Understanding how the Retirement Earnings Test works

January 17, 2024

It’s tempting to increase income once a wage earner is eligible for Social Security—at age 62—by taking benefits early. However, those benefits are likely to be temporarily reduced because of earned income. The “retirement earnings test” is poorly understood by the public, as reported in an article from CNBC, “Social Security rule for beneficiaries who keep working is ‘poorly understood,’ report finds. This is from a study conducted by the Social Security Advisory Board, a bipartisan, independent federal agency. It helps provide an understanding of how the retirement earnings test works.

According to the study, between 20% and 50% of pre-retirees don’t know their monthly benefits may be lowered if they claim Social Security and keep working.

Even wage earners who know their benefits might be reduced don’t know this is a temporary reduction. As few as 30% to 40% understand the reductions will eventually be added back to their benefits when they reach their full retirement age (FRA).

Here’s how the retirement earnings test works. It applies to Social Security beneficiaries under FRA, generally between ages 66 and 67, depending on their date of birth. A beneficiary under FRA who continues to work will have their benefits cut by $1 for every $2 earned in 2024. The rule applies to income over $22,320.

The rule differs for the year a beneficiary reaches their full retirement age when $1 is deducted for every $3 earned over a separate limit. In 2024, this applies to earnings over $59,520 only for the months before a beneficiary reaches full retirement age.

Today’s wage earners are more likely to remain in or move in and out of the workforce before fully retiring, so this rule will likely impact more people.

The Social Security Administration’s policy directs the field office staff to discuss the retirement earnings test with all applicants. However, this doesn’t always happen, according to the Society Security Advisory Board. These conversations also don’t always happen with prospective beneficiaries who have stopped working.

The report recommends making the information on the Social Security website more accessible and doing the same for related tools on the website.

Misunderstanding the retirement earnings test often influences workers to delay claiming benefits until full retirement age. Waiting to claim at full retirement age means workers receive all the benefits they earned, while those who claim earlier have permanently reduced benefits.

For most people affected by the retirement earnings test, there’s no effect on the amount of their lifetime benefits, but not understanding the rules may keep them from enjoying more income in their senior years.

As beneficiaries continue to work, they also pay Social Security payroll taxes. This could increase their benefits if the earnings fall within their highest earnings years.

Beneficiaries must properly report wages, as the IRS reports wages to the SSA. If it is determined benefits have been overpaid, the SSA will withhold benefits until the sum is recouped. This is a situation to avoid. If you are nearing retirement age, or are considering taking social security early, understanding how the retirement earnings test works can be the difference between paying the bills and being in debt. If you would like to learn more about retirement planning, please visit our previous posts.

Reference: CNBC (Dec. 20, 2023) “Social Security rule for beneficiaries who keep working is ‘poorly understood,’ report finds

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Seniors are missing out on Tax Deductions

December 27, 2023

Many seniors are missing out on tax deductions and tax savings, according to a recent article from The Wall Street Journal, “Four Lucrative Tax Deductions That Seniors Often Overlook.” The tax code is complicated, and changes are frequent.

Since 2017, there have been several major tax changes, including the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the pandemic-era Cares Act and the climate and healthcare package known as the Inflation Reduction Act. Those are just three—there’s been more. Unless you’re a tax expert, chances are you won’t know about the possibilities. However, these four could be very helpful for seniors, especially those living on fixed incomes.

The IRS does offer a community-based program, Tax Counseling for the Elderly. This community-based program includes free tax return preparation for seniors aged 60 and over in low to moderate-income brackets. However, not everyone knows about this program or feels comfortable with an IRS-run tax program.

Here are four overlooked tax deductions for seniors:

Extra standard deduction. Millions of Americans take the standard deduction—a flat dollar amount determined by the IRS, which reduces taxable income—instead of itemizing deductions like mortgage interest and charitable deductions on the 1040 tax form.

In the 2023 tax year, seniors who are 65 or over or blind and meet certain qualifications are eligible for an extra standard deduction in addition to the regular deduction.

The extra standard deduction for seniors for 2023 is $1,850 for single filers or those who file as head of household and $3,000 for married couples, if each spouse is 65 or over filing jointly. This boosts the total standard deduction for single filers and married filing jointly to $15,700 and $30,700, respectively.

