Michiko

The 2025 Social Security Trustees Report is out—and headlines are sounding the alarm. The combined Social Security Trust Fund is now projected to run out in 2034, a year earlier than last year’s forecast. This has sparked fears of a Social Security collapse. But are these fears grounded in reality? In this post, we’ll break down what the 2025 report actually […]

In this post, we’ll dive into how couples can make the most of their Social Security (SS) spousal benefits—a topic that can feel a little confusing at first but makes a big difference over time. First, the basics: For example, let’s take a married couple John and Jane. John’s benefit at FRA is $2,000. Jane

“I thought I was supposed to get 50% of my spouse’s Social Security benefits… why am I getting less?”If you’ve ever asked yourself this question, you’re not alone. Many people are surprised—and even frustrated—when their spousal benefit ends up being less than expected. The truth is, while the idea of spousal benefits sounds straightforward, the reality is

Important Updates from the Social Security Administration (SSA) – 2025 Since early 2025, news about the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) new Identification Verification (IDV) procedures has caused confusion. SSA first announced changes to the retirement benefits application process, then reversed some of them on the day they were set to start. This created widespread uncertainty.

Lately, there has been a lot of discussion about Social Security, including a proposal to eliminate taxes on benefits. While this sounds appealing, an analysis by the University of Pennsylvania warns that doing so could reduce federal revenue by $1.5 trillion over the next decade, increasing national debt and accelerating Social Security’s depletion by two