Money

 Identity protection is 1st and center at the SSA - to protect your identity and pay the right person, the correct amount.   SSA News Release  SSA.gov Press Release 03/18/2025 - Social Security Strengthens Identity Proofing Requirements and Expedites Direct Deposit Changes to One Day  from the link  The Social Security Administration (SSA) is taking proactive steps to enhance the security of its services by implementing stronger identity verification procedures.The updated measures will further safeguard Social Security records and benefits against fraudulent activity Over the next two weeks, SSA will carefully transition to stronger identity proofing procedures for both benefit claims and direct deposit changes. Individuals seeking these services who cannot use their personal “my Social Security” account, which requires online identity proofing, will then need to visit a local Social Security office to prove their identity in person.&n

I've called my representatives but isn't there some legal action that can be taken by AARP on behalf of it's members?! 

Okay here is my question I recently filled out my online social security application. In the block that asked me if I wanted to accept a permanent age reduction, I selected to retire at the earliest date possible without an age-related reduction. In the drop-down below it it offered me the month of February March  or April to start my social security. I believe my full retirement date would have been March 2025 because I was born July 31st 1958, but I selected February because of what I selected in the upper menu. I received my approval today but the amount was reduced about $17. Just not really a big deal but the question is why does the form allow you to pick a date before your full retirement age when just above it you have said I don't want to do that. Just to add that I am still working so did that make the $17 difference or was it the fact that I requested my Social Security to start technically at 66 and 7 months.

We weren't married long enough for me to expect any money from his earnings (3 years at most).  It's going to hold up me applying for my OWN benefits!   How can I  get his Social Security number?  All I have is our divorce decree.   Will I get denied if I don't include this marriage?   They can see it in my earnings when I carried his last name.

FROM THE ARTICLE: Acting Social Security Chief Says Agency Moves Will ‘Prioritize Customer Service’.Dudek addresses spending cuts, office closures, data privacy fears in response to AARP members’ concerns. By Andy Markowitz, AARP. Published March 06, 2025. The acting commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA) told AARP this week that the agency is committed to improving customer service as it moves quickly to cut costs and reduce its workforce.“We are identifying efficiencies and reducing costs, with a renewed focus on mission-critical work,” Leland Dudek wrote March 4, answering questions posed by AARP in a letter to the SSA last month. “These steps prioritize customer service by streamlining redundant layers of management, reducing non-mission critical work and potential reassignment of employees to customer service positions." USE THE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ARTICLE: https://www.aarp.org/social-security/ssa-prioritizes-customer-service/

FROM THE ARTICLE: Is It Time to Retire These Retirement 'Rules'?Why the conventional wisdom on saving, spending and Social Security isn’t always right. By Martha C. White and Penelope Wang, AARP. *** There is 1 Comment on the AARP website. Stop by to add yours. *** Published March 17, 2025. Planning for and living in retirement requires some daunting financial decisions. How do you create a steady stream of income? What’s the best way to split your portfolio between stocks and bonds? When should you start collecting Social Security?Facing these complex choices, you may be tempted to rely on long-established rules of thumb, such as the 4 percent rule for retirement withdrawals or the 80 percent rule for replacing work income. Follow them, the conventional wisdom goes, and you put yourself in the best position to not outlive your money. USE THE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ARTICLE: https://www.aarp.org/money/retirement/retiring-these-retirement-rules/

AARP has a calculator to determine When to claim Social Security to help you determine the right timing for you! You can also earn AARP Rewards points, not signed up for AARP Rewards yet? Click here!     Share what you learned from this calculator that you didn't know before! Did it help you make a decision?

I started an application - never completed or submitted it and never received benefits (though I have a number for it) and it needs to go in by early May to be processed.  I am thinking about withdrawing it and waiting a little longer before applying. I know you CAN withdraw an application (https://www.ssa.gov/forms/ssa-521.pdf) but I worry if I do that I may be opening a HUGE can or worms that could cause me to be stuck in SSA hell when I try again.  Anyone else gone through this? Do you recommend I just go ahead with the application I already started?

FROM THE ARTICLE: Social Security to Withhold Benefits to Recoup Overpayments.SSA restores policy of cutting off payments to correct past errors. By Andy Markowitz, AARP. Published March 12, 2025. The Social Security Administration (SSA) doesn’t make payment errors often — less than 1 percent of the time, according to agency data. But when it does pay a beneficiary more than they’re entitled to receive, the SSA is legally required to get the money back.For some beneficiaries, that could soon mean temporarily losing their entire Social Security income. USE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ARTICLE: https://www.aarp.org/social-security/withhold-benefits-recoup-overpayments.html

I received the AAP pare today and was interested in the Omaha Life add that AARP displayed. I typed in the Directoamhalive.com that the ad from the AARP paper displayed and it immediately stated "Connection is not private and scammers maybe watching", do you want to go forward"! that's right people, the AARP paper is the scam itself attempting to fraud us! Is nothing safe anymore? I will stop using the AARP magazine/paper as it is totally unsafe garbage. 

