How to Replace a Lost Social Security Card

June 19, 2011

What You Need to Know to Replace a Lost Social Security Card You need your Social Security number for a lot of things these days: when you start a new job, to file your tax return, and to receive Social Security benefits.  So if you lose your number – or your card – it can [...]

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Estimate Your Benefits with the Social Security Retirement Calculator

June 13, 2011

We all know that if we work hard and pay our taxes (including Social Security and Medicare), we will be entitled to Social Security retirement benefits eventually.  But as we have stressed in previous articles, you need to determine how much you will likely get from your Social Security benefits in order to do effective [...]

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What Happens When You Apply for Disability Benefits

May 1, 2011

What Happens When You Apply for Disability Benefits? You should apply for disability as soon as you become disabled since it takes time to process your application.  One reason why the process takes so long is that Social Security does not review the applications; they contract with state governments to review and process the applications.  [...]

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Social Security Disability Benefits

April 19, 2011

Understanding Social Security Disability Benefits Most people are aware that there are Social Security disability benefits, but the possibility of becoming disabled is not something most people want to think about. Unfortunately, the chance of becoming disabled during your working years is greater than you might think. Studies show that young workers have a 30% [...]

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What is Supplemental Security Income (SSI)?

April 14, 2011

There is a lot of confusion about Supplemental Security Income, also known as SSI. Is it Social Security? Is it disability? Or something else entirely? While SSI is managed by the Social Security Administration, it is not actually a Social Security program. In other words, SSI benefits are not funded with Social Security taxes like [...]

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The Difference between SSI and Disability

April 8, 2011

Many people think SSI and Social Security Disability benefits are the same. They are actually two very different programs. One is a need-based program that is only available to low income people, the other is based on your earnings history. The only similarity is that both provide benefits to people who are disabled. Supplemental Security [...]

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SSI Income Limits: How Much Can You Earn and Still Qualify for SSI?

April 7, 2011

SSI is supplemental income for low income people who are age 65 or older, OR who are disabled or blind. Children may also qualify for SSI if they have a disability and their parents meet the income test. The main thing to remember about SSI is that it is need based, so you need to [...]

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Social Security Eligibility: How to Qualify for Social Security Retirement Benefits

December 24, 2010

While millions of Americans rely on Social Security benefits in their retirement years, not everyone qualifies.

Here are some general guidelines regarding Social Security eligibility:

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No COLA for Social Security Benefits in 2011

November 28, 2010

Update: Good news for the millions of Americans who rely on Social Security – they will be getting a raise in 2012, the first time since 2009.  The Social Security Administration (SSA) announced that the cost of living allowance (COLA) increase for 2012 will be 3.6%.  According to SSA, the average monthly benefit for retirees [...]

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Social Security Application: How to Apply for Social Security Benefits

August 24, 2010

As you get closer to retirement one of your top questions is probably when and how to apply for Social Security benefits. Should you submit your Social Security application at age 62 or 66? What are the steps to apply for Social Security once you’ve decided to start collecting retirement benefits? We’ll address these questions and more in the following paragraphs.

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