IRA contributions by a spouse. Did you know you can contribute earned income to a nonworking or low-earning spouse’s IRA if you file a joint tax return as a married couple? These are known as spousal IRAs and are treated just like traditional IRAs, reducing pretax income. They are not joint accounts—the individual spouse owns each IRA, and you can’t do this with a Roth IRA. There are specific guidelines, such as the working spouse must earn at least as much money as they contributed to both of the couple’s IRAs.

Qualified charitable distributions. Seniors who make charitable donations by taking money from their bank account or traditional IRA and then writing a check from their bank account is a common tax mistake. It is better to use a qualified charitable deduction, or QCD, which lets seniors age 70 ½ and older transfer up to $100,000 directly from a traditional IRA to a charity tax-free. Married couples filing jointly can donate $200,000 annually, and neither can contribute more than $100,000.

The contributions must be made to a qualified 501(c)(3) charity. The donation can’t be from Donor-Advised Funds. This is a great option when you need to take the annual withdrawal, known as a Required Minimum Distribution or RMD, and don’t need the money.

Medicare premium deduction. A self-employed retiree can deduct Medicare premiums even if they don’t itemize. This includes Medicare Part B and D, plus the cost of supplemental Medigap policies or a Medicare Advantage plan. The IRS considers self-employed people who own a business as a sole proprietor (Schedule C), partner (Schedule E), limited liability company member, or S corporation shareholder with at least 2% of the company stock.

Remember, you must have business income to qualify, since you can deduct premiums by only as much as you earn from your business. You also can’t claim the deduction if your health insurance is covered by a retiree medical plan hosted by a former employer or your spouse’s employer’s medical plan.

Seniors should consult with an estate planning attorney make sure they are not missing out on possible tax deductions. If you would like to learn more about tax planning, please visit our previous posts.

Reference: The Wall Street Journal (Nov. 29, 2023) “Four Lucrative Tax Deductions That Seniors Often Overlook”

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Qualified Charitable Distributions benefit older Taxpayers

December 19, 2023

Qualified charitable distributions use the federal tax code to benefit older taxpayers and must take Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs). Recent changes in federal law under the SECURE Act 2.0 present even more opportunities to use QCDs, according to a recent article, “Planning Ahead: Expanding on year-end tax strategies for Qualified Charitable Distributions,” from The Mercury. How does it work?

Required Minimum Distributions for seniors can become a problem since taxpayers above a given age must withdraw specific amounts based on their age from traditional retirement accounts and pay taxes on the withdrawals, regardless of whether they need the money. The reason is obvious: if people weren’t required to take funds out of their accounts, the government would never have the opportunity to generate tax revenue. The QCD lessens the blow of the additional year-end taxes by providing some relief through donations to qualified charities.

Used correctly, the QCD serves two purposes: saving on taxes and benefiting a favorite charity. Charities include any 501(c)(3) entities under the federal tax code. Before using a QCD, ensure the charity you choose is a qualified 501(c)(3). Otherwise, you’ll lose any tax benefits.

Your estate planning attorney can help you understand the process of making a QCD. You’ll need to coordinate with the custodian of the IRA. While some may provide step-by-step information, others require you to coordinate with your estate planning attorney and financial advisor. A reminder—the point of the QCD is that the distribution does not appear in your adjusted gross income and goes directly to the charity.

Usually, taking RMDs adds funds to your taxable income, which can, unfortunately, push you into a higher income tax bracket. It could also limit or eliminate some tax deductions, such as personal exemptions and itemized deductions. There may be increases in taxes on Social Security benefits as well. Whether you want or need to take the RMD, you must take it and include it as taxable income.

Qualified charitable distributions benefit older taxpayers by allowing individuals required to take RMDs to donate up to $100,000 to one or more qualified charities directly from a taxable IRA, without the funds being counted as income.

The RMD age has increased to 73, but the $100,000 will be indexed for inflation. Under SECURE Act 2.0, individuals will be allowed to make a one-time election of up to $50,000 inflation-indexed for QCDs to certain entities, including Charitable Remainder Annuity Trusts, Charitable Remainder Unitrusts and Charitable Gift Annuities.