A really good thing - the amount was overpaid and now they are getting it back without waiting months or years. They are adhering to the 10% recovery for those notified before 03/27/2025 or whom are SSI (Supplemental Security Income)  Overpayments. SSA.gov News Release - 03/07/2025 - Social Security to Reinstate Overpayment Recovery Rate Policy - Update Supports Fiscal Responsibility  from the link ~The agency strives to pay the right person the right amount at the right time, and issues correct payments to most beneficiaries. When an overpayment does occur, the agency is required by law to seek repayment. As of March 27, the agency will begin mailing notices about the new 100 percent withholding rate, rather than the recent adjustment of just 10 percent. The withholding rate change applies to new overpayments related to Social Security benefits. The withholding rate for current beneficiaries with an overpayment before March 27 will not change and no action is

Columnist Andy Markowitz is naive about Trump White House intentions. The opposite of AARP Calls to Action RE threats yo Social Security. AARP needs to be consistent, relentless and action oriented. That is not happening now.  Focus needs to have started yesterday!  The time is now. Tomorrow is too late. If AARP does not act up now and lead, everything else you have worked to feature and promote will not matter.

The SSA website says applications such as mine should be processed in 30 days, but it has been closer to 60 days and mine should be one of the easier ones to process. The messaging on the SSA website has not changed (it still says 30 days) and I had wanted my benefit payments to begin last month. Calling the national office and the regional offices are exercises in futility; with each call I've made, I've been on hold for an hour in January and over an hour in February but still never talked to anyone! I understand there are staff cuts underway and even regional office cuts (my application is--or was--being processed in Richmond, California). Do you know what a more realistic processing time is these days? Are they processing ANY applications currently? Is the Administration listening to AARP's lobbyists--or anyone? It feels like the Administration does not care about its senior citizens, despite what is being said by our president. Thank you for any helpful information you c

Hypothetically if I am receiving $700 a month and my husband is receiving $1200 a month, my survivor benefits would be his $1200, and not his plus mine?

The RMD's laws needs to be change NOW Here is my proposal to congress:1.- Start RMD at 80-year-old for all2.- It should be 1% taking out for all the money (tax deferred money)3.- Eliminate the 10-year clause for the person who get the money and 1 and 2 above should apply Why senior citizens are penalizing by the RMD system. ir seems that they want us to be bankrupt and die with no money. THE LAW NEEDS TO BE REVISE NOW!!!

I have recently experienced two instances (in last two months) of orders being placed through my account, charged to my card. The first time, it was for a pick-up, which I was able to cancel. The second was for deliveries to addresses thousands of miles away, using different names but possibly mis-read to be mine. Both instances for for hundreds of dollars. Walmart assistance advised they would escalate to their cyber-security but advised I should change password and remove my payment method. I changed password but could not remove payment method (due to my membership in Walmart+). While checking my account I found the fraudster added their address to my account, which indicates they had access to my account. What puzzles me is of all my online accounts, ONLY EVER have I experienced this with Walmart. Has anyone else had this happen with their Walmart account? Thanks in advance! 

I just wondered, how safe do you feel about your life now? I worry about people having access to my banking information through access to my social security account information. I'm worried they'll re-take my monthly stipend, which is what I use for rent and food. The next step would be not sending my monthly stipend. I'm so scared I'll end up on the curb again, through no fault of my own this time.

FROM THE ARTICLE: AARP calls for reassurances from SSA on commitment to customer service. By Andy Markowitz, AARP. Published February 28, 2025. The Social Security Administration (SSA) announced plans for a “massive” restructuring of its operations on Friday that “will include significant workforce reductions” affecting thousands of jobs.A Feb. 28 statement from the SSA set a target of reducing the SSA workforce from about 57,000 employees to 50,000, a 12 percent cut. USE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ARTICLE: https://www.aarp.org/social-security/ssa-workforce-reductions.html

I submitted my application, in New York, for social security retirement benefits on October 22, 2024 for my benefits to start in February.  I haven't heard anything from the social security office.  Then I moved to another state on December 14, 2024.  I contacted my social security office in the new state and told them about my move.  They updated my address.  The new state office also said I should contact the office in Jamaica, NY where my application is being evaluated.  They said that the address on my application probably hadn't changed and something about not having submitted an affidavit.  I wrote to the NY office about my change of address on February 14, 2025.  I have since also submitted a form ssa-521 to withdraw my social security application because I have found a job that pays what I was making when I left NY, so I decided to continue working. I submitted this form to my local office in the new state.  Can I potentially lose my

