Your 2016 Guide to Social Security Benefits

Article Excerpt: "...Here's what you need to know about Social Security in 2016, whether you're about to retire, or are still decades away..."

Resource: www.fool.com

Social Security Benefits

Modifying A Social Security Filing Strategy After The Recent Rule Changes

Article Excerpt: "...After the rule change, spousal benefits will only be payable if the first person is actually receiving the benefit. Suspending will result in spousal benefits being suspended as well. - See more at: http://www.fedsmith.com/2015/12/14/modifying-a-social-security-filing-strategy-after-the-recent-rule-changes/#sthash.lyxMR9RK.dpuf..."

Resource: www.fedsmith.com

Social Security claiming strategies for married couples

Article Excerpt: "...Another strategy that can be used to increase household income for retirees is to have one spouse file for spousal benefits first, then switch to his or her own higher retirement benefit later..."

Resource: www.thespectrum.com

2016 Budget: Favoring Corporate Welfare, Congress Screws Lower Middle Class and Retirees Then Takes Vacation AGAIN

Article Excerpt: "...succeeded in fending off numerous policy amendments that Republicans had sought to attach to the spending bill, including efforts to block environmental and labor rules...bill is even referred to as a Christmas tree bill because special interests get special presents... jeopardize retirement security, Medicare and Social Security, because those so-called entitlements are next up on the chopping block..."

Resource: www.nytimes.com

Congress, Republicans, Democrats, 2016 Budget Deal, Corporate Welfare, anti-labor deals, Social Security, Medicare, retirement security,

Want your full retirement benefits sooner? Prepare early

Want your full retirement benefits sooner? Prepare early, personnel agency tells federal employees.

Article Excerpt: "...“We advise soon-to-be retirees to have at least three months of savings on which to live while their claim is being processed,” National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association legislative director Jessica Klement said. NARFE also advises employees to prepare early and make sure their applications are complete and include all needed documentation, she said..."

Resource: www.washingtonpost.com

Retirement Planning,

3 Reasons Women Are Better at Retirement Planning Than Men

Article Excerpt: "... when it comes to your own retirement-planning efforts, it really doesn’t much matter how men and women stack up against each other. What matters is what you do—specifically, whether you participate in a 401(k) or similar plan if one’s available; whether you save enough to give yourself a shot at building an adequate nest egg; and whether you invest your savings in a diversified portfolio with an emphasis on growth...."

Resource: time.com

File-and-suspend and other Social Security strategies clipped

Congress patches Social Security, Medicare

Article Excerpt: "...File-and-suspend and other Social Security strategies clipped. Closes some loopholes in Social Security's rules about deemed filing, dual entitlement and benefit suspension in order to prevent individuals from obtaining larger benefits than Congress intended. The new rules affecting dual entitlement affect people who turn 62 after 2015. Rules eliminating benefit suspension will take effect 6 months after the new law is approved..."

Resource: www.bankrate.co

filing a restricted application (Social Security), file-and-suspend (Social Security),

The best states for an early retirement

Article Excerpt: "...considered sales tax rates, property tax rates and living costs such as health insurance and housing. Click ahead for a look at the top states for an early retirement..."

Resource: www.cbsnews.com

Best States to Retire Early,

No Social Security raise as prices climb: Data backs local seniors’ worries

Article Excerpt: "...“I know my costs have gone up,” she says. Rent on her apartment, which eats up half her income, increased this year. So have her grocery bills. And she expects her utilities to go up next year..."

Resource: www.seattletimes.com

2015 Social Security COLA, COLA,

Military Service (Bought) and the FERS Special Retirement Supplement (SRS)

Am I Eligible for the Special Retirement Supplement?

Article Excerpt: "... is designed to replace the portion of an age 62 Social Security benefit that is due to civilian employment under the FERS system (military time that has been bought for FERS retirement..."

Resource: fedsmith.com

What's the average Social Security benefit?

What's the Maximum Social Security Benefit?

Article Excerpt: "...The maximum benefit depends on the age at which a worker retires. For a worker retiring this year at age ..."

Resource: aarp.org

Maximum Social Security Benefit, Average Social Security benefit,

Will your Social Security benefit be taxed?

Are Your Social Security Benefits Taxable?