QCDs cannot be made to donor-advised funds, private foundations and supporting organizations, even though these are often categorized as charities.

It must be noted that the rules concerning QCD are detailed and strict—you’ll want the help of an experienced estate planning attorney.

The QCD must be made by December 31 of the tax year in question. If you would like to learn more about charitable planning, please visit our previous posts.

Reference: The Mercury (Nov. 22, 2023) “Planning Ahead: Expanding on year-end tax strategies for Qualified Charitable Distributions”

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Avoid Adding Adult Children as Joint Owners

December 5, 2023

It is generally wise to avoid adding adult children as joint owners of your accounts. The conversation may concern a checking or savings account or both. Unsolicited advice usually goes something like this: “If you want to have your children to be able to pay your bills if something happens to you, you need to add them to the account.” While the intentions are good, a recent Spokane Journal of Business article advises otherwise: “Adding adult children to accounts can be problematic.”

People are made to worry even more when they are told that if there is no second name on the account, it will be frozen upon death and no one can access it until a lengthy and costly probate process has occurred.

To do the right thing, many people respond by adding their most responsible adult child to the account. They don’t realize they are creating more problems than they are solving. A better solution exists, and it should be something taken care of when preparing or revising your estate plan.

Why wouldn’t you want to add an adult child to your accounts? Simply put, your last will and testament doesn’t apply to a bank account if it is a joint account. Most bank accounts are owned with a “joint tenancy with right of survivorship.” This means if the primary owner, the parent, should die, the adult child becomes the sole owner of assets in the account, regardless of what your will says.

Assuming that your intention is to split the assets in the account among several beneficiaries, this may or may not happen. The new account owner is under no legal obligation to share the assets, as they are solely and legally entitled to these funds.

Another problem: if the child decides to split the funds and transfer them to siblings, the IRS may see this as a gift subject to the requirement to fill out a gift tax return.

By having a joint owner, you may also expose these assets to creditor claims. What if the child named on the bank account causes a car accident and is sued? Those assets are considered owned by the child and could be attached by a creditor. If your child gets divorced, those assets may also be part of a divorce settlement.

Estate tax reporting gets more complicated. The IRS places an additional burden on accounts held as joint tenants with the right of survivorship. If the child unexpectedly dies first, the law places the burden on the estate to prove the child did not own the asset.

Is there a solution? Yes, a power of attorney.

A power of attorney is a legal document allowing an agent to act on behalf of the parent, providing authorization without ownership. The parent’s goal is almost always to provide authorization and access, but not ownership.

The POA can be made effective immediately upon signing to allow the child immediate access to the account for bill paying. It can apply not only to bank accounts but to all assets. Alternatively, it can also be limited to specific assets.

Avoid adding adult children as joint owners of your financial accounts. Your estate planning attorney can create a POA to authorize an agent to give them as much or as little control as you want. You’ll be able to determine precisely what you do and do not wish your agent to do. If you would like to learn more about managing financial and retirement accounts, please visit our previous posts.

Reference: Spokane Journal of Business (Nov. 9, 2023) “Adding adult children to accounts can be problematic”

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Retirement Planning Mistakes to Avoid

November 21, 2023

Planning for your golden years is no small feat. A robust retirement plan is a treasure map to comfort and security in your later life. However, the road to a stress-free retirement is often littered with potential mistakes. Identifying common retirement planning mistakes and knowing the mistakes to avoid can save future retirees from headaches and financial instability.

Are You Underestimating Health Care Expenses When Your Retire?

One retirement mistake made often is underestimating health care costs. It’s easy to overlook long-term care and other health expenses, especially if you’re currently in good health. However, healthcare expenses can deplete your retirement savings faster than anticipated.

As you age, healthcare becomes an integral part of your expenses. Considering potential needs like long-term care, which Medicare does not usually cover, is crucial. Working with a financial planner can help you factor these costs into your retirement plan, ensuring your nest egg is equipped to handle future medical expenses.

Is Your Investment Portfolio Too Aggressive or Conservative?

Your investment strategy plays a pivotal role in your financial security. One of the common retirement mistakes is maintaining an inappropriate investment risk level. As you approach retirement, financial advisors often recommend gradually shifting towards more conservative investments to preserve capital. However, being overly cautious can also impede the growth of your retirement savings.

