3 Social Security Mistakes

Today's version of money was why his pre-record store phone lines with no questions were asked a lot when should I start taking my Social Security 62, or should I wait until full retirement age alone from West strategies for claiming Social Security benefits can be complicated and confusing and making a mistake could cost you a lot of money. So today go over three common errors people make when claiming benefits that we have some great calls lined up but please don't call in today because we're free report. This is moneywise lot crossroads, biblical truth, your finances, so as I go swim is the best time to start claiming their Social Security benefits. Most people can elect to start the mid age 62 before reaching full retirement age, which is now 66 or 67 depending on when you were born, and will count that as Social Security. Mistake number one claiming benefits early just because you can take your benefits at age 62 doesn't mean you should. Your benefit will be permanently reduced by 8% for each year you take them before your full retirement age, your benefit can be further reduced if you continue working after receiving your benefits and earn more than $18,960 for every two dollars you earn above that threshold, your benefit will be reduced by one dollar. The only good news there is that those benefits that are lost will be restored skews me incrementally. Once you reach full retirement age, there's another reason you should think long and hard before taking Social Security benefits earlier if you're the higher wage earner. Your decision to take benefits early could impact not only you but also your spouse if your spouse survives you and has a lower Social Security benefit, he or she would be eligible to draw a survivor benefit while here's how that works upon your death, your surviving spouse can begin drawing what you were drawing prior to your death. That's the survivor benefit, but if you elect to take your benefit early your surviving spouse will be locked into that lower amount for life as well. So if you don't need the money. It's almost always best to wait as long as possible before claiming Social Security benefits and at least until full retirement age that by the way, your benefit will increase by 8% every year you wait beyond your full retirement age up to age 70. So that's an added incentive for waiting all right.

The next common Social Security mistake is not drawing a spousal benefit. Now this one only applies to folks who were born on or before January 1, 1954. If you're married and reach full retirement age or FRA and you haven't drawn your own Social Security benefit you can to start decide to start receiving it then, or wait and let it build another 8% a year until age 71. A lot of people in that age range don't realize is that you can opt to take benefits but restrict them to spousal benefits only so as long as your spouse's file for benefits you will be eligible to receive half of your spouse's full retirement age benefit. The beauty is that your benefit, not the one based on your working career that continues to increase at 8% each year that you're not taking it but again they change the law in that situation only applies to folks who turned 62 by January 1, 2016 but if you're eligible for it.

You definitely want to take advantage of this provision. It's a strategy that can brought provide some income now while locking in higher benefits later.

It almost seems too good to be true. And that's probably why they've eliminated it for most folks moving forward all right. Our third and last Social Security mistake is not drawing benefits after a divorce that whether you divorce recently are quite a while ago.

You may think you're not eligible for a Social Security benefit from your ex-spouse. Unfortunately, that's not the case.

If your ex-spouse is still living. You could qualify for a spousal benefit based on his or her work record. To qualify, you must been married for at least 10 years stage LXII and currently unmarried of this is the case even if your ex-spouse has remarried. This is one scenario where socialistic seems almost generous to qualify, you had to of been married for at least 10 years be at least age 60 or older and currently unmarried, you may still be eligible though after age 60 married so these are helpful to you.

These are some mistakes that people often make their Social Security and I hope this gives you some added incentive to check out what benefit you to pause for a brief break, just to this is moneywise live with Rob West. If you hear a phone number mentioned today. Please ignore that number and don't call us because today's broadcasters of her presentation, but we think the upcoming information will help you and make you a wise steward of what God's given so please stay tuned. Why take an hour each day to talk about money, even money from a biblical perspective. Is it because we want to build bigger barns. Absolutely not. You know, as we think about money belonging to God and therefore we are then stewards or managers of that money becomes a tool to accomplish God's purposes and there is so much in God's word dealing with the subject because I believe it's often the chief competitor to lordships out each day. On this program we want to try to put money in its proper role, recognizing that our hearts follow our money and that when we understand it's a reflection of what we value it tells a story about what's most important to us. It really is a game changer about how we handle it literally every penny because it moves us from thinking 10% belongs to the Lord, and 90% belongs to us 200% of it belongs to the Lord and the question is how can we be found faithful in managing God's money. What we want to know God's heart. So we go to God's word to find out what he has for us organ apply those principles to whatever's going on in your financial life were to begin today in central Minnesota. Kristen thank you for calling. How can help you out, creating a rental that are currently running out and you you that I doubt amount currently and/or should we wait in place that yes yeah it's a great question because there's no question that the used cars are quite expensive right now and there are some real incentives out there to buy new were certainly not in the camp of saying that we can never buy new no I don't think that's the issue at all.

