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TheĀ Benefits Blog

The Benefits Blog provides expert insights, updates, and strategies on Social Security and Medicare, tailored for financial professionals looking to enhance their knowledge and better serve their clients. Stay informed with the latest developments and tips to maximize benefits for your clients.

How to Apply for Disabled Adult Child Benefits: A Step-by-Step Guide hey marc! social security disability Aug 23, 2019

Can you help me confirm the best way to begin the application process and which disability report, adult or child, is needed to apply for the Disabled Adult Child benefit? On the website, it states that this benefit cannot be filed for online, and you must call in to start the process which...

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Applying for Social Security with Dual Citizenship in Canada and the U.S. hey marc! Aug 08, 2019

I am both a Canadian & US citizen with years of substantial earnings in both Canada and USA. I believe my situation is covered by the Canada – US Social Security Agreement and want to apply for early social security at age 62 early next year. I am not sure of the best way to apply given...

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Spousal Benefits for a Wife on Disability When Husband Starts Social Security full retirement age (fra) hey marc! primary insurance amount (pia) social security disability spousal benefits Jul 03, 2019

His wife who was born 12/20/57 is getting $1100/m from SS Disability. Once Ron starts his SS at 66.8 will she be entitled to almost half of his FRA amount? Or since she is on SS disability it changes things?

When Ron starts his Social Security benefits at age 66 and 8 months, his wife, who is...

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Understanding Retroactive Survivor Benefits Before Full Retirement Age (FRA) full retirement age (fra) hey marc! program operations manual system (poms) retroactive benefits May 01, 2019

Are there any circumstances or instances in which someone can collect survivors benefits retroactively before their own FRA?  I was not aware of any, but I read something in a Social Security guide from Fisher Investments that indicated that this could happen.

Yes, there are specific...

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Situational Social Security: Divorced Spouse divorce spousal benefits Apr 17, 2019

We emphasize SITUATIONAL SOCIAL SECURITY in the NSSA® Certificate program, as all your clients are UNIQUE. Your clients may be single, married with wide age differences, married with narrow age differences, divorced, surviving spouses, eligible to file a Restricted Application, public...

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How Social Security Withholds Benefits for Earnings Over the Limit full retirement age (fra) hey marc! Apr 08, 2019

We have a client who is still working but thinking about beginning S.S. next year. Will be below FRA making $24,000 annually. Assuming the limit is $22,000 at that time, will SSA withhold $1,000 of her SS benefit? Mechanically how does that work? Do they withhold all at once or over the year?...

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How to Correct Social Security Application Errors: Advocacy Tips hey marc! Nov 15, 2018

My client has been dealing with social security for the last year trying to correct an error she had selected when applying for Social Security. When asked if she was receiving a pension she accidentally marked Yes, instead of no. It’s been over a year with her going into social security,...

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Impact of FERS Supplement on Widow Benefits and GPO federal employees retirement system (fers) government pension offset (gpo) hey marc! widow benefit Oct 11, 2018

If the person takes the FERS supplement at age 60, does that technically count as starting the pension and GPO will apply to the widow benefit? Or can the person collect the widow benefit at 60 with no GPO reduction and collect the supplement?

If an individual under the Federal Employees...

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Military Service and Social Security: Understanding Additional Wage Credits hey marc! military Sep 05, 2018

I read an article that says that someone with a military background, mostly National Guard or Reserve forces, are eligible for additional SS wage credits added to their earnings record.

Yes, individuals with a military background, particularly those who served in the National Guard or Reserve...

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Understanding U.S. and Australian Social Security Benefits & WEP hey marc! windfall elimination provision (wep) Sep 05, 2018

I have a client who hasn’t reached the 40 credits yet with his US SSA. He is also eligible for an Australian SSA benefit as well. I read through the SSA Australian agreement answered some questions but was wondering if he collects the US SSA and an Australian government benefit is there...

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