Over the past 17 years that I have been doing this column, I have written about 50 columns dealing with the Social Security offsets that impact some state and local government employees who work at ...

Survivor benefits come with complex rules, and one wrong move could cost you. Timing when you claim your benefit or switch can significantly impact lifetime income. Smart strategies like delaying or ...

The most important Social Security change next year for beneficiaries is the annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). Last ...

The standard deduction for a widow over 65 can be higher than that of the average taxpayer. This has the potential to lower ...

When you lose a spouse, whether that be through death or divorce, Social Security can replace much of the income you counted on. In fact, survivor benefits account for about 8.3% of all Social ...

Spousal benefits can be up to half of what the primary earner would get at full retirement age, but the amount is reduced when started early. If you apply for benefits before she reaches full ...

In the United States, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has finally published the 2026 payment schedule for those ...

Retirement can be challenging, even more so for stay-at-home parents who perform unpaid caregiving work while their spouses work outside the home. In August 2025, retired workers received an average ...

Spousal benefits are Social Security payments based on a spouse's lifetime earnings record, and a spouse may receive up to ...

For married couples with unequal historical earnings, it may make sense for the lower income spouse to file for Social Security benefits early or before the higher earner. Ultimately, deciding when to ...

Millions of Americans who rely on the Social Security Administration (SSA) are preparing to receive their next benefit payment, which follows the agency's strict monthly distributi ...