May 31 Report: Ex-Nazis received $20 million in Social Security benefits By Richard Lardner, Associated Press A Social Security Administration watchdog found the agency paid $20.2 million in benefits to more than 130 suspected Nazi war criminals, SS guards, and others who may have participated in the Third Reich's atrocities during World War II. Continue reading
May 26 What Social Security has yet to get right: It’s your maximum age of life that matters By Laurence Kotlikoff Social Security is an insurance company. It's taking money from us and promising insurance benefits in exchange. But insurance companies don't go out of their way to encourage people to ignore risks and focus on average outcomes. Continue reading
May 18 A cautionary tale about taking retroactive Social Security benefits By Laurence Kotlikoff The more I talk to people, the more I understand how easy it is to make major mistakes in taking Social Security benefits if you don't know exactly what you're doing or, equally important, don't know exactly what Social Security… Continue reading
May 11 Playing God with Social Security fairness By Laurence Kotlikoff Our fiscal system, in general, and Social Security, in particular, is an incredibly complex maze of entangled provisions, most of which were put into place in piecemeal fashion over the years. Saying that provision X is unfair because it benefits… Continue reading
May 04 10 tricks to raise your retirement living standard By Laurence Kotlikoff Every question in personal finance begins and ends with our living standard. Here are 10 magic tricks that produce the equivalent of a couple finding hundreds of thousands of dollars on the street. Continue reading
May 01 7 ideas to help you build a great retirement By Jonathan D. Pond Everything you do in your financial life throughout your working years is geared toward one goal: Being able to retire comfortably. Here are 7 ideas that could help you achieve that goal. Continue reading
Apr 27 20 reasons why I think Social Security is sexist By Laurence Kotlikoff Times have changed, but Social Security has not. Women are still earning less than men, on average, and the system’s rules are, as a result, effectively sexist despite their nominal sex neutrality. … Continue reading
Apr 21 How do grandkids fit into the Social Security formula? By Laurence Kotlikoff Grandchildren are only eligible to collect benefits on grandparents' work records if they are adopted or if both of their natural parents are deceased or disabled. Continue reading
Apr 13 If you can solve this puzzle, you can maximize your Social Security By Laurence Kotlikoff We Americans love puzzles. We love jigsaw puzzles. We love crossword puzzles. And we love Social Security. In fact, Social Security is the ultimate brain teaser. Here's an example. Continue reading
Apr 09 Twitter chat: What should women over 50 do to plan for retirement? By Nora Daly Earlier this week, we shared personal finance expert Kerry Hannon’s six tips for women over 50 to achieve financial fitness before retirement. Hannon addressed many of the unique challenges women face when saving for retirement. She also sharing general… Continue reading