The 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.

Impact of Earnings on Social Security Benefits for a Widow and Her Children annual earnings test (aet) benefits for minors family maximum hey marc! widow benefit Dec 02, 2022

A woman referred to me whose husband passed in November at age 46. She is also age 46. She is scheduled to collect SS for her two kids ages 11,13. She isn’t currently working. She will go back in 2023.  Will her earnings affect the SS her children receive?

In this situation, the woman's earnings wi...

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Estimating Social Security Benefits for a Divorced Client with a State Pension ex-spousal benefit government pension offset (gpo) hey marc! primary insurance amount (pia) spousal benefits windfall elimination provision (wep) Nov 24, 2022

Hope all is well. I have a case that I’m working on right now where I’m trying to estimate a clients social security benefit. Could you possibly help point me in the right direction. Here’s info about the client

  • She just turned age 65 and is divorced (divorce happened more than 2 years ago) and...

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Deciding Between Disability and Retirement Benefits Near Full Retirement Age full retirement age (fra) hey marc! social security disability Oct 28, 2022

My sister-in-law turned 66 on August 15, 2022 and will reach full retirement age on December 15. She is currently in a residential Mental health facility but will be released tomorrow. She has not applied for Social Security benefits and the psychiatrist is telling her to apply for Social Security d...

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Filing for Social Security at Full Retirement Age (FRA) full retirement age (fra) hey marc! Oct 17, 2022

If someone is planning on filing at the FRA and their FRA is March 6, 2023, should they file before that date or on that date? When would their first check be received?

When someone reaches their Full Retirement Age (FRA) on March 6, 2023, they should ideally file for their Social Security benefits...

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How to Ensure Spousal Benefits Are Applied When Filing for Social Security full retirement age (fra) hey marc! spousal benefits Oct 12, 2022

We have a client who filed and started receiving his benefits about a year ago.  His wife is going to now apply for hers, as she will be 62 this year. His benefit at FRA is more than 2xs hers at her FRA. They are applying online.  As they go through the app process online, there is no link or sectio...

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Unlocking the Booming Market of Social Security Advising baby boomers maximizing benefits Oct 05, 2022

10,000 Baby Boomers Are Turning Age 65 Every Day!

The demand for professional Social Security advice is at an all-time high. With over 10,000 baby boomers turning age 65 each day, this demographic shift is creating an unprecedented need for specialized guidance on Social Security and Medicare. This...

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Does Deemed Filing Apply to Child-in-Care and SSDI Benefits? deemed filing hey marc! Oct 04, 2022

Does deemed filing does apply to child in care (young mothers/young fathers) and SSDI?

Deemed filing rules do not apply to child-in-care benefits or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). Here’s how deemed filing works and why it’s different for these types of benefits:

  1. Deemed Filing Ove...

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Social Security Benefits for Children Under 18 benefits for minors hey marc! primary insurance amount (pia) social security benefits Sep 07, 2022

I have a client who has 3 kids under 18 –> 8, 11, 13.  Do you have to claim kids on taxes to be able to claim for SS benefits?  What do those benefits look like for him? His SS benefit at 67 is $2,765.

Your client’s children do not need to be claimed on his tax returns to be eligible for Social Sec...

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Is Kidney Failure with Dialysis an Automatic Qualifier for Disability? hey marc! social security disability Sep 05, 2022

We have a client receiving kidney dialysis.  He needs to apply for Social Security Disability. He still works but can barely work anymore. We understood that if someone has renal failure and is on dialysis it’s an automatic qualifier for disability.  Are we incorrect? 

Kidney failure with dialysis ...

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Which Months Are Withheld If a Worker Exceeds the Earnings Limit? earning limits hey marc! Aug 19, 2022

If a worker is receiving benefits and they are over the earnings limit, which months would be withheld? Let’s say SSA needs to withhold two months. January and February or November and December or something else??

SSA holds benefits at the earliest point or as soon as they receive an estimate of ea...

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