Aug 19 The easiest way to get higher Social Security benefits: keep working By Laurence Kotlikoff In many cases, getting more Social Security benefits from working longer outweighs the additional Social Security taxes you'd need to pay, says Social Security expert Larry Kotlikoff. Continue reading
Aug 18 To save the economy, teach grandma to code By Vivek Wadhwa Older companies stuck in their ways may be a drag on the economy, but older people are an asset to innovation, says entrepreneur Vivek Wadhwa. Continue reading
Aug 11 Social Security and Viagra: A case of accidental death and widows benefits By Laurence Kotlikoff There are countless rules governing Social Security benefits, and just as many exceptions to those rules, including one for "accidental death," which allows widow(er)s to receive survivor benefits even after having been married less than the requisite nine months. Larry… Continue reading
Aug 04 How do stay-at-home parents collect Social Security? By Laurence Kotlikoff Social Security expert Larry Kotilkoff advises several couples nearing retirement how to collect benefits when one spouse hasn't worked outside the home. Continue reading
Jul 21 Will Social Security tell me if I’m leaving benefits on the table? By Laurence Kotlikoff How do you know if you're taking all the Social Security benefits you could be? Larry Kotlikoff presents the cautionary tale of one couple who devised their Social Security collection plan early in retirement, only to find out much later… Continue reading
Jul 07 Deciding when to take Social Security widows benefits can’t get more complicated By Laurence Kotlikoff How do you know when you should take any of your Social Security benefits? As Larry Kotilikoff's column often reveals, it's complicated. But figuring out the best time to collect your widow(er)s benefits in relation to your retirement benefit is… Continue reading
Jun 30 How your lifetime Social Security benefits could be higher By Laurence Kotlikoff Social Security expert Larry Kotlikoff shows two couples who are facing disabilities how to increase their lifetime benefits. First of all, they have to scrap their current collection strategies and realize that what they want to do and what they… Continue reading
Jun 23 What maxing out your Social Security benefits looks like in dollars By Laurence Kotlikoff Just how big a deal is maximizing your Social Security? It matters a lot when it comes to the dollars and cents of the lifetime benefits for which you'll be eligible. Larry Kotlikoff presents several cases, for individuals and couples,… Continue reading
Jun 16 What Social Security’s Survivors Planner won’t tell you about taking widows benefits By Laurence Kotlikoff Thanks to one of Social Security's nasty "gotchas," the survivor benefits that a widow(er) collects depend on when the late spouse took retirement benefits. Social Security expert Larry Kotlikoff shows how the collection strategy of one deceased husband makes all… Continue reading
Jun 02 Your Social Security benefits depend on the specifics By Laurence Kotlikoff Social Security expert Larry Kotlikoff says there is no general rule in trying to maximize your Social Security benefits. The precise amounts of what you and your current, ex-, or deceased spouse(s) earned and when you and they earned it… Continue reading