Why You Should Try to Tape Conversations With Social Security

Title: Why You Should Try to Tape Conversations With Social Security

Article Snip: "...First, Social Security may be the most complex government policy yet designed by man. It has 12 different benefits, but is chock full of hidden secrets and gotchas that make collecting what you’re owed a user’s nightmare. Second, most people don’t do their homework before approaching Social Security’s 40,000 poorly trained and totally overwhelmed staff, over the phone or in the local office. Third, in my opinion, Social Security staff bats only 50%. Half of their answers are misleading, incomplete or dead wrong..."

Reference: www.forbes.com

Benefits of owning a Medicare supplement insurance policy

Title: Benefits of owning a Medicare supplement insurance policy

Article Snip: "...Medicare pays a portion of your health care costs for hospitalization, skilled nursing facility care and physician’s services and supplies. However, it does not pay all of your expenses and requires you to pay deductibles and coinsurance for many services. A Medicare supplement insurance policy can help pay some of the charges Medicare doesn’t cover..."

Reference: www.myeasternshoremd.com

CSRS and FERS Retirement Application Process

Title: CSRS and FERS Retirement Application Process

FERS Retirement Application

Article Snip: "...It’s never too early to start planning for retirement in order to ensure it goes smoothly. Here you will find information to help ensure your retirement starts well..."
Reference: www.opm.gov
SF-3107 (FERS), SF-2801 (CSRS),

OPM retirement processing: Another Glitch. Will you starve before benefits begin?

Title: Another Glitch in Processing Federal Retirement Applications?

Article Snip: "...As a consequence, you may experience an increase in contact from the Retirement Services for documents that we may need to complete a retirement case. EHRI has informed us that they are in the process of contracting for the resumption of this scanning service, and we will notify you when it restarts.”..."

Reference: blogs.fedsmith.com

Obama Claims Power to Make Illegal Immigrants Eligible for Social Security, Disability

Title: Obama Claims Power to Make Illegal Immigrants Eligible for Social Security, Disability

Article Snip: "...millions of individuals who are violating federal law that he will not enforce that law against them now, that they may continue to violate that law in the future and that he will take action that makes them eligible for federal benefit programs for which they are not currently eligible due to their unlawful status..."

Reference: cnsnews.com
DAPA

Donald Trump on Social Security

Title: Donald Trump on Social Security

Article Snip: "...Cannot change Medicare or Soc.Sec. and still win elections, Social Security isn't an "entitlement"; it's honoring a deal, Pay off debt; put $3T interest savings into Trust Fund, Let people invest their own retirement funds, ..."

Reference: www.ontheissues.org

Strongest Candidate on Social Security Protection: Bernie Sanders on Social Security

Title: Bernie Sanders on Social Security

Article Snip: "...Criminal to not have COLA increases for seniors, Defend against chained CPI, and expand Social Security, No cuts; no privatization; even to deal with deficit , Raise the Social Security cap on taxable income. Despite GOP rhetoric, Social Security is NOT going bankrupt ..."

Reference: www.ontheissues.org

Hillary Clinton on Social Security

Title: Hillary Clinton on Social Security

Article Snip: "...During her 2008 presidential bid, Clinton was relatively non-committal about reforms to the Social Security program. She said in 2007 that certain reforms such as cutting benefits, privatizing the program or raising the retirement age were "off the table." There were some articles at the time that gave mixed signals on whether she would be willing to increase payroll taxes..."

Reference: www.ontheissues.org

Ted Cruz on Social Security

Title: Ted Cruz on Social Security

Article Snip: "...Q: How would you protect Social Security for today's seniors and strengthen it for future generations?

A: On Social Security, I am campaigning on a series of very specific reforms. For seniors receiving Social Security or near Social Security, there should be no changes in benefits whatsoever. For younger workers, we need to do three fundamental reforms.
1. Gradually increase the retirement age.
2. Social Security benefits right now grow about 1% greater than inflation; we should have those benefits grow at the rate of inflation, not 1% more.
3. Third change that I think is absolutely critical is to allow taxpayers to have a portion of the Social Security funds go to a personal account that they own and control.

Source: Texas Tribune Interview in 2012 AARP Senate Voter Guide , Aug 24, 2012 ..."

