Social Security
Found 257 Articles.
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How to Reduce Tax on Social Security
Each year more seniors pay taxes on Social Security benefits than did the year before, and those who already were taxed pay more. That is an inevitable result of the way the tax is structured, unless you take action to reverse things. The benefits are taxable when adjusted gross income exceeds certain levels. One big […]
Most Overlooked Deducations
Many taxpayers don’t take all the deductions to which they are entitled. Some think all the good deductions were eliminated in the Tax Reform Act of 1986. Others are afraid that the IRS will audit them for taking certain deductions. A lack of good records is the problem for a number of taxpayers. For most […]
Protecting Against ID Theft
Identity theft will be the crime of the millennium. It dominated the news recently when three credit card company employees were arrested for selling the data of 30,000 customers for $100 each. Fraud is perhaps the most common crime, and ID theft is another form of fraud. ID theft is growing rapidly, however, and soon […]
How Social Security Can Help Your Spouse
A key issue everyone faces is when to begin Social Security benefits. One aspect of this decision that is easy to overlook is how the choice could affect a spouse’s lifetime income. We’ve discussed when to begin Social Security benefits in past visits, most recently in the May 2002 issue (available in the Archive of […]
Estate Planning Strategy: How to Start Savings for Grandchildren
What is the best way to get your grandchildren started on the right foot financially? Most people get the answer to this question only half-right. A goal of many grandparents is to provide some financial support for their grandchildren. Some grandparents put money aside for college education expenses. Others set up trusts, custodial accounts, or […]
How To Take Withdrawals At Retirement
Retirees don’t receive much advice on the best ways to take distributions from their investment accounts after retirement. Financial firms have a wealth of easy-to-find information on saving through taxable and various tax-advantaged accounts. Yet they don’t seem interested in helping you decide how to plan withdrawals from the accounts. Most Americans have their retirement […]
When To Begin Social Security?
Big changes are coming to Social Security. I don’t mean anything Congress or the President might do. These changes were put in place in the 1980s and are just taking effect. These changes affect the retirement of everyone who won’t begin receiving Social Security benefits by the end of 2002 and will influence when people […]
Should you go back to work after retirement?
Sometimes work doesn’t really pay. The sad fact is that older Americans have to analyze this issue carefully before taking a job. While the situation improved after 1997 and 2000 law changes, if you are receiving Social Security benefits returning to paid employment actually could cost you money. I regularly hear from subscribers whose marginal […]
