Social Security

If clients file for spousal benefits after reaching their full-retirement age, they can get up to six months’ worth of back benefits, but they have to ask.

Although the cost of living adjustment increased 2% this year, half of retirees cannot expect a substantial increase in their benefits.

Despite the bumpy ride for 401(k) plans in the first half of this year, some analysts say investors can expect a better scenario for the remainder of 2018.

Debt among 65-year-olds has increased by 48% between 2003 and 2015, according to research by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

While many retirees have prepped well for whatever the economy and markets may bring, far too many others have not, an expert says.

Retirees have median savings of $839,000, but many of them are unwilling to spend away their nest egg.

Clients are advised to keep track of their financial information and have a trusted person who knows where to locate it.

As baby boomers exit the workforce, they perpetuate a problem that has long dogged Social Security in that there aren’t enough workers to replace them.

One of the misconceptions is that payroll taxes should be raised and benefits should be cut considerably to save the program.

A widower wanting to claim at 64 learned he’d have to wait until full retirement age before he’d start receiving benefits.

Rising interest rates can be a boon for seniors seeking better returns from low-risk investments, but can hamper other clients with adjustable-rate mortgages.

Those who can't downsize can still rent out a portion of their property to help cover expenses.

After the Fed raised rates, many market participants with fixed-income-heavy investment mixes are wondering what a period of rising interest rates could mean for their portfolios.

Municipal bonds can be a more lucrative option for some retirement savers than comparable, higher-yielding bonds.

Some 1.4 million participants in private pension plans may be facing stiff pension cuts that could come as soon as 2028.

A client dramatically increases her retirement income, thanks to guidance from her advisor.

“Public pension plans continue to bury their heads in the sand living in a time warp of decades-old actuarial assumptions,” says a former Connecticut state treasurer.

Seniors receiving pension payments should ensure that their tax withholding is enough to cover the tax liability on the income and avoid trouble with the IRS.

Contrary to what many people think, Social Security will continue to pay benefit payouts to future retirees even after the program exhausts its trust funds by 2034, says expert.

A portion of retirees’ Social Security benefits may be taxed at the federal level if their combined income exceeds a certain limit.