Reference: www.ontheissues.org
Ted Cruz on Social Security, supports privatization,

Figuring Out Your FERS Annuity

Title: Figuring Out Your FERS Annuity

Article Snip: "...Under FERS, you can retire on an immediate, unreduced annuity if you meet one of the following age and service requirements..."

Reference: www.fedweek.com
FERS annuity

Retirement Calculator: Federal Ballpark E$timate® from OPM site

Title: Retirement Calculator: Federal Ballpark E$timate® from OPM site

Article Snip: "... Federal Ballpark E$timate® was developed by the Employee Benefit Research Institute® and its American Savings Education Council® (ASEC®) program ..."

Reference: the-best-calculator.blogspot.com
Federal Ballpark E$timate®

10 Things that Will Improve Your USAJOBS Resume

Title: 10 Things that Will Improve Your USAJOBS Resume

Article Snip: "...what the DIY person can do to their resume to make it better. Here are 10 easy-to-implement suggestions: Create a Skills Summary or Professional Profile. This is great way ..."

Reference: www.fedweek.com
USAJOBS Resume Tips

Social Security in the crosshairs: replacement rates again

Title: Social Security in the crosshairs: replacement rates again

Article Snip: "...The stage is being set for cuts in Social Security, and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has become a major player in this effort..."

Reference:
www.marketwatch.com social security,

The Best Financial Tips Fit On An Index Card

Title: Can The Best Financial Tips Fit On An Index Card?

The Index Card

Article Snip: "...The ideas on the index card weren't new pay off your credit cards, invest in low-fee index funds, etc. but there clearly was an appetite for this simple, good financial advice. So Pollack and Olen have now written a book (The Index Card: Why Personal Finance Doesn’t Have to Be Complicated) about it. Which if the whole point is that this stuff is so simple you can fit it on an index card might seem counterintuitive ..."
Reference: www.gpb.org
Best Financial Tips, The Index Card,

Title: Paying Income Tax on Social Security Benefits

Article Snip: "...Whether or not you'll be required to pay federal income tax on your Social Security benefits will depend on your income and filing status. About 35 percent of Social Security recipients have total incomes high enough to trigger federal income tax on their benefits ..."

Reference: www.huffingtonpost.com
Social Security and taxes,

Social Security options for single seniors

Title: Social Security options for single seniors

Article Snip: "...Widows, widowers and divorcees approaching retirement and about to file for Social Security, though, need to recognize filing options that can significantly increase monthly benefits. While rules are different for surviving spouses and divorcees..."

Reference: www.usatoday.com
Social Security

Maybe we need more Social Security, not less

Title: Maybe we need more Social Security, not less

Article Snip: "...The bill enables our government to borrow yet more billions of dollars. At the same time, it eliminates the ability of some to use the many rules of Social Security to squeeze out a few more bucks in benefits..."

Reference: www.mystatesman.com

S. 2251: Sen. Elizabeth Warren Introduces Bill Providing One-time Payment of $581 to Social Security Beneficiaries, Veterans

Title: Sen. Elizabeth Warren Introduces Bill Providing One-time Payment of $581 to Social Security Beneficiaries, Veterans

Article Snip: "...On Thursday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) introduced S. 2251, the Seniors and Veterans Emergency Benefits Act. The bill would provide a one-time payment in 2016 to Social Security beneficiaries, veterans, and others of $581, or 3.9% of the average Social Security retirement benefit. The legislation would not only help current retirees, but also make an important statement about fairness. Last year the average CEO pay increase was 3.9%, while retirees and people with disabilities will be going without any cost-of-living adjustment in 2016..."

Reference: www.apwu.org
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), S. 2251,

Don’t Forget to ‘Turn On’ Your Benefits

Title: Don’t Forget to ‘Turn On’ Your Benefits

Article Snip: "...what steps federal employees need to take to receive their benefits after retirement. As with most questions in life, the answer can be complex. Once an employee determines they are eligible for retirement..."

Reference: www.govexec.com

FEHB and FEGLI Benefits on Retirement

Title: FEHB and FEGLI Benefits on Retirement

Article Snip: "...a larger question that readers keep asking me. “If I leave government on an immediate, postponed, deferred or disability annuity, will I be able to continue my Federal Employees Health Benefits coverage? And while you’re at it, I have the same question about my Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance coverage.”..."

Reference: www.fedweek.com
FEHB in retirement, FEGLI in retirement,