Discussing your risk tolerance and retirement timeline with a financial advisor is essential. They can help rebalance your portfolio to protect your assets, while still capitalizing on market opportunities.

Have You Neglected Tax Planning?

Tax planning is often overlooked in retirement planning, which can lead to unexpected tax burdens on your retirement income. Without proper planning, everything from social security benefits to withdrawals from your retirement account could be taxed, significantly shrinking your usable income.

Strategies like investing in Roth IRAs, where qualified withdrawals are tax-free, or setting aside funds to handle tax obligations, can be beneficial. It’s advisable to consult with a financial advisor or someone who can provide tax or legal advice to optimize your retirement plan for tax efficiency.

Do You Rely Solely on Social Security Benefits at Full Retirement Age?

A common mistake is assuming that social security benefits will be sufficient as your sole source of income. However, these benefits are designed to supplement your retirement savings account and usually don’t suffice for a comfortable retirement on their own.

It’s essential to have additional sources of income. Strategies like investing, setting up annuities, or continuing part-time work can help ensure a steady income flow throughout retirement, enhancing your financial security.

Are You Withdrawing Too Much, Too Soon?

Careful planning for how much you withdraw in the early years of retirement ensures that you don’t outlive your savings. Retirees sometimes start by withdrawing larger amounts. However, this approach can compromise their financial health in the later stages of retirement.

Setting a sustainable withdrawal rate as part of your retirement plan, considering factors like life expectancy and inflation, is prudent. Financial planners recommend the “4% rule” as a starting point, adjusting as necessary based on individual circumstances and market conditions.

Have You Failed to Consider Inflation?

Inflation can erode the purchasing power of your retirement savings over time, a reality that retirees cannot afford to ignore. A common retirement mistake is failing to factor inflation into retirement planning.

Investing in inflation-protected securities or assets that tend to increase in value over time can help your savings grow in step with or outpace inflation. Regular consultations with your financial advisor can help adjust your strategies to mitigate inflation’s impact.

Did You Forget to Plan Your Estate?

Beyond securing your lifestyle post-retirement, it is also essential to consider how your assets will be distributed upon your death. Without an estate plan, your heirs may not receive the assets you intend to leave them, and legal complications could arise.

Estate planning involves setting up wills, trusts and designating beneficiaries, ensuring that your wishes are honored. Discussing your desires with an experienced estate planning attorney will help ensure that your estate plan is comprehensive and legally sound.

Summary: Key Takeaways to Remember

To wrap up, here are the essential points to remember to avoid these common retirement planning mistakes:

Plan for health care costs: Factor in expenses like long-term care and unexpected medical bills.
Balance your investment portfolio: Ensure your investments align with your risk tolerance and retirement timeline.
Don’t neglect tax planning: Understand potential tax obligations on your retirement income.
Supplement social security benefits: Identify additional income sources to bolster your social security income.
Adopt a sustainable withdrawal rate: Use strategies like the “4% rule” to avoid depleting your savings prematurely.
Protect against inflation: Invest in assets that can counteract the rising cost of living.
Establish an estate plan: Prepare the legal mechanisms for asset distribution after your death.

Incorporating these strategies can help you avoid these common mistakes as you plan for retirement and set you on a path to a comfortable and secure retirement. If you would like to learn more about retirement planning, please visit our previous posts.

Tax Strategies combined with Estate Planning can Safeguard Assets

October 23, 2023

Business owners who want long-term financial success must navigate an intricate web of taxes, estate planning and asset protection. Pre-and post-transactional tax strategies, combined with estate planning, can safeguard assets, optimize tax positions and help strategically pass wealth along to future generations or charitable organizations, as reported in a recent article from Forbes, “Strategic Tax and Estate Planning For Business Owners.”

Pre-transactional tax planning includes reviewing the business entity structure to align it with tax objectives. For example, converting to a Limited Liability Company (LLC) may be a better structure if it is currently a solo proprietorship.

Implementing qualified retirement plans, like 401(k)s and defined benefit plans, gives tax advantages for owners and is attractive to employees. Contributions are typically tax-deductible, offering immediate tax savings.

