Money

I’ve been trying to wrap my head around how the recent legislation could affect retirement income, especially when it comes to taxes, Medicare premiums, and withdrawals.A few things I keep coming back to:How long current tax rates might stick aroundHow income ties into Medicare costs (IRMAA)When it actually makes sense to take withdrawals vs waitIt feels like one of those areas where small decisions now could have a bigger impact later.I came across a free info session led by a former White House policy expert that breaks this down in a really straightforward way. One Big Beautiful Bill Webinar Retirement Income Webinar Curious if anyone here has adjusted their approach recently or is thinking about this differently.

An annuity is basically you telling your money:“Stop wandering around and pay me like rent every month.”And your money says, “Okay, fine,” and does it.📌 The Three Types (Explained Like Family Members at Thanksgiving)• Fixed annuities: The reliable aunt who brings the same casserole every year. Predictable. Solid. No surprises.• Indexed annuities: The cousin who says, “I’ll go up with the market, but I refuse to go down with it.”• Variable annuities: The uncle who invests in crypto at 2 a.m. Could be great. Could be… a story. 💡 Why People Even Consider These ThingsA lot of folks look into annuities when they want:• Income they can’t outlive• A break from the stock market’s mood swings• Something to go with Social Security besides crossed fingers• A little more peace of mind⚠️ Things to Watch Out For (Before You Sign Anything)• Fees (because of course there are fees)• How long your money is locked up• How interest is calculated• Whether it fits the retirement lifestyle you actuall

I started Medicare at age 65. I waited to take Social Security until my Full Retirement age. I am required to paid quarterly payments for the Medicare Premium, (this before reaching Full Retirement age). My Notice of Award for my Social Security Benefit shows that Medicare Premiums will be automatically deducted from each month's benefit payment. The problem is I will be paying the Medicare Premium twice for the month of May. After that, no problem and I want the automatic deduction. My Social Security Benefit starts in May. The Notice of Award clearly itemizes the deduction of the Medicare Premium for this first benefit payment. However, my last quarterly payment for the Medicare Premium includes the premium for May. Thus, I'm paying twice. How do I fix this? Calling my local Social Security office is met with the sound of crickets chirping. Is there a way to fix this from within my online social security account? Or, will this get corrected automatically? If it is expected

From what I’ve read it’s my understanding if I claim a SS Survivors benefit the amount is based on a percentage of my spouse’s SS benefit at age 67 (FRA).  If I claim the benefit at age 60 it would be approximately 70% of my spouse’s FRA benefit. If I wait until I’m 61 the percentage would increase. This will continue until I reach my FRA.  My question is as I wait to claim a SS survivors benefit will my spouse’s FRA benefit increase every year based on SS COLA? 

My wife is a retired teacher since 2014. The school system does not pay into Social Security. She retired 10 years ago and has been paying her Medicare premium through bank withdrawals. Now, 10 years later, the Social Security sent us a letter stating that we owe them about $20k. They did not provide an itemized statement showing how they calculated the $20k. I called Social Security and they said to call Medicare to provide an itemized statement and when I call Medicare they state that Social Security is government agency that handles the Medicare payments by deducting from her social security payments. No one has the information I request. The situation is that since she does not get Social Security, she was paying with bank withdrawals. Bottom line, we cant find anyone that can show us how they calculated that we owe them money. After calling several times all l get is finger pointing between agencies but no resolution. I even filed an appeal about 6 weeks ago and did not receive an

Went to the Costco today. They had dishwasher tabs on sale. I anticipated the normal sale for these tabs which for years has been 100 or 110 tabs, normally about $16.00, on sale for about $13.00. Guess what greeted me...... The regular price had been jacked up to $21.00 and the sale price was now the old regular price of about $16.00. Not only that, but the box now held only 90 tabs, not the 100 or 110 tabs it used to contain. NOT ONLY WAS THERE RIDICULOUS INFLATED PRICE INCREASES BUT THERE WAS ALSO SHRINKAGE!!!!!

 There was a Senate hearing yesterday on Senate Budget Committee Examines Social Security SolvencyYou can watch / read /listen to it all on CPAN 2 at this link - https://www.c-span.org/program/senate-committee/senate-budget-committee-examines-social-security-solvency/676234  They seemed to have touched on it all.   Enjoy !