FROM THE ARTICLE: AARP Urges Members to Contact Congress Now to Protect Social Security.Older Americans continue to raise concerns about payments, customer service. By Andy Markowitz, AARP. Published March 04, 2025. As Social Security prepares to slash its workforce, AARP is urging its members to call on Congress to protect the program that provides crucial financial support to 68 million retirees, people with disabilities and members of their families.“We’ve been hearing from thousands of older Americans across the country who are concerned and confused about their Social Security — will their payments come on time? Can they get timely answers to their questions?” says Nancy LeaMond, chief advocacy and engagement officer for AARP. USE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ARTICLE: https://www.aarp.org/politics-society/advocacy/info-2025/call-on-congress-protect-social-security.html

Just received an email from social-security@aarp.org <aarpadvocacy@email.aarp.org> with the following text:It’s time to tell your lawmakers: “I pay into and EARN my Social Security — and you MUST protect it." Talking with your Congressional offices makes a huge impact and shows them what’s on voters’ minds.We are hearing from thousands of older Americans who are confused and concerned about their Social Security. They want to know their members of Congress will protect Social Security for them, their children, and grandchildren.Dial 866-972-9806 to talk to your U.S. House RepresentativeDial 866-995-8827 to talk to your U.S. Senators This is all well and good but since I have been contacting my Senators and Representatives, I KNOW that these are not the numbers to contact them by.

SSA.gov - Press Release 02/25/2025 - Social Security Announces Expedited Retroactive Payments and Higher Monthly Benefits for Millions- Actions Support the Social Security Fairness Act  from the link ~   the Social Security Administration announced it is immediately beginning to pay retroactive benefits and will increase monthly benefit payments to people whose benefits have been affected by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO). These provisions reduced or eliminated the Social Security benefits for over 3.2 million people who receive a pension based on work that was not covered by Social Security (a "non-covered pension") because they did not pay Social Security taxes. The Social Security Fairness Act ends WEP and GPO.==================Watch your bank account for these added funds.   

Something Changed on the Social Security Yearly Statements. I am very diligent about getting my SS Yearly Statements from their website. (I also run a Benefits Estimator set of reports - using income gradients from 0K to 200K, in 10K intervals - every year. Assuming retirement at 70, and future incomes from 0 to 200K.) My sister in law noted that her SS Yearly Statement shows her SS benefit being reduced (by some $150 a month) - she is further from retirement than I am. I ran my report in response and my Yearly Statement also shows a benefit reduction (at the latter years). It seems the further out you are from retirement the more the reduction is. However, when I run my reports on the Benefits Estimator Calculator, the numbers increase (per usual) - so the Yearly Statement and the Calculator numbers do NOT match up, or even show the same trend. Does anyone else keep a historical record of their SS Yearly Statements, and have you run it lately and seen that the futu

FROM THE ARTICLE: Most older Americans count on monthly benefits as their largest source of income. By Kenneth Terrell, AARP. Published February 20, 2025. The acting head of the Social Security Administration (SSA) on Feb. 19 sought to reassure older Americans that payments will continue as usual and that Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staff have limited access to its systems, amid growing concerns over service disruptions and the privacy of beneficiaries’ personal data.“Our continuing priority is paying beneficiaries the right amount at the right time, and providing other critical services people rely on from us,”  Acting Social Security Commissioner Lee Dudek said in statement. USE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ARTICLE: https://www.aarp.org/politics-society/advocacy/info-2025/social-security-payments-data-protections.html

How about this twist?We just started Medicare January 2025We got hit with IRMAA because our 2023 MAGI was too highHOWEVER, I retired in 2023 (life changing event - work stoppage) and our MAGI for 2024 and going forward will be below IRMAA limitsI filed SSA 44 documenting my retirement and providing below IRMAA MAGI estimates going forward.I just recvd a letter denying my appeal.I called my local SSA office.I was told even though I retired in 2023, it is irrelvant because my 2023 MAGI was too high. I asked her to clarify this 3 timesWTF? I thought the whole point of a SSA 44 appeal was to solve this situation and eliminate / reduce IRMAA due to reduced income.What am I not getting?I asked for an in perosn appt to have this explained to me and she said no, there is no point I will only tell you the same thingI said it is my right to have an appt and I demand one.My appt is in two weeks.What am I not understanding?