HI, I’M ANDY!
THINK RETIREMENT – ANDY LANDIS- Hi there, I’m Andy Landis. For my first blog—ever—let me introduce myself and let you know what you’ll find here in coming weeks. I’ve been working with pre-retirees...
View ArticleWHO CAN GET SOCIAL SECURITY
THINK RETIREMENT – ANDY LANDIS- Here are questions and remarks I’ve gotten in just the past week at various seminars: How much work do I need to get Social Security? Can I get Social Security? I was a...
View ArticleSOCIAL SECURITY SPOUSE BENEFITS
THINKING RETIREMENT – ANDY LANDIS- I’ve always been the home-maker in our family. Can I get Social Security? Yes. Even without a ten-year part-time work history of your own, you can qualify as the...
View ArticleSOCIAL SECURITY FOR DIVORCED SPOUSES
THINKING RETIREMENT – ANDY LANDIS- I’m divorced and don’t have a ten-year work history. Can I get Social Security? Possibly. Social Security provides for “former spouse payments” if the following...
View ArticleWILL SOCIAL SECURITY BE PUSHED OFF THE DEBT CLIFF?
THINKING RETIREMENT – ANDY LANDIS – The fiscal cliff may be behind us, but the “debt cliff” looms ahead. That’s the federal debt ceiling that Congress must raise in the next 4-8 weeks, or have the US...
View ArticleA RESOLUTION WORTH KEEPING: GET ORGANIZED FOR RETIREMENT
THINKING RETIREMENT – ANDY LANDIS - Okay, truth time. By now you’ve probably already decided which New Year’s resolutions are a no-go. But here’s one you must keep. This is the year—in fact, the...
View ArticleSOCIAL SECURITIES TOP 10 MYSTERIES
THINKING RETIREMENT – ANDY LANDIS-Social Security is America’s largest source of retirement income. But most of us have little or no idea how it works. Worse yet, misinformation causes poor...
View ArticleMEDICARE; WHEN TO ENROLL
THINKING RETIREMENT – ANDY LANDIS-Applying for Medicare can be a tricky business. You can be penalized for enrolling too late…or even too early. Here’s how to do it right. First, Medicare age is...
View ArticleRETIREE HEALTH CARE COSTS: THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM
THINKING RETIREMENT – ANDY LANDIS -Retiree healthcare costs are the elephant in the room. They’re big enough to stomp your nest egg, but are rarely discussed. You save. You invest. You project...
View ArticleIS SOCIAL SECURITY SOLVENT?
THINKING RETIREMENT – ANDY LANDIS-The Social Security Board of Trustees recently released its Annual Report to Congress on Social Security’s long-term finances. Minus the hype, the report is both...
View ArticleMAXIMIZE YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY? NOT SO FAST!
THINKING RETIREMENT – ANDY LANDIS- Maximizing your Social Security is all the rage. But is it the right move for you? Strategies like “Withdraw and Refile,” “File and Suspend,” and “Restricted...
View ArticleSOCIAL SECURITY FOR SAME-SEX COUPLES
THINKING RETIREMENT – ANDY LANDIS – When society changes, Social Security follows suit. A recent Supreme Court ruling opened the door to Social Security spouse payments for same-sex couples. SSA is...
View ArticleSOCIAL SECURITY ADVANCED STRATEGIES; A CASE STUDY
THINKING RETIREMENT – ANDY LANDIS- A real-life case study illustrates three strategies for maximizing Social Security: delay, file and suspend, and spouse-only payments. True story, except the names...
View ArticleSOCIAL SECURITY’S ‘ZOMBIE’ ACCOUNTS
THINKING RETIREMENT – ANDY LANDIS – Social Security has a number of offbeat “quirks.” Here are the top 10, including how to turn your payments into zombies. Quirk No. 10: Your birthday isn’t your...
View Article5 BAD REASONS TO TAKE SOCIAL SECURITY EARLY
THINKING RETIREMENT – ANDY LANDIS – Just when I think I’ve heard every bad reason for taking Social Security early, another one pops up. Understand — there are “good” reasons to take Social Security...
View ArticleNEW RULES CHANGE SOCIAL SECURITY STRATEGIES
THINKING RETIREMENT – ANDY LANDIS – As I reported last month on my blog, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 (BBA 2015) became law Nov. 2, 2015. Several key provisions of Social Security were changed,...
View ArticleLAST CALL FOR FILE AND SUSPEND
RETIREMENT – ANDY LANDIS – Now that your taxes are down, time is running out for Social Security’s traditional “file and suspend” strategy. The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 (BBA 2015) changed two key...
View ArticleTAKING THE CONFUSION OUT OF SS SPOUSAL RULES
RETIREMENT – ANDY LANDIS – Congress tweaked one rule for spousal benefits in in last year’s Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 (BBA 2015). Since then confusion reigns supreme. No, spousal payments didn’t...
View ArticleSLASHING SOCIAL SECURITY ISN’T NEEDED
RETIREMENT – ANDY LANDIS – In late 2016, Representative Sam Johnson (R-TX) recently introduced the “Social Security Reform Act of 2016 (HR 6489)....
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