Article Excerpt: "...Instead of making Social Security benefits taxable or not taxable, they’ve created a system in which a portion of your benefits may be taxable if you earn a certain amount of money. It’s a bit convoluted, but try to follow along. To determine if any of your benefits are taxable, you need to add..."

Resource: www.moneytalksnews.com

Ted Cruz wants to cut Social Security benefits, raise the Social Security retirement age and privatize

Ted Cruz Is About To Announce For President. Here’s What You Need To Know About Him

Article Excerpt: "... he also proposed a three-part plan to raise the Social Security retirement age, cut future benefits, and privatize much of the program. A similar privatization proposal ..."

Resource: thinkprogress.org

Destruction of America's working class, Ted Cruz,

Military Buy Back and Your Future Annuity

Article Excerpt: "... do not count in the computation of the supplement. ..."

Resource: fedsmith.com

FERS Special Retirement Supplement Eligibility

TSP February Gains

The S Fund Led TSP's February Gains

Article Excerpt: "...The S Fund, invested in small and midsize companies, had the best month of the 10 funds, increasing 6.05 percent. The ..."

Resource: www.govexec.com

S Fund, TSP,

10 Cheapest Places Where You'll Want to Retire

Article Excerpt: "...Using data on 223 metropolitan areas across the U.S., we identified the places with the cheapest living costs specifically for retirees. We placed particular emphasis on reasonable price tags for the two biggest retirement budget-busters, health care and housing, and we also looked at states' tax burdens on retirees. ..."

Resource: www.dailyfinance.com

How much did Social Security benefits increase in 2015

Social Security Q&A: How much did benefits increase in 2015?

Article Excerpt: "... The average monthly Social Security benefit for a retired worker in 2015 is $1,328 (up from $1,306 in 2014). The average monthly Social Security benefit for a disabled worker in 2015 is $1,165 (up from $1,146 in 2014). As a reminder, eligibility for retirement benefits still requires 40 credits (usually about 10 years of work). ..."

Resource: www.myrtlebeachonline.com

Panel will propose new military retirement system

Article Excerpt: "...Specifically, the proposal calls for automatically enrolling each service member in the federal government's Thrift Savings Plan, or TSP, an investment account that accrues savings. Individual troops will be responsible for managing their accounts, and the money is typically not available for withdrawal without penalty until age 59.5. ..."

Resource: www.usatoday.com

Republicans trying to ensure Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) runs short of money in less than two years

Republicans want you to think Social Security has a funding problem. Don't believe them.

Article Excerpt: "...What he doesn't mention is that the regular Social Security fund won't come up short until 2034. Plugging the holes in SSDI would advance that date by only about one year, since SSDI is only a small fraction of the overall program...."

Resource: theweek.com

Retiree info exposed in OPM website glitch: Allowed users access to other retirees' personal information

Retiree info exposed in OPM website glitch

Article Excerpt: "...A glitch in the system allowed retirees logging in to the portal Monday morning to gain access to the personal accounts of other users...."

Resource: www.federaltimes.com

You need to understand FERS – inside and out

Maximizing Retirement Benefits and Perks for Federal Employees

Article Excerpt: "...Whether you just retired or are planning on doing so in the near future, you need to understand FERS – inside and out. Overlooking details can cause you to miss out on some of the great benefits afforded to you. ..."

Resource: www.fedsmith.com

Federal Employee Taxes: What will you face in retirement?

Taxes Federal Employees Will Face in Retirement

Article Excerpt: "...When a federal employee has retired, income taxes do not go away, they just change somewhat. Federal pensions, Social Security and distributions from the Thrift Savings Plan are all taxable to some extent. - See more at: http://www.fedsmith.com/2015/01/13/taxes-federal-employees-will-face-in-retirement/#sthash.fYBwQsCU.dpuf..."

Resource: www.fedsmith.com

Taxes in retirement

Social Security Q&A: Would Either Widow's or Retirement Benefits Be Greater than Child-in-Care Spousal?

Article Excerpt: "...There are three benefits involved here: your mother’s benefit (the survivor’s benefit you are now collecting based on having a disabled child in your care), your widows benefit, which exceeds your mother’s benefit, but will be reduced if you take it before full retirement age (66 in your case), and your own retirement benefit..."

Resource: www.forbes.com