There are federal, state, and local tax credits and incentives to reduce tax liability, all requiring careful research to be sure they are legitimate tax planning strategies. Overly aggressive practices can lead to audits, penalties, and reputational damage.

After a transaction, shielding assets becomes even more critical. Establishing a limited liability entity, like a Family Limited Partnership (FLP), may be helpful to protect assets.

Remember to keep personal and business assets separate to avoid putting asset protection efforts at risk. Review and update asset protection strategies when there are changes in your personal or business life or new laws that may provide new opportunities.

Developing a succession plan is critical to ensure that the transition of a family business from one to the next. Be honest about family dynamics and individual capabilities. Start early and work with an experienced estate planning attorney to align the succession and tax plan with your overall estate plan.

Philanthropy positively impacts, establishes, or builds on an existing legacy and creates tax advantages. Donating appreciated assets, using charitable trusts, or creating a private foundation can all achieve personal goals while attaining tax benefits.

Estate taxes can erode the value of wealth when transferring it to the next generation. Gifting, trusts, or life insurance are all means of minimizing estate taxes and preserving wealth. Your estate planning attorney will know about estate tax exemption limits and changes coming soon. They will advise you about gifting assets during your lifetime, using annual gift exclusions, and determine if lifetime gifts should be used to generate estate tax benefits. Smart tax strategies combined with estate planning can safeguard assets for generations. If you would like to read more about tax and estate planning, please visit our previous posts.

Reference: Forbes (Sep. 28, 2023) “Strategic Tax and Estate Planning For Business Owners”

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Immediate Annuity might be a useful Option for Retirees

October 12, 2023

An immediate annuity might be a useful option for retirees who want to add funds for ongoing expenses or are concerned about outliving their savings. They can provide a sense of security during volatile markets. However, the downsides must be considered.

An immediate annuity is, in simplest terms, an insurance plan created with a lump sum payment designed to pay a guaranteed amount for a set period. In the first quarter of 2023, sales hit $3.3 billion in the first quarter of 2023, as reported in a recent article from U.S. News & World Report, “The Pros and Cons of Immediate Annuities.” This figure, representing single premium annuities, increased by 120% for this segment from the first quarter of 2022.

Set up as an insurance plan, an immediate annuity is funded with an initial amount, and payouts begin. The funds might come from savings accounts, a 401(k) or an IRA. The tradeoffs are in the form of fees and growth limitations on the total assets if you decide to cancel the payments and retain the account balance.

Other types of annuities may be more appropriate, including deferred annuities, where the money is invested, and payouts begin later. These are useful for individuals who want market protection and have only an occasional or reasonable need for cash.

When purchasing an immediate annuity, the insurer will look at factors including the annuitant’s age and how long the payments will last. From an income perspective, you can calculate your fixed expenses and use this amount to determine your needed income.

Some annuities include a rising income stream to keep pace with inflation.

An immediate annuity might be a useful option for retirees. Payouts depend on the timeline and details of each annuity. In many cases, you can start getting payouts within a month of the deposit. However, usually you have to take it within the first 12 months. You can also ask to have payments made monthly, quarterly, or annually. You’ll also select a payout period, which may consist of a certain number of years or for the rest of your life. Many people prefer the lifetime annuity plan, meaning their payments will continue for as long as they live. If you would like to learn more about annuities in estate planning, please visit our previous posts.

Reference: U.S. News & World Report (Sep. 5, 2023) “The Pros and Cons of Immediate Annuities”

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Using an Annuity in your Planning to distribute Income

October 3, 2023

When the economy tanked in 2008, retirees watched in horror as U.S. markets suffered historic losses. The Dow declined by more than 50%, its biggest drop since the Great Depression of 1929. Kiplinger’s article entitled, “An Annuity Can Help Restore Your Confidence in Retirement,” says that the oldest Baby Boomers, who are in or nearing retirement as things were at their worst, watched as their nest eggs cracked wide open and lost thousands of dollars — in some cases hundreds of thousands. Using an annuity in your planning to distribute income is a way to overcome market losses — or to avoid them altogether.

Most of them were left with two choices: (i) either keep working past the age they’d planned to retire or (ii) retire with a lifestyle that was significantly less than what they’d envisioned. Under both scenarios, they could struggle to piece back together the plans they once had. And time wasn’t on their side.