I think the question is how are you going to funded and are you buying perhaps more car than you can afford. Do you have the money to put down to either buy with cash or a significant down payment and how does it compare in terms of what you're spending now for a new car with a full warranty versus your late-model used car that's two or three years old. Obviously the benefit of buying used would be that you've missed some of that depreciation that you would typically experience when you buy it off the lot. But if we find ourselves like we do in many respects right now in a situation where used cars are been elevated in expense and there are some great incentives out there to buy new. You might find that you can actually get a bit more car for your money by buying new, especially when you factor in the benefit of the warranty.

So tell me Kristin how are you looking to fund it. How much are you planning to spend and would you need to borrow that around 45,000 by looking to get ED cassette are okay very good and have you started shopping to see if you can find something in a one of the things that I was just blown away by the last time we went shopping and by the way, we tend to buy used.

Although we have bought new cars in the past and the way we get away with that as we drive them for a long long time. We bought our my wife's last minivan actually knew because were some phenomenal deals out there was the end of the model year and the end of the month and we did very well that we drove it for over 200,000 month for photos and then we basically turned and then in the sense so that worked out quite well for us, but it's amazing how expensive SUVs, especially the larger ones are these days so you know that would be my only concern is can you get the car, the size SUV you want for your family with some of the features when buying new if you're trying to buy for cash or is your budget really require that you you know by something two or three years old.

What if you found out that you hired Alec Long Island drinking it out, then you are out. Yes yes I think that's good to be the key is in. Are you comfortable spending more than a bit more than you had planned and you know so often you're going to be enticed by some of these sticker prices when you get in there though, you're going to realize perhaps they don't have some of the features you are looking for and you're gonna want to hire model which is going to quickly push you up in a 5000 or more. So I think that's the consideration is would you rather stick to your budget. What you say be able to buy with cash which I love get the features you want and that you know perhaps you'll go used two or three years old or can you do you have the room in your budget to spend a little bit more because used car prices are a bit elevated right now and there are some great incentives out there. So I think you're just gonna have to shop that around, but I would start with your budget.

You and your husband determining in advance what you want to spend and let's not go push beyond that just because you used cars are a bit more expensive right now.

Make sure you do your homework you auto trader is gonna be your friend. You want to make sure that especially if you decide to go knew that you really shop it to my last car that I purchased. I flew out for states away to make the purchase and drove it home just because I knew what I wanted and I researched it for about 30 days and found the one that I wanted for about 10,000 less if I was willing to jump on an airplane. So I think you'll figure it out over time. I don't care which way you go, I think the key is don't go beyond what your budget is and I make sure you do your homework and we appreciate your call today. Let's head to Illinois. Susie, thank you for your patience. I can help you. I am planning to retire it or your eight and exact. But I would have lived 70 actually H so for me, really not for Goodyear. There were cart.

I wanted you know that I did need to catch up finish that thought, yeah, yeah, you know I'm thinking you know I let him eat at old texting and I working for like over 40 air rent, like maybe 28% of the shipment at number 20 years Susie and I appreciate you weighing in on this. You what we generally say is you should consider taking benefits early. If you're no longer working and you really need the money. If you're in poor health and don't expect the surviving member of the household to make it to average life expectancy, which obviously none of us know that we can make the best decision we can, or if you're the lower earning spouse in your higher earning spouse can wait to file for a higher benefit, thereby locking in that higher payout down the road which you could switch to, but it makes sense to go ahead and wait if you're still working you make enough to impact the taxability of your benefits, you're in good health or your the higher earning spouse and want to be sure your surviving spouse receives the highest possible benefit. I keep in mind that life expectancy increases the 82 and 83 for men and women. Once you reach age 65, but I realize you're giving up those years where you can enjoy it.

So I think there's not a right or wrong answer for any of us.

I think the key is that we just need to look at to all the factors starting with your budget. Seeing how you can make ends meet.

Whether or not you need the money and then factor in the added benefit to lifestyle and other opportunities by taking that now versus being able to continue to work and lock in that higher amount later. One of the real benefits to letting it grow.

If you have the ability to work is for those folks who find themselves where the retirement income sources. They have whitening so there really counting on that increase payout of time be able to work. Obviously, all of that make the right decision called the Torah, moneywise.

