It’s official: What is the best retirement age for you if you want to receive more money?

Senior man in straw hat sits beside Social Security cards and a 2025 calendar, illustrating the best retirement age for higher benefits.

Waiting a few extra years can add thousands to every monthly check—here’s how the math works. Retirement timing is a personal choice, yet the age you file for Social Security largely determines how much you’ll pocket over the rest of your life. Want to be sure you’re not leaving money on the table? Read on. … Read more

It’s official: Retirees will continue to lose part of their Social Security benefits through 2025 in these 9 states

Red Social Security file tab among folders symbolizing retiree benefit records still taxed in nine states through 2025

Millions of retirees rely on every dollar of their monthly check; these holdout states still want a slice. For the 62 million Americans drawing retirement benefits, the math feels simple: you paid in, you cash out. Yet nine states—Colorado, Connecticut, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont and West Virginia—will continue treating those benefits as taxable income in … Read more

Your Social Security check could shrink 50% starting July—find out who’s affected

Scissors cutting Social Security card illustrating a 50% benefits reduction starting July 2025

Millions of retirees, disability recipients, and survivors could see a 50 percent cut when the Social Security Administration starts recovering old overpayments on July 24, 2025. The clock is ticking. If you rely on Social Security each month, you might ask, “Could my benefits really drop overnight?” Here’s the essential information—deadlines, dollar amounts, and the steps to protect … Read more

Retirees and SSDI recipients face delays under new SSA verification system: new Social Security regulations

Social Security Administration building exterior with official signage

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

Confirmed: SSDI beneficiaries must switch from paper checks by September 30 to avoid payment suspension

Social Security Administration building—SSDI beneficiaries must switch from paper checks to electronic payments by September 30

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

Future retirees blindsided as Social Security ends age 66 retirement: millions of people affected

Donald Trump pointing toward a Social Security Office sign, symbolizing changes to retirement age policies.

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

Confirmed: Social Security to deliver $1,581 checks this July — are you in the early group?

Social Security payment dates in July 2025 calendar marked with red X next to hundred dollar bill

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

It´s official: Relief for retirees – U.S. halts Social Security garnishment linked to federal student loan debts

Smiling senior man in front of Social Security card and hundred-dollar bills representing garnishment relief

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

Time running out: Millions risk benefit cuts as Social Security fund nears depletion

Close-up of Social Security cards and U.S. dollar bills symbolizing potential benefit cuts in 2033

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

A woman works for 35 years in Social Security and now her financial future hangs in the balance thanks to Trump

Woman looks out from doorway, concerned about federal retirement cuts after 35 years of Social Security service

House measure would scrap the special FERS supplement, trimming thousands of dollars from longtime employees’ expected income. For Michele Santa Maria, who spent 35 years guiding Social Security claimants through red tape, the promise of a full pension plus a bridge payment from 57 to 62 made the long days worthwhile. Now that bridge is cracking. A … Read more

Confirmed: Social Security recipients can unlock extra benefits with these little-known SSA steps

Social Security Administration building with dollar bills and upward arrow symbolizing increased benefits

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

Confirmed: There will be no Social Security retirement benefits for those who have worked fewer than these years

Donald Trump pointing with Social Security cards in the background, symbolizing retirement policy changes

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

What could the new Social Security law mean for retirees? These are the people who would benefit from a $6,000 deduction if Congress approves it

Donald Trump in front of U.S. Capitol and American flag, with $100 bills symbolizing proposed $6,000 senior tax deduction

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

Elon Musk’s push for beneficiary files rattles SSA, unsettling millions of retirees

Elon Musk in front of an American flag with the words Social Security spelled out in blocks

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

Bad news for Social Security beneficiaries: Major changes are coming with a 20% cut in payments1

Worried senior man holding head in hands over Social Security payment cut

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

Social Security sets new retirement age rules for full benefits starting in 2025

Donald Trump pointing with Social Security cards and U.S. Capitol building in the background

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

Official: who is entitled to unemployment benefits in 2025 and how much will each state pay?

Hands holding dollar bills next to Social Security text over a U.S. flag background

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

Bad news from Social Security: retirees, SDDI and SSI beneficiaries will see cuts if Congress does not act

U.S. Capitol behind Social Security cards and a crumbling dollar bill, symbolizing possible benefit cuts if Congress stalls

New projections show the program could pay only 78 percent of promised benefits within nine years—leaving millions to fill a painful income gap. The Social Security Board of Trustees’ 2025 report lands like a thunderclap: by 2034, the combined Old‑Age and Disability Insurance trust funds will hit zero. After that, incoming payroll taxes would cover roughly … Read more

TSCL flags risk to 2026 COLA raise: what to expect in 2026

United States Capitol flanked by American flags with “Cost of Living in USA” and The Senior Citizens League logo, illustrating TSCL’s warning about a modest 2026 Social Security COLA.

Millions of retirees may see only a slight bump in monthly checks next year, and some advocates warn it still won’t keep pace with rising prices. A preliminary forecast from The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) pegs the 2026 cost‑of‑living adjustment (COLA) at 2.5 percent, nudging up from last month’s 2.4 percent outlook. If the projection holds, the … Read more

Circle July 1 on your calendar: next $967 SSI check payment date confirmed

Rolled dollar bills and red arrow spotlight July 1 2025 on a calendar, illustrating the $967 SSI payment date, with the U.S. Capitol dome and Donald Trump in the background.

Direct‐deposit alert for millions of Supplemental Security Income recipients next month. Millions of older adults, people with disabilities and low‑income Americans depend on Supplemental Security Income (SSI) to keep the lights on and the fridge stocked. Next month’s payment date matters—and it’s straightforward once you know the rule. July’s SSI benefit, worth up to $967, will … Read more