ArcaMax

I write a column like this one every January. But I don't mind plagiarizing myself, because it contains a very important message for people planning to retire in 2025.

January is a critical month for the hundreds of thousands of potential Social Security beneficiaries who are reaching their full retirement age in 2025. The important message: ...Read more

It has been my custom for most of the past 27 years to write a year-end column that summarizes the Social Security updates scheduled to take place the following year. I already discussed some of these updates in a column back in October when they were first announced, but it doesn't hurt to repeat them here. (They all grow out of the annual cost...Read more

Congress just passed a law that will give me (and millions of people like me) extra Social Security benefits that we simply do not deserve and haven't earned.

To understand what is going on, here is a quick history lesson: The original Social Security Act included unintentional and overly generous benefits for government employees. These were ...Read more

I have a granddaughter who is a junior in high school. Recently, she needed to write a report for her history class on any subject related to a federal government program. Because she knew that her grandpa worked for the Social Security Administration for 32 years, she initially thought she'd write about the history of Social Security. I told ...Read more

My columns are usually focused on one theme or topic. But every once in a while, I like to just dig into my email inbox and pull out random questions. Here are six for today.

Q: I was married to my ex for 23 years. Of course, I worked all of those years. But I also worked and paid into Social Security for about 10 years before we were married. ...Read more

Every once in a while, I will use a word or phrase -- with the most innocent of intentions -- that nevertheless ends up driving some people nuts. Well, if not "nuts," it at least makes them irate enough to send me an email voicing their anger with my language choices. I've saved some up, and here they are today.

Q: It really gets my goat when ...Read more

I have always been amazed by the number of people who think Social Security is unique to the United States. Or if not truly unique, they figure that maybe a couple of those "socialist" countries such as Sweden and Denmark might have social insurance programs in place, but surely not too many other places. As someone once said to me following a ...Read more

I'm dusting off an old Thanksgiving-themed column I ran many years ago. I thought that now would be a good time to remind people what Social Security is all about.

I'm going to suggest that we Americans give thanks for the Social Security program. I know lots of people like to think that the "good old days" (before Social Security) were, well, ...Read more

I have been saving up some emails from readers who want to know how other government benefits might affect their eligibility for Social Security, or vice versa. In other words, they wonder if their Social Security benefits impact whatever other government benefits they might be due.

I can always deal with that first issue. In other words, I can...Read more

Readers are always asking me to explain various Social Security rules and regulations. But sometimes they want more. They want to see something official -- something in "black and white." In other words, they want me to give them a legal reference.

I sort of know where they are coming from. Frequently, they have heard one thing from a friend or...Read more

Because the presidential and congressional elections are on everyone's mind, more than a few people have sent me emails saying something like this: "I'm afraid that this upcoming election will lead to dramatic changes to Social Security. So even though I didn't want to file for Social Security for a few more years, I'm going to do it now so that...Read more

I've always prided myself on being able to explain the rationale behind various Social Security rules and regulations. Many times, readers will send me emails in which they express utter befuddlement at a law or regulation that affects their eligibility for Social Security. It's usually a situation that results in them getting reduced benefits. ...Read more