Personal finance

Since June, Social Security will require most applicants—and anyone changing account details—to visit a local office with original documents, a move aimed at stopping surging identity fraud. Social Security’s new identity‑verification rule lands just as retirees and disability recipients brace for summer payments. The agency says in‑person checks will plug an $8 billion fraud leak, but … Read more

The Treasury and Social Security Administration will stop mailing disability checks, pushing nearly half a million recipients to switch to direct deposit or a Direct Express card before the deadline. Starting this fall, disability beneficiaries who still rely on paper checks must move to an electronic option or risk missing their October payment. Officials say the … Read more

Millions nearing retirement must now adjust plans as the Full Retirement Age rises to 67 for everyone born in 1960 or later, ending a four‑decade phase‑in. Americans who expected to tap Social Security at 66 have one more year to wait. Beginning in 2026, every worker born in 1960 or later must reach age 67 to … Read more

Millions of Americans who rely on Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) will see fresh payments next month, and the delivery date depends on when they first claimed benefits and even their birthday. The Social Security Administration (SSA) is sending an average $1,581 check—but some workers could pocket as much as $4,018. Will you see money … Read more

A 60‑day suspension of the Treasury Offset Program stalls debt collections, easing fears for millions of Social Security recipients facing possible cuts. Retirees who rely on monthly benefits just caught a break. Federal officials have delayed re‑starting the Treasury Offset Program, which withholds up to 15 percent of a beneficiary’s check to repay federal student loans … Read more

Trustees warn that more than 60 million retirees and families could see smaller checks if lawmakers fail to shore up the program’s main trust fund. The clock is ticking for America’s biggest safety‑net program. A fresh report from Social Security’s trustees says the retirement trust fund will be empty by 2033, slicing monthly payments by 23 percent … Read more

The Social Security Administration has green‑lit several underused strategies that could add real dollars to the wallets of pensioners living on modest benefits. Choosing when to claim Social Security is tough, but living on a fixed check that no longer stretches as far can be tougher. Thousands of low‑pension retirees now have a fresh chance … Read more

New rule bars Social Security retirement benefits for Americans lacking 40 work credits, potentially cutting off thousands this year. In a swift policy shift, the federal government announced that any future pension application will be rejected unless the claimant proves at least a decade of covered employment — equal to 40 Social Security work credits. The move … Read more

Lawmakers weigh a $6,000 bonus deduction and a disputed SALT cap as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The Senate is fine‑tuning its version of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and millions of retirees are watching closely. The chamber’s draft would boost the temporary senior deduction to $6,000—up from the House’s $4,000—while freezing the state‑and‑local tax (SALT) cap at $10,000. If … Read more

The sudden fall‑out raises privacy alarms and clouds the future of 73 million monthly payments. A surprise resignation at the Social Security Administration (SSA) lays bare a dispute over granting Elon Musk’s advisers access to confidential beneficiary files, raising fresh questions about who controls America’s most sensitive retirement data. The abrupt exit of acting commissioner Michelle … Read more

A looming shortfall threatens the checks of 70 million recipients; Congress holds the keys to a fix. Social Security’s latest trustees report warns that, absent action, the program’s main trust fund will run dry in 2035, forcing automatic cuts that would trim monthly benefits to roughly 80 percent of today’s promised amounts. That prospect matters to everyone … Read more

Millions who thought 65 was the magic number now face a new timetable for claiming their full benefit. Turning 65 is no longer the golden ticket to a 100 percent Social Security check. Starting July 2025, the year you were born—not just your age—sets the pace for full benefits and could even affect the size of the … Read more

From Massachusetts’ $823 weekly cap to Mississippi’s $235, here’s what jobless workers need to know about eligibility, paperwork and timelines this year. In 2025, unemployment insurance—funded jointly by states and the federal government—remains the safety net for workers who lose their jobs through no fault of their own. Rules are set in Washington, but every … Read more