I just is great to have you with us on moneywise live today but unfortunately today were not life were prerecorded and therefore won't be taking your calls. However, we've lined up some calls in advance that we think you'll find helpful. So stay tuned and enjoy the rest of the program. Let's go back to the phones, Pompano Beach, Florida just north of where I was born Casey, thank you for going today.

How can I help you in real quick find out for like six years of current interest.

There only grows if I had money to it and better place to have it because it is not really recommend someplace I should transfer to their chair got 50 during the yeah not see you. Since retirement account is an IRA. Casey errors in her old 401(k) with the previous employer. What type of account is no weird old retirement account. Whatever bring about bold old account from what we were Washington Mutual so I don't know the ferry exactly what kind of individual retirement account, occult got yes it's an IRA which basically you could transfer to another institution or you could leave it there and chase bank you know I think the key is that you are actively contributing to retirement. Assuming you have an emergency fund in place and you don't have any high-interest credit card debt that you're paying on tell me about your active contributions to other retirement accounts. Are you contributing at work, you actively putting some time for the future work, retirement, great okay so what I would probably do Casey is transfer this to one of the firms that offers what I would call a Robo advisor solution which is basically a low-cost investment strategy where based on algorithms that are generated using answers you provide to the questions they will ask it will generate a low-cost really well diversified portfolio of what are called index ETF so these are exchange traded funds. Think about them as baskets of investments that mirror the broad market indexes like the S&P 500 or the Russell work it out index indexes like that. The benefit of that is with the small amount of money you not to be highly concentrated in let's say one particular company that may have about quarter you'll be out-of-favor and then you could see significant declines and their very low cost. So I would look to open an IRA at either betterment. Schwab with their Schwab intelligent portfolios or the Vanguard advisor solution. They're all very similar. They use a similar strategy and they're all very low cost. Once you open an IRA at one of those betterment. Schwab intelligent portfolios or the Vanguard advisor. You could then transfer that IRA from Chase over to one of those and then that money would be deployed using that strategy that I described. I think that's going to give you what you're looking for, because you can monitor it in the smart phone app or on the website you'll know that it's your properly invested with broad diversification you're not spending a lot of money in fees and you'll just capture the long-term moves of the market, which over the long haul between now and retirement should do quite well based on historical averages does all that make sense so excellent. All right, I would give that to try. If you have questions along the way, don't hesitate to give us a call back and we appreciated that. Let's head to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, just south of the Pompano Beach, where Rita is going ahead, I would kindly guide my head and I are both 66 and he's thinking about taking don't listen to your beginning you know at the beginning of the program about the security and I thinking need that money to work to use it went on right now that he wants to continue to work. He is not sure how much longer I start drawing kind of afraid. Maybe the government might take it away for security.

I don't think they can do that but I key won't get when you really need city rate to 70 yeah it's a great question Rita and you know each of us as to make the decision on her own semi. Here's the reason I would consider waiting is if you don't need the money right now you have your income covered in terms of meeting your obligations and he's four years away any changes that are going to be made to Social Security which changes will need to be made because the trust fund is going to run dry. By 2035, which means they're either going to have to raise the full retirement age or cut benefits or do something else to shore up the suit Social Security trust fund. I believe that's can affect folks that are coming after him and so the ability to build a walk in this higher payout you will be able to enjoy use to give away or for additional expenses or saving think would be a real blessing, but at the end of the day he's gotta make that decision. I will say though cutting Social Security for folks as close to drawing as he is with very unpopular I think policy standpoint very difficult to get through Congress.

So I think he's in good shape to wait but ultimately all the best, about to pray about it together and see the Lord leads you were me, I'd probably appreciate your call today.

Rita, this is a reminder that were not live today but we do have lots of great information coming up and the rest of the program, so please with us on moneywise live today when we apply God's wisdom in today's financial decisions.

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Yet while you will need medical business outstanding cannot come out of the light and turn out basically to your first question that your father-in-law's insurance company does need her Social Security your tax ID to report interest payments in any taxable gain to the IRS interest is paid on most life insurance claims from the date of death until the date the claim is paid, and so just based on that.

That's why they're asking for the social or the tax ID with regard to proceeds of the insurance that's can I pass directly to the beneficiary not be a part of the estate, which would be the assets that would be used to settle any outstanding debts, including medical debt, so that shouldn't apply here, but sorry to hear about your father-in-law's passing.

