social security benefits

In many ways, Social Security is just like any other asset you hold in your retirement nest egg. Yes, it's a key asset -- one that promises a lifetime, inflation-adjusted payout to everyone who vests into the system, based on their age, salary, and years of contributions. But, as with any holding,...

In all the hype and emotion surrounding the debate, it's easy to miss the real point about Social Security -- whether it's worth it for most Americans. As with most government programs, Social Security has winners and losers. It provides at least basic subsistence-level benefits for most retired...

Seniors are more likely to decide to delay their retirement when they consider the benefits of waiting before they think about the advantages of retiring early, a new study finds. Here's why you should consider the future first.

Could you live on less than $30 a day? If you don't have a pension or adequate personal savings, that's what the typical retiree will get in 2036, even setting aside the near-term risks facing Social Security. But don't despair: There are ways to boost your benefits, and ensure that old age doesn't equal penury.

Even if Social Security weren't falling apart -- which it manifestly is -- the average retiree benefits essentially amount to about what you'd earn working full time at a minimum wage job. That's hardly the retirement lifestyle you want. Here's a plan that will allow you to retire comfortably.

Almost a quarter of Americans and Canadians say they expect to work past the age of 70, and 6% say they'll likely retire after their 80th birthday -- two years longer than the nations' life expectancy. That's according to a recent Nielsen survey, and it's not just a North American trend.

Americans' opinions on the divisive topic are all over the map. A new poll shows more than half of Americans now oppose the law, compared to only 41% who support it. Yet 62% -- including 38% of Republicans -- actually disapprove of defunding or changing parts of the law.

It was too good to last. For years, I (and every other financial expert on the planet) was able to tell people that they could tap Social Security at age 62, pay the money back later on – no interest required – and draw a higher payout years down the road. It was perfect. In effect, a...

The new plan to reduce the national deficit, expected to be released Wednesday, includes many of the highly controversial proposals from the previous version, including increasing the Social Security age and reducing benefits from the program.

Inflation has remained flat, and that means Social Security recipients will get no increase in their benefits this year. As medical costs keep growing -- and after a proposed Social Security bonus failed to win approval -- that's unlikely to make retired voters happy.