The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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It’s healthy to be skeptical in a world of uncertainties. Major news networks sometimes broadcast conflicting facts that require a bit of research to verify. There’s even a day in October dedicated to skeptics. So, this is the perfect time to tell all the skeptics that there’s no reason to think Social Security won’t be here for you well into the future. Recently, the Social Security Board of Trustees released its 76th annual report to Congress presenting the financial status of the Social...
When a person becomes disabled, it can be a very stressful time in their life. There are many questions and unknowns when you have to transition out of the workforce due to medical issues. While an employer may offer short or long-term disability, most people faced with a disability will file for benefits with Social Security. If you’re facing life with a disability and don’t know where to start, we encourage you to visit our website at www.socialsecurity.gov/disabilityssi. You can apply for...
Early on in your chronicler's quest for knowledge an interesting work was perused, the title of which was: The Republic. It's author was a Greek philosopher named Plato, who, in a sense invented education, and who really seemed to have a handle on things worth knowing. He envisioned Utopia, a civilization run by philosopher kings, whose sole purpose was to see that the people were afforded an education, and that they were taught by knowledgeable educators whose sole purpose in life was to insure...
Question: I'm retired and the only income I have is a monthly withdrawal from an Individual Retirement Account (IRA). Are the IRA withdrawals considered "earnings?" Could they reduce my monthly Social Security benefits? Answer: No. We count only the wages you earn from a job or your net profit if you're self-employed. Non-work income such as pensions, annuities, investment income, interest, capital gains, and other government benefits are not counted and will not affect your Social Security...
When the Lord selected Moses to lead his people He set down some rules. The first four dealt with ecclesiastical matters about who was the leader of the team, and the rules related thereto. He then got down to laying down temporal rules, and the first of which concerned honoring fathers and mothers. In Exodus 20:12, He told Moses that he and his followers should honor their fathers and their mothers; respect one’s elders. In short: When you’re young do what they say; when you’re older, take...
Your first job is a landmark occasion. You’re meeting new people, making professional connections, and probably cashing that first paycheck. You might be a little surprised when you see a portion of your earnings go to a tax called “FICA” for the Federal Insurance Contributions Act. This deduction goes to Social Security and is your way of helping us secure your today and tomorrow. It’s our job to keep the safety net of Social Security strong through your incremental contributions. Underst...
On June 23, residents at Elmcroft at Halcyon, one of Montgomery's assisted living facilities, learned that one out of three senior citizens falls each year. A troublesome fact that, but one that may be greater than what is on the books. Many seniors who experience falls tend not to bother their family physician, for one reason or another. This, and other facts relative to falling, were shared with the residents by Delane Richardson, one of the Central Alabama Aging Consortium's team of experts...
Pleasing the clientele anywhere can be somewhat of a vexing problem, and none more vexing that at an institution where the bulk of those being served are well into their Golden Years. The chef at your humble scribe's newest abode, Elmcroft of Halcyon, can well endorse this observation as she was confronted with the following experience: As a general rule, Gloria Crews does an admirable job of pleasing the palates of the residents. But one day she found herself facing an insurmountable odd. A...
Over half a million people who live outside the United States receive some kind of Social Security benefit, including retired and disabled workers, as well as spouses, widows, widowers, and children. If you’re a U.S. citizen, you may receive your Social Security payments outside the United States as long as you are eligible. When we say you are “outside the United States,” we mean you’re not in one of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Nor...
Many years ago there was a refrain about the pay of a young man in the Army that went: “Twenty one dollars a day; once a month.” Based on the efforts of our illustrious commander-in-chief, this may become the situation once again. President Barrack Obama says he wants to cut the military back to where it was before World War II. Really? Not that long ago your chronicler, after watching Fearless Leader in action, made a suggestion that the wise investor should put his money into white flags and b...
Question: What is the benefit amount a spouse may be entitled to receive? Answer: If you’re eligible for both your own retirement benefit and for benefits as a spouse, we will always pay you benefits based on your record first. If your benefit as a spouse is higher than your retirement benefit, you will receive a combination of benefits equaling the higher spouse's benefits. A spouse generally receives 50 percent of the retired worker's full benefit, unless the spouse begins collecting b...
April is Financial Literacy Month, which is a perfect time to take stock (pun intended) of your retirement savings. Social Security is there to help secure your future, but savings should be the foundation of a bigger retirement plan. Have you ever done business online? The convenience and safety of doing business online is another way we’re meeting the changing needs and lifestyles of our customers. You can open your own personal my Social Security account within a matter of minutes and have ac...
