Financial Planning

You can access our programs and services from just about anywhere with your personal and secure my Social Security account. It’s easy to sign up for one, and it will give you access to important information you can’t find anywhere else. You can even use your personal my Social Security account to opt out of receiving certain notices by mail, such as the annual cost-of-living adjustments and the income-related monthly adjustment amount notice. ...

There can be confusion surrounding Social Security payments, retirement, disability and/or Medicare. You can find many of the answers about these programs and services on the Social Security Administration's Frequently Asked Questions page at faq.ssa.gov.  ...

Most Americans wish to grow old in their own home, but that choice can lead to its own problems. Here's what to be aware of if you choose to age in place. ...

A Plan for Achieving Self-Support (PASS) is a rule under SSI to help people with disabilities return to work. If you receive SSI or could qualify for SSI after setting aside income or resources so you can pursue—or achieve—a work goal, you could benefit from a PASS. ...

Of those who do change their plan, nearly half cut their premiums by at least 5 percent. Even beneficiaries who have been satisfied with their plans in 2020 should review their choices for 2021, as both premiums and plan coverage can fluctuate from year to year. Could you save money with the same coverage by switching to a different plan? ...

Whether or not we spend half our lives responding to devices, we all transact a lot of our daily business online — buying items on Amazon, paying our bills through online bank programs, accumulating and using airline miles, reallocating our investments, saving photos, listening to music, watching movies or planning trips. And that's not even mentioning dating sites or social media, such as Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn. So, what happens to all these connections and information if you become disabled or die? ...

With more people learning online, we would like to highlight some of the digital resources we have for educators. Chances are, a student will know someone who receives retirement or disability benefits. This could be a way to relate our many programs to a new audience. ...

A home is most peoples’ single biggest asset, and it holds so much meaning and memories. If a single person enters a nursing home with a house but no money, many people don’t know that the new regulations say that the house is a countable asset, and the person won’t qualify for assistance. ...