Find all of the following, explained in plain-English: How your Social Security retirement benefits, spousal benefits, and widow/widower benefits are calculated How your benefits are affected if you have a government pension or if you continue working while claiming Social Security How to decide when is the best age for you (and your spouse, if you're married) to claim Social Security in order to get the most out of your benefits Whether or not it makes sense to take Social Security early in order to invest the money How to check your earnings record on the Social Security Administration's website to make sure you're getting the full benefit you deserve How Social Security benefits are taxed and how this affects retirement tax planning Please note that this book does not cover Social Security disability benefits or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

Find all of the following, explained in plain-English: How your Social Security retirement benefits, spousal benefits, and widow/widower benefits are calculated How your benefits are affected if you have a government pension or if you continue working while claiming Social Security How to decide when is the best age for you (and your spouse, if you're married) to claim Social Security in order to get the most out of your benefits Whether or not it makes sense to take Social Security early in order to invest the money How to check your earnings record on the Social Security Administration's website to make sure you're getting the full benefit you deserve How Social Security benefits are taxed and how this affects retirement tax planning Please note that this book does not cover Social Security disability benefits or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

The Social Security program touches the lives of Americans young and old. Almost everyone has a Social Security number and a job that deducts Social Security taxes from his or her paycheck. And more than 60 million Americans, 1 out of every 6 people, collect a monthly Social Security check. Social Security spending makes up about one-fourth of the entire federal budget. A program this big is bound to have complex laws and regulations. Tom Margenau has been helping people understand Social Security for almost 50 years, both as a Social Security Administration employee and as a nationally syndicated columnist for Creators Syndicate. For the first time, he has gathered all of his knowledge and advice into a series of easy-to-read fact sheets and placed them in this book. Simply find the fact sheet that covers the topic you are interested in and you will improve your understanding of how Social Security affects you and your family. And if you still have questions after reading this book, Tom is ready to help. Just send him an email at [email protected].

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 Social Security credits are earned by working at a job where you pay Social Security taxes, or by earning money from self-employment. The amount of earnings needed to earn a credit is adjusted each year in keeping with wage inflation. A maximum of four credits can be earned in a year. #2 You can earn up to four credits a year. Your full retirement age depends on the year you were born, and your primary insurance amount is the amount of retirement benefits you would receive per month if you started taking them at your full retirement age. #3 Your primary insurance amount is the amount of retirement benefits you would receive per month if you started taking them at your full retirement age. #4 If you’re a total newbie to the world of investing, and you plan on retiring at age 62 in the year 2012, then you can expect your primary insurance amount to be: 90 percent of any AIME up to $767, plus 32 percent of any AIME between $767 and $4,624, plus 15 percent of any AIME above $4,624. 8.

Find all of the following, explained in plain-English with no technical jargon: How to calculate how much you'll need saved before you can retire How to use annuities to minimize the risk of outliving your money How to choose which accounts (Roth vs. traditional IRA vs. taxable) to withdraw from each year When it makes sense to use a Roth IRA conversion to save on taxes How to choose an appropriate asset allocation for your retirement portfolio How to minimize taxes by proper use of an asset location strategy How to reliably pick winning mutual funds

Find all of the following explained in plain-English with no technical jargon: Asset Allocation: What does it mean, why is it so important, and how should you determine your own? How to Pick Mutual Funds: Learn how to choose funds that are mathematically certain to outperform the majority of other mutual funds. Roth IRA vs. Traditional IRA vs. 401(k): What's the difference, and how should you choose between them? Financial Advisors: Learn what to look for as well as pitfalls to avoid. Frequent Investor Mistakes: Learn the most common mistakes and what you can do to avoid them. Calculate Your Retirement Needs: Learn how to calculate how much you'll need saved in order to retire. Who Is This Book For? Anyone who has questions about investing, but who doesn't want to trudge through a 300-page textbook. What This Book Is Not: This book is not a great work of literary art. This book is not going to make you an absolute expert on the topic, and This book is not going to provide you with a way to get rich overnight. What it will do (hopefully) is provide an easy-to-understand, concise introduction to the topic of prudent investing.

Covers retirement, disability, survivor and health care benefits.