3 comments ➡️To reply, click on reply button at bottom of this post. Enter your text. Click reply button again. ⬅️ Read comments and/or comment. Do YOU agree or DISagree? 🤔 Feel free to ADD to this list! (1) Social Security. (2) Company or government pension. (3) Annuities. (4) 401(k) or IRA. (5) Roth accounts. (6) Stocks and mutual funds. (7) Bonds. (8) Savings accounts and CDs. (9) Part-time retirement job. (10) Paid-off house.

  In the state of Georgia, I just learned about away to help protect against property-fraud. I don't know if other state offers this protection.  Here is a quick overview on it;FANS in Georgia refers to the Filing Activity Notification System, a statewide property‑fraud alert service run by the Georgia Superior Court Clerks’ Cooperative Authority (GSCCCA). It’s one of the most important tools Georgia homeowners can use to protect themselves.What it will do FANS sends you email or text alerts whenever a document is filed in Georgia that matches criteria you set — usually your name, property address, or parcel number. This includes filings such as:DeedsLiensQuitclaim deedsOther real estate or personal‑property recordsIt’s designed to help you catch fraudulent filings quickly — something that has become a growing issue in Georgia. This is free for all Georgia residents, and it is statewide  You register here: https://fans.gsccca.org and you can find out more

Harman Law firm Timothy Jackson scamHere is the email I for from a pretend paralegal.I'm Susan, an assistant to Timothy Jackson, an attorney at Harman Law Firm. Thank you for taking the time to read this letter.My role is to assist Timothy in processing lists of potential victims, verifying actual victims, and providing legal assistance. Please be assured that we always adhere to legal and professional standards, and all information will be kept strictly confidential. We hope you understand that our communication style is based on efficiency and responsibility, not on irregularities.To ensure your full trust in us, the following points are for your reference:Law Firm QualificationsHarman Law Firm has been established for many years, specializing in financial fraud and fund recovery. You can access our practice information and past case studies on our official website. Attorney Timothy Jackson is licensed in the United States (license number: 229876), which can be verified by visit

Does anyone know who is the face of AARP? AARP is designed to be an interest group for americans  age of fifty and older. I have been a mber for around ten years yet I have no idea how to contact AARP executives or know what their priorities are? Social Security is a top priority for most of us but I have never seen an AARP representative on the news communicating our goal and interest. Why?  If anyone knows how we can find out what the AARP leaders priorities are for 2025 or how to reach out to them I would appreciate it. Below is some information I found online but know way to message them. AARP CEO: Dr. Myechia Minter-JordanSubsidiaries     AARP FoundationAARP Services IncLegal Counsel for the ElderlyOATS/Senior PlanetWish of a LifetimeAARP Board of Directorshttps://www.aarp.org › about-aarp › board-of-directorsLloyd E. Johnson - Board ChairMargot James CopelandRobert BlancatoJoseph F. CoughlinJeffrey D. DunnBeth EllardRosanna A

Once again this week, I am seeing individual beneficiaries living in a marriage, each with their own benefits, being devastated financially when one of them dies. I do not know where they get the idea that the living spouse will get both benefits - THEY DO NOT - the living spouse will receive a Survivors benefit that equals the higher of the two benefits.  That still means that the sum of the Survivor receives is less than the (2) individual benefits which they got before the death of their spouse. This could mean the loss of several hundreds of dollars a month.  If the couple is living on a very tight budget, this loss of income could result in unintended consequences - So, please do a bit of planning if you think this situation might affect you.  

i saw on facebook this lady name Sharon O Bradley helps people to trade in the forex market for a fee. i dm her through messenger. i signed up with her services and was told that i would be able to withdraw my money in 7 days. i was told to sin up on her  trading site. where i could actually see my money trading and making money. in a few days i wanted to withdraw my profits only to be told that i have to pay 10% first of the profits to make a withdrawal. i had no control of the account because they opened the account. after much research. i discovered that this account was not opened with this lady and someone might have cloned her account on facebook and using her name to scam people. i need help to find these people so i can recover my money. Who do i report this to.  also, anyone know this lady please let me know how to contact her to warn her of what is happening to her business reputation.

