and honesty on the Internet, well, then he is about as gullible as the people who believe the latest bit of trash that's floating around out there in cyberspace.

I'd guess about fifty of my readers sent me the following message and asked me to comment on it. Here is what the message says:

"This is an ...

Updated: Wed Jan 11, 2012

January Often the Best Month to File for Social Security for 01/04/2012

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0800

I write a column similar to this one every January. But I don't mind plagiarizing myself because it contains a very important message for people planning to retire in 2012.

January is a critical month for the hundreds of thousands of potential Social Security beneficiaries who are reaching their so-called full retirement age in 2012. The important message: All of them should at least con ...

Updated: Wed Jan 04, 2012

2011: The Year of Internet Hogwash for 12/28/2011

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0800

This year will go down in my books as the year of Internet hogwash — at least as far as Social Security is concerned. It seems that I spent half my columns in 2011 dispelling all the myths, rumors, half-truths and outright lies about Social Security that are being spread on the World Wide Web.

Actually, most of the gobbledygook is nothing new. Most of these stories have been around ...

Updated: Wed Dec 28, 2011

12 Myths (Debunked) for Christmas for 12/21/2011

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0800

Here's a holiday gift for my readers. You've heard of the 12 days of Christmas, right? Well, here are 12 of the most common misconceptions about Social Security, cleared up for you in one neat little package.

And please note that these are myths involving one's eligibility for Social Security benefits. I've spent many past columns clearing up the gads of historical, political and policy ...

Updated: Wed Dec 21, 2011

Social Security Is Just One Part of the Global Economy for 12/14/2011

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0800

Q: I'll bet you got a lot of hate mail from readers after you printed the column in which you explained that a Canadian citizen could get American Social Security benefits — even if she moves back to Canada. Is it any wonder our Social Security system is in such trouble if we're sending all of our hard-earned money overseas?

A. Actually, I didn't get any responses to that column &m ...

Updated: Wed Dec 14, 2011

Is Your Tax Holiday Gift a Lump of Coal? for 12/07/2011

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0800

Many people have written to ask my opinion of the proposed expansion of the so-called payroll tax holiday. As any working American knows, the Social Security payroll tax, normally 6.2 percent, was lowered to 4.2 percent for all employees in 2011. And now the administration is proposing not only to extend that reduction for another year but also to reduce the withholding even further — to ...

Updated: Wed Dec 07, 2011

Lazy or Unlucky? for 11/30/2011

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0800

Q: In a recent column, you talked about the large percentage of people who are living on their Social Security checks. You called them unlucky. I don't think they're unlucky. I think they were lazy and didn't do a very good job of planning for the future.

I am really worried that we are turning into a welfare state and that young people today are relying too much on the government to tak ...

Updated: Wed Nov 30, 2011

No Need to ‘Register' With Social Security for 11/23/2011

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0800

Q: I will be 65 in February 2012. I'm still working and plan to keep working until I'm 70. A friend told me that I have to register with the Social Security Administration three months before my 65th birthday even though I don't plan to take my Social Security yet. Is this true?

A: There really is no such thing as "registering" with Social Security — at any age. You simpl ...

Updated: Wed Nov 23, 2011

No Rush to File for Social Security Benefits for 11/16/2011

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0800

Q: I plan to start my Social Security when I turn 65 in January 2012. When and how should I file? What documents will I need?

A: The Social Security Administration usually tells people to file three months before they want their retirement benefits to begin. So you could start the ball rolling any time now. But you really don't have to rush. Standard retirement claims are pretty easy for ...

Updated: Wed Nov 16, 2011

Not Your Grandfather's Social Security Office for 11/09/2011

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0800

Q: I would like you to comment on the attached email. In it, you'll see a photo that shows a waiting room in a typical Social Security office. I've seen similar scenes in my own local office. No wonder Social Security is in trouble if these kinds of people are ripping off the system!

A: Who are "these kinds of people"? To answer the question, let me describe the photo for the r ...

Updated: Wed Nov 09, 2011

Columnist Is Right -- Parents Are Not ‘Mooching' Social Security for 11/02/2011

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Q: In a recent column, you categorically stated that people cannot bring their foreign-born parents to this country and then put them on their Social Security account. You said the only way that could happen is if someone died. In other words, you claim that benefits to parents can be paid only after the death of one of that parent's grown children.

But I know for a fact that this is unt ...

Updated: Wed Nov 02, 2011

COLA News You Might Have Missed for 10/26/2011

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Because my column usually has a one- or two-week lead time before publication, it's almost impossible for me to give my readers any real "news" about Social Security. And this was demonstrated once again recently, when the Social Security Administration announced the cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, for 2012 Social Security checks.

In case you were vacationing in Borneo and ...

Updated: Wed Oct 26, 2011

Social Security and the Self-Employed for 10/19/2011

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Q: In a recent column, you wrote about mandatory Social Security coverage for almost everyone since 1935. But my parents were both optometrists. And I remember my dad was proud of the fact that he wasn't forced into Social Security from the beginning. I believe he was finally required to "join" Social Security sometime in the 1960s. And believe me, he wasn't happy about that! Can you ...

Updated: Wed Oct 19, 2011

Tips on Filing for Social Security Disability Benefits for 10/12/2011

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0700

About a month ago, I answered some questions from people who were wondering if I thought they might be eligible for Social Security disability benefits. I essentially told them that the only way they would know for sure is to actually apply for such benefits.

I took flack from some readers who thought my answer encouraged an "entitlement society" where everybody is trying to mo ...

Updated: Wed Oct 12, 2011

Social Security's Misunderstood Suspense File for 10/05/2011

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Q: I recently heard a news report that said Social Security has several billion dollars in something called a suspense file. It has something to do with the taxes collected on fraudulent Social Security numbers. The report said this money is just sitting there, not earning interest and not being used for any constructive purpose. If this is true, it's no wonder our government has such financial ...

Updated: Wed Oct 05, 2011