Pre-retirement is a horrible time to experience significant market loss. That’s because there’s often little time left for recovery. You need that nest egg you accumulated to generate income when the paychecks stop. If it shrinks, so will the amount of income you’ll get.

That’s why it’s important to consider market volatility and why you should start pulling back from risk as you get older. The markets will always move up and down. Given today’s domestic and worldwide uncertainty, some loss seems almost unavoidable.

However, there are distribution strategies that can help give you an edge in overcoming a loss.

For the average retiree, one way to help distribute retirement income is not by putting hope in the market but by using an actuarial-designed product, such as an annuity. With an annuity, distribution amounts are mostly calculated based on your age and life expectancy. The older you are, the more you get paid.

It can also offer you the confidence that you will be able to enjoy your well-earned retirement through the protection of the principal and regular income streams.

It is important to know that annuities have surrender charges, making them a non-liquid asset.

Annuities also have fees and can restrict your ability to participate in market gains, even with products such as fixed index annuities. However, some retirees enjoy the comfort of a steady income and the protection benefits annuities offer.

Using an annuity in your planning to distribute income can be a lifeline in your sunset years. Most traditional immediate annuities are fairly straightforward after you’ve made the purchase. However, you’ll want to work with an experienced estate planning attorney to lock down what’s an appropriate product for you and review any changes to your goals or financial situation as you age. If you would like to learn more about annuities, please visit our previous posts.

Reference: Kiplinger (May 9, 2017) “An Annuity Can Help Restore Your Confidence in Retirement”

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Important to Evaluate your Planning before a Second Marriage

August 7, 2023

Second marriage, goes the saying, is the triumph of hope over experience. It’s a happy event for everyone, but different from the first time around. You might have created an estate plan during your first marriage. Still, chances are your life is a lot more complicated this time, especially if you both have children from prior marriages and more assets than when you were first starting out as a young adult. It is important to evaluate your planning before a second marriage. This is why a recent article from The Bristol Press is aptly titled “Plan your estate before you remarry.”

Here are some pointers to protect you and your new spouse-to-be:

Take an inventory of all assets and liabilities. This includes assets and debts, life insurance policies, retirement plans, credit card debt and anything you own. It’s important to be open and honest about your debts and assets, so that both people know exactly what they are marrying. Once you are married, you may be liable for your partner’s debts. Your credit scores may be impacted as well.

Decide how you are going to handle finances. Once you know what your partner is bringing to the marriage, you’ll want to make clear, unemotional decisions about how you’ll address your wealth. Are you willing to combine all of your assets? Do you want to keep your investment accounts separate?

For example, if one person is selling a home to move into the home owned by the other person, what costs, if any, will they contribute to the cost of the house? If one person has significant debt, do you want to combine finances or make joint purchases? These are not always easy issues. However, they shouldn’t be ignored.

Decide what you want to happen when you die. You and your future spouse should meet with an experienced estate planning attorney to create a will, Power of Attorney, Health Care Proxy and other documents. This lets you map exactly where you want your assets to go when you die. If there are children from prior marriages, you’ll want to ensure they are not disinherited when you die. This can be addressed through a number of options, including creating a trust for your children, making them beneficiaries of life insurance policies, or giving children joint ownership of property.

Even if there are no children, there may be family heirlooms or items with sentimental value you want to keep in the family, perhaps passing to a cousin, nephew, or niece. Discuss this with your future spouse and ensure that it’s included in your will.

Meet with an estate planning attorney. You should take this step even if you don’t have many assets. If you have children, it’s even more important. You’ll want to update your will and any other estate planning documents. If you have significant assets, you may decide to have a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement. The estate planning attorney will also help you determine whether you need a trust to protect your children.

If you had planning done in the past, it is important to sit down with an estate planning attorney to evaluate it in before to a second marriage. If you would like to learn more about estate planning for blended families, please visit our previous posts.

Reference: The Bristol Press (July 14, 2023) “Plan your estate before you remarry”

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Costly Social Security Mistakes to Avoid

August 2, 2023

Social security was created to do just what it’s title intends – to help bring some financial security to seniors beyond retirement age. With so many ways to claim benefits, especially if you are married or were divorced at some point in your life, small mistakes can add up to a big difference in the amount of Social Security benefits you receive, says a recent article, “11 Social Security Mistakes That Can Cost You a Fortune” from Nasdaq. With so many Americans relying on social security benefits to help supplement their lives, there are some costly social security mistakes to avoid.