I just wanted to let everyone know of a  Brand New Scam that hit my cell phone today! Its a new spin on the old "renewal notice of McAfee for $522.00"Now I have not used McAfee for decades so I know the email and text scams come every month. THIS WAS DIFFERENT!I got a CALENDAR notification at 7:01 tonight that was on today's Calendar notifications. When I opened the notice, (if you have this just delete it right away) to read what it said. It was the usual EMAIL scam that has been going around forever, but in a CALENDAR notice! Now I have been using the Google Calendar for years now to keep track of all my appointments but NEVER have I had a notice I did not put in myself! The fact that this happened means I probably need an upgraded phone.I tell you all that to tell you this, DELETE THIS MESSAGE AND DO NOT OPEN IT! I right away called my bank to let them know of the scam, Called mom to let her know, then made this thread.Hope this helps everyoneThanks, Brian

Stay away from these profiles, they're crypto scammers. Do not invest or seek for their help to recover your money, because you'll end up losing your money and IDs. Please report any related issue to the support team.https://community.aarp.org/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/33930240 ChrisW327344https://community.aarp.org/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/33930299 GavinW480704https://community.aarp.org/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/33930296 MichealW932026 Tag any scammer under the comment/reply section. 

I can follow through with either of the 2 scenarios, just trying to figure out which is best, as I cannot find an exact answer on the SS site.I am 67 1/2, past my full retirement age, I will be working for at least 1 more year earning SS wages. If I do not claim my SS for another year, is it correct to say that it will increase by 8%, plus whatever extra I make on my SS wages.The other scenario is if I claim my SS now, and still work at my full time job for another year. After a year, my SS will only adjust for the SS wages i put in for the year.So, does that mean the only difference will be the 8% that the SS department adds for not claiming a year?Thanks.

As the pandemic continues, emotions may be running high. AARP financial expert JeanChatzky explains how making emotional financial decisions can cause more harm than good – and shares tips for how to avoid them. Do you have tips of your own to share?

My June 2026 UHC Supplement Plan N just went up 20.2% after a similar increase last year. Would somebody please tell me how AARP actually helps me in my senior years? If I was with Mutual of Omaha I'd pay $100 less for the same coverage. What good is the AARP affiliation? Not happy.

  I just applied for my for my age 70 benefit. Starting in February. This should be the ultimate stress test! After the nightmare of Army Benefit Center totally butchering my High 3 calculation, and then failing to send my retirement package to OPM & DFAS for several months- what could go wrong???Wish me luck! 

FROM THE ARTICLE. 8 Numbers That Tell the Story of Social Security.How more than 69 million Americans came to rely on the program — and why it’s now in trouble. By Andy Markowitz, AARP. Reviewed by Joel Eskovitz, AARP. Published August 06, 2025. Social Security has always been about numbers, ever since it was established 90 years ago this month by President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s signature on a historic act of Congress.You work 10 years, earn 40 Social Security credits, and you are eligible for benefits when you retire. A complex mathematical formula determines how much you’ll get each month. A 12.4 payroll tax on almost all U.S. workers’ income provides the funding that keeps benefits flowing to (as of June 2025) more than 69 million Americans. A unique nine-digit code assigned to each of us keeps it all straight. USE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ARTICLE. https://www.aarp.org/social-security/ssa-by-the-numbers/

 Beware - I recently signed up for AARPs driver safety course, paying with my credit card.  Right after receiving an email receipt of payment from AARP I immediately received two emails from Link saying my Link digital wallet was ready for use.  One email contained the following: What's Link?  A safe way to pay faster at AARPDriverSafety and everywhere Link is accepted.   I reach out to customer service for this course and was told Link was a legitimate third party partner of AARP.  They noted:  I am happy to clarify the $5 promotion on our course checkout page.  By purchasing our course using your bank account instead of a credit/debit card, you are opting into using the third-party app, Link. They are the ones who provide a rebate of $5, it is not a discounted amount off.None of this is true as I paid for this course using my credit card and the March discount I found online did not mention Link.  My email back to custo

As an oncology RN, I see how much kids do to help their parents as they age. I also see how much my sister has done for my mother. Kids are no guarantee, but they can be a great source of support and a safety net.Concerned about being able to care for myself due to physical and possible cognitive changes. Also concerned about protecting my money who might identify as someone w/o family to watch over things or about someone trying to become my guardian.

 

Anyone encounter this question? We're getting mixed answers from various sources. My 63-year-old partner (we're not married) could start receiving SS on her ex-husband's SS. It would be a reduced amount because she is not at her full retirement age. Is she then "locked" into that reduced percentage the rest of her life because she started early, before her own full retirement age? What if in 5 years she and I get married and she starts claiming on my SS......would it be reduced percentage because she started her claim at 63? Thanks!

My daughter in law says she heard that Social security is going to cut our checks by 70% this year and that Trump is going to cancel it with in a couple of years. I want to know if this is a possibility or not. I can't live with out my check. Please let me know if this is true.Thank you Sharonsharonstartrek@aol.com