If you are the divorced spouse of a worker who dies, you could get benefits just the same as a widow or widower, provided that your marriage lasted 10 years or more. Benefits paid to you as a surviving divorced spouse who meets the age or disability requirement as a widow or widower won’t affect […]

If you are the widow or widower of a person who worked long enough under Social Security, you can: receive full benefits at full retirement age for survivors or reduced benefits as early as age 60. begin receiving benefits as early as age 50 if you are disabled AND the disability started before or within […]

In 2017, the annual earnings limit is $16,920 if you’re under full retirement age. If you will reach full retirement age in 2017, the limit on your earnings for the months before full retirement age is $44,880. Starting with the month you reach full retirement age, there is no limit on how much you can […]

Pension payments, annuities, and the interest or dividends from your savings and investments are not earnings for Social Security purposes. Only earned income, your wages, or net income from self-employment, is covered by Social Security. You may have to pay income tax on pensions, annuities, interest, or dividends, but you do not pay Social Security […]

You can work while you receive Social Security retirement (or survivors) benefits. When you do, it could mean a higher benefit for you in the future. Each year we review the records for all working Social Security recipients. If your earnings for the prior year are higher than one of the years we used to […]

Some people who retire in mid-year have already earned more than their yearly earnings limit. That is why we have a special rule that applies to earnings for one year, usually the first year of retirement. The special rule lets us pay a full Social Security check for any whole month we consider you retired, […]

A common myth about college is that it’s too expensive. But once students understand what college really costs, they often discover that higher education is within their reach. College Costs Vary The biggest part of college costs is usually tuition. Tuition is the price you pay for classes. Along with tuition, you’ll probably have to […]

Q. I was told that I can’t fully fund my 401(k) if I also max out my Roth IRA. They said the limit I could contribute was a total of $16,500 for both. Can you shed light on this discussion? A. Don’t let anyone keep you from contributing as much as possible to your retirement […]

If you are among the growing number of Americans who spend part of their career working outside the U.S., you may wonder what effect this will have on your Social Security taxes and benefits. Fortunately, the United States has concluded Social Security agreements with a number of other countries that help you avoid double taxation […]

Stephen Handel, Ph.D., Executive Director, Community College Initiatives, The College Board Many students use a community college or another two-year college as a stepping-stone to a four-year college and a bachelor’s degree. If you want to take this path, here’s what you should do: Make sure that the credits you earn from your classes at […]