Posts filed under: social security

Wednesday, February 11, 2015 | Joe Alfonso, GoLocalPDX Contributor Here are some more reader questions on Social Security that I am sure many of you share. I hope you find my answers helpful. Q: If my husband works until he’s...

Wednesday, February 04, 2015 | Joe Alfonso, GoLocalPDX Contributor Social Security is a gender neutral system. Benefits are payable to any worker who qualifies as a result of their work history. In the case of married couples, either spouse can...

Wednesday, January 28, 2015 | Joe Alfonso, GoLocalPDX Contributor As if the Social Security system weren’t complicated enough, additional complications arise for certain retirees receiving government or public sector pensions. These rules, known as the WEP, for Windfall Elimination Provision,...

Wednesday, January 21, 2015 | Joe Alfonso, GoLocalPDX Contributor I often hold Social Security workshops in my community at which I explain how the system works and discuss various strategies for maximizing one’s benefits. Almost invariably I meet attendees, usually...

Jan 15, 2015|Cliff Goldstein, MarketWatch If you’re nearing retirement, you’ll likely be faced with a decision: Should you start taking Social Security at the earliest age possible, 62, wait until you reach your full retirement age (65 to 67, depending...

Wednesday, December 30, 2014 | Joe Alfonso, GoLocalPDX Contributor Deciding how spouses should coordinate their Social Security claiming decisions when both are eligible for retirement benefits is a complicated planning challenge. I recently responded to a reader question in this...

Wednesday, December 10, 2014 | Joe Alfonso, GoLocalPDX Contributor I welcome reader questions and will post responses in periodic columns. Here are some recent questions and my answers....

Wednesday, December 3, 2014 | Joe Alfonso, GoLocalPDX Contributor I recently met with a gentleman, whom I will call Fred, whose situation illustrates the unique Social Security planning opportunities available around Family Benefits. Fred is 68 and remarried later in...

Wednesday, November 26, 2014 | Joe Alfonso, GoLocalPDX Contributor Deciding when to begin taking your Social Security retirement benefit is a very important decision for several reasons. When you start your benefit affects how much you receive insofar as there...

Wednesday, November 19, 2014 | Joe Alfonso, GoLocalPDX Contributor No one ever said you could live like royalty on Social Security. The program was always intended to provide a foundation for retirement but not to completely replace one’s working income....