Not checking your earnings record during your working life can add up to significant losses. Even if you’re decades away from claiming, you should check your earnings record annually since this is what Social Security benefits are based on. Common mistakes include employers recording incorrect earnings or earnings not showing up because you changed your name and the name change wasn’t processed correctly.

Check your statement annually to avoid losing the right number of benefits because of earnings record mistakes. If you see an error, send proof of your earnings to the Social Security Administration. You might submit your W-2 form if you’re a salaried employee or your tax return if you are self-employed. Once the SSA verifies your claim, your record will be corrected. This is a “sooner is better than later” task because you may not have a paper trail going back 30 years.

Another mistake people make is not working long enough. To qualify for Social Security, you need at least 40 work credits. Taxpayers earn up to four credits each year based on earnings. For example, in 2023, you must earn $1,640 to earn one credit or $6,560 to earn four credits. Benefits are calculated based on the average of the 35 highest earning years. If you haven’t worked for 35 years, $0 will be averaged for each year you don’t have earnings.

It’s wise to do the calculations for Social Security before retiring. As you approach your retirement date, check your earnings statement first to be sure you have enough credits to qualify for Social Security. If you don’t have 35 years, consider working another year or two. If you worked at a job where you weren’t paying into Social Security, adding another year of work could ensure you qualify and may also boost your monthly benefit amount.

Taking Social Security too early can take a big bite out of benefits. While everyone eligible can start taking benefits at age 62, for everyone born after 1959, the reduction for benefits at age 62 is 30%. This lower benefit is permanent and won’t increase until you reach Full Retirement Age (FRA). It’s best to wait at least until FRA. If you can wait past FRA, your benefits could increase by as much as 8% per year up to age 70.

Another mistake is waiting too long to claim benefits. If you live to the average life expectancy, it won’t matter if you claim benefits too early or late. The amount of the benefit reduction for claiming early and the increase in delaying a claim evens out. But if you are in poor health or have cash flow trouble, a benefit check at a younger age could be the right move.

If you file for Social Security benefits solely on your earnings record, you might miss out on a larger benefit. Let’s say you were a stay-at-home parent while your spouse worked. You may not have enough work credits to qualify, or your benefits may be small. However, you could still qualify for benefits under your spouse’s work record. Check to see how much you would be eligible to receive under your spouse’s work record before deciding how to claim benefits.

If divorced, you might claim benefits under your ex-spouse’s earnings record if you meet all the requirements. Suppose the marriage lasted at least ten years. In that case, you are 62 or older, unmarried, and your ex-spouse is eligible to receive Social Security retirement or disability benefits. Your benefit from your work is less than what you would receive under your ex-spouse’s earnings record; it’s worth exploring this option.

If you are married, it’s best to coordinate claiming strategies with your spouse. A low-earning spouse could start claiming benefits based on the higher-earning spouse’s income at full retirement age. Meanwhile, the higher-earning spouse delays benefits to increase retirement credits.

Finally, remember that up to 85% of Social Security benefits could be subject to federal income taxes if you earn substantial income from wages or dividends. The percentage of benefits subject to income taxes depends on the couple’s combined income, which includes the household Adjusted Gross Income (AGI), any nontaxable interest income, and half of your Social Security benefits. The best way to avoid these costly social security mistakes it to make sure you are working closely with your estate planning attorney and financial advisor or CPA. If you would like to learn more about social security benefits and estate planning, please visit our previous posts.

Reference: Nasdaq (July 2, 2023) “11 Social Security Mistakes That Can Cost You a Fortune”

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Category: Retirement Planning

Seniors are missing out on Tax Deductions

Qualified Charitable Distributions benefit older Taxpayers

Avoid Adding Adult Children as Joint Owners

Tax Strategies combined with Estate Planning can Safeguard Assets

Immediate Annuity might be a useful Option for Retirees

Using an Annuity in your Planning to distribute Income

Important to Evaluate your Planning before a Second Marriage

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