Losing a spouse is emotionally overwhelming, and the financial decisions that follow can feel just as heavy. The rules regarding Social Security survivor benefits may be confusing for some, and many ...

Many couples don’t realize the importance of claiming decisions until it’s too late ...

When a spouse dies, many widows assume that Social Security will automatically pay them the highest benefit available. That assumption is understandable, but it isn't always true. In reality, eligible ...

Make sure these changes are on your radar.

About a month ago, I wrote a column in which I explained how “full retirement age” (the age at which a person can claim 100 percent of his or her Social Security retirement benefits) is going up. To ...

The more aware you are of how spousal benefits work, the easier it is to make the most of them.

Every couple of years, I like to cover a topic that confuses almost everyone. That confusion comes at a time when they have so many other things on their minds. I’m talking about handling the Social ...

Yes, the federal government will take a cut of Social Security, which can include monthly retirement, survivor and disability benefits, if total income exceeds certain amounts. But recipients also ...

It's hard to believe that 2025 is pretty much almost over. But now that we've reached the tail end of the year, it's time to start looking toward 2026. If you're receiving Social Security, you should ...