Paul Norr

The Windfall Elimination Provision may reduce the amount of retirement income clients are expecting.

It may not be sexy, but thoroughly reviewing a client’s estimated income and expenses is key, says contributor Paul Norr.

It may not be sexy, but thoroughly reviewing a client’s estimated income and expenses is key.

It may not be sexy, but thoroughly reviewing a client’s estimated income and expenses is key.

Spousal benefits and survivor benefits appear very similar, but scratch a little deeper you’ll find a tangle of regulations and features. Here’s how to unwind them.

Advisers can help with a mortgage strategy and squeezing out equity.

Advisers can help with a mortgage strategy and squeezing out equity.

There's a window of opportunity before clients reach age 70 ½ to mitigate some of the bite.

Here’s how to avoid the convoluted interplay of factors that can lead to alarmingly high rates.

This government benefits program offers a significant safety net to surviving family members. Advisors should be sure to know all aspects of this vital help.

Advisors and clients may not be as familiar with these other Social Security programs. Here's a brief primer.

Benefits grow approximately 8% for each year between 62 and 70 that clients delay filing for Social Security, and future benefits will include cost of living increases. So why aren't clients taking advantage?

Survivor benefits have some unique rules that separate them from the rest of the program.

Local Social Security workers are not necessarily trained in, nor are they able to evaluate, complicated strategies and long-term projections.

Suspending the payroll tax for people over 65 would decrease total government receipts, yet make it easier for older adults to work.

For clients who are public sector employees, a government pension could mean a reduction in spousal Social Security benefits.

If you think that reverse mortgages are only for cash-strapped retirees without any other financial options, think again.

Retirees who have been government workers or whose spouses have been government workers may be in for a surprise when they file for Social Security retirement benefits.

While headlines suggest that the Social Security system is running deficits, the truth is a bit more nuanced. For one thing, investment income is often ignored.

Though the cost to the system of "file and suspend" and "claim now, claim more later" filing strategies is modest, Congress will eventually be forced to look for ways to align future balance sheets as the Social Security trust fund gets spent down.