It's been a good eight decades since your humble scribe has enjoyed the company of a dog; and then it was for only a short time. But now, canine company once more brightens this humble life, albeit its once every fortnight, and then for only an hour. But, one makes the best of what one is allowed. This time its many dogs, but they belong to someone else. At any rate their company is enjoyed even though its only twice in a month. And it is enjoyed with a vigor, as may be witnessed by the way the...
Out there in a world best describer as “Geriatrica” exist a group of old folks one might best be described as the Geriatric class. These folks were best described by author Tom Brokaw as “The Greatest Generation.” Their “greatness” has now faded somewhat. Their offspring have left the nest. Usually one of the pair has now gone to his or her reward; and living in the old homestead just ain't what it used to be. So, now many have found haven in an institution called “Independent Living Facili...
Ten years ago, on March 21, 2006, the CEO of Twitter sent out his first tweet. It’s appropriate, with spring coming, that the famous CEO was chirping in a format that the world now embraces as a vital form of interactive communication. Similarly, Social Security is no stranger to social media. Updated regularly, Social Security Matters is our blog. It’s our hub for Social Security news, like new features to my Social Security, changes in policy, retirement planning, and benefit information. The...
February is the shortest month of the year, but for us old timers it's a month that produced a lot of the folks who entertained us through our years of the “Greatest Generation.” For example, Actor Clark Gable was born on February 1, 1901. Who can forget his memorable portrayal in Gone With the Wind? On the second day of February, 1937, Tommy Smothers of the famous “Smothers Brothers,” came into the world. Comedian Joey Bishop was born on February 3, 1918; and a year and a day later, Red But...
Just about every minute, a woman dies of heart disease. But the majority of these deaths are avoidable. That’s why Social Security encourages you to participate in National Wear Red Day on February 5, which aims to raise awareness about preventing heart disease and stroke among women. Social Security plays an important role in many women’s lives — nearly 60 percent of people receiving Social Security benefits are women. Social Security provides important financial assistance to women in times...
As children old timers were taught to be courteous, especially to their elders. From around the 12th or 13th Century comes the French word courtesy. The noun courtesy refers to an act that is performed as an expression of respect. If a person respects someone it follows that they are courteous to that person in return. Polite behavior is an expression of courtesy. It is a display of excellent manners in dealing with another person. So it follows that as seniors enter into their twilight years...
National Trivia Day reminds us that knowledge about Social Security empowers you and prepares you for retirement. Remember, the more you know about Social Security, the more control you have over your bright future. What is the average number of years someone has paid into Social Security once they start collecting disability benefits? A)2 B) 7 C) 13 D) 22 Because the Social Security Act sets out a strict definition of disability, our beneficiaries are among the most severely disabled people in...
Your writer grew up surrounded by books; the place where toys were stored was adjacent to a voluminous family library, and reading books was a fascination which continued until age diminished the capacity to read. Biographies were a staple, and one that had a lasting impact was a 1922 book entitled Etiquette in Society, in Business, in Politics, and at Home; in which Emily Post dealt extensively with behaving properly. For some reason this publication intrigued this young reader, and her words...
Familiar carols are a part of the season. This song is so popular that holiday revelers clamored for it again. It’s “The Twelve Sites of Social Security,” inspired by the popular traditional holiday song, “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” — a holiday favorite since 1780. For the FIRST site of Social Security, we give to you: our home page, www.socialsecurity.gov. It’s the place to go for all things Social Security. Everything you could want — from online services and benefit screening tools...
While most of the months of the year derive their names from some sort of significant or romantic root, three months of the year have no special meaning other than numerical. September gets its name from the Latin word septem, seven, October for the Latin octo, eight, and novem in Latin means nine. That's how the months of the year lined up numerically in times gone by. Unlike July, which was named for Julius Caesar, or August, which got its name from Augustus, the word November just means that...
As if the holidays weren’t exciting enough, it’s November and that means election month. Current and future election hopefuls are prepping speeches and rallying every resource available for the big win. Even if you aren’t running for office, you can win big, too, by planning for retirement. When you decide to retire, the easiest and most convenient way to do it is right from the comfort of your home. Go to www.socialsecurity.gov where you can apply for retirement benefits in as little as 15 mi...
As we prepare to celebrate Christmas 2015, it might serve us well to recall a previous Christmas, one that occurred in 1777, at Valley Forge, Pa. The men who were seeking to break free of the British Crown and form their own--free--nation huddled in the snow there fearing that their Valliant effort might be for naught. The general who was desperately trying to lead our shivering, rag-tag band of patriots to freedom from the tyranny of King George III, George Washington, went on to lead them,...
If you handle the finances of someone who receives benefits from Social Security, or you know someone who may need help managing his or her benefits, you may want to consider applying to be a representative payee. A representative payee is someone who receives Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments on behalf of a person not capable of managing the funds on his or her own. A representative payee makes sure an individual’s basic needs are met by using the money to p...