I know and she is now the next steward of these resources will ask the Lord to give her some wisdom, and how you'll handle this, but appreciate your call today. Charles very much, let's head next to Chicago, Illinois Tina, thank you for your call. How can help me Pete, but I never got a pot at one anyway well yeah it is possible. Was it a paper bond that was given to physical bond that it be I see okay the place to go is the website treasury direct.gov that's the Treasury Department's website for handling bonds and if you have a paper US savings bonds law stolen or destroyed. You can obtain a replacement bond of the treasury keeps records of the paper savings bonds. It is issued and you can search those records to replace it.

So when you go to treasury direct.gov. There's a form there. 1048, a form specifically for claiming loss, stolen or destroyed US savings bonds you need to provide all the information you have.

Ideally, you have a picture of that piece of paper. I suspect you don't.

So there are other ways to search for it, but that's can be the next place to go so treasury direct.gov and then search for claiming a lost US savings Bond and Bill take you from there you get started by filling out the paperwork.

They'll be in touch and let's hope that they can chase it down for is some good to go yeah it's possible with his death certificate in providing all the information you should be able to still chase that down. You have to prove that he is in fact to the one who should have received it but still had to the same place though give you very clear instructions on how you should proceed and hopefully you can you can chase us down and find what you're looking for Tina thank you for your call today to Kansas City, Missouri Jamie have been very patient.

How can I help you calling in regards to your question at the beginning of the program. I sure that I understood it correctly. I might check out my security when I turned 18 K years ago and I did that because Mike had been. He's going to be working. Tell me the extra 57 and then when he turned to go ahead and retire and take at it. I can change from my when I received two half of your air ball now larger and off of him was can see I was confused about whether or not that which you had said earlier, whether I had to be. I had taken it out there for 2016. No that's not right is what I was saying earlier is that what a lot of people don't realize is that you can opt to take your benefits restrict them to the spousal benefits only and then let your benefits based on your wages actually continue to grow, so as long as your spouse's file for benefits you're eligible to receive half of your spouse's full retirement age benefit and then your benefit continues to increase of 8% a year that you're not taking it but again they change that law that only applies to folks. You turn 62 by January 1, 2016. In your case, you actually took your benefit and you're eventually going to look at the possibility of switching to claiming a portion of your husband's benefit. That's not falling under the same deadline that's really only for those who take the spousal benefit early and let their wage-based working career benefits. You don't continue to accrue over time so that when I was described earlier, is a quite a bit different than what you've done here and what you've done is a great strategy to make so a lot of sent so I like the direction you went with that and that we appreciate your call very much. Let's quickly go to Chicago CF.

Thank you for calling. We jumped just about a minute before next breakout can help you. Hi. Thanks and take my call can hear me okay yes ma'am wonderful about thing as a management account and do you have names of companies that would have been like that when you say a self managed account. Cf. you just me where the investments are selected for you for you when our trail. I would collect. I would collect my got it.

Yeah, you know just about any of the discount brokerage houses are going to allow you to make your own investment decisions. If that's what you choose so you can open an account at Charles Schwab you can open one that Ameritrade you can open one Vanguard you really any of the low-cost brokerages will let you a Fidelity would be another one you open a Roth fund it with however much you want up to the maximum each year. And then you're able to pick from any stock, bond or mutual fund you want. As you begin to manage himself. Look at either Charles Schwab or Fidelity and then just tell them you want to make your own decisions which make that deposit. You can start trading you hang up when I want to send you a copy of the sound mind investing handbook to help you out of weekly based resource on investing moneywise lives there with your listening to an encore presentation of moneywise live.

You can find out more information about the topics were talking about when you visit our website moneywise live.org. Thanks so much for being with us today and we hope you'll stick around and enjoy the rest of today's program that lets it back to the phones, Naperville, Illinois, Teresa, thank you for your call today.

How can I help you hello I am trying to Medicare. I worked full-time and I believe I heard on the prior program you mentioned to discuss that with your employer and I did reach out to. They really didn't and I get very confused about what to do and if I have to do Medicare or I can put it off or do I have to file something let them know I get time I I'm not sure what to do. Tell me a little bit about your situation, your age, whether you still working and so forth. I think people are going to be turning 65 in Anya.

I worked full-time and make a real good salary and I'm not planning on retiring anytime find work as long as I can and I have money in 401(k) to 401(k) well when I transferred from prior lawyer and then I have debt in school debt.

I went to grad school late on paying school debt, and I'm so I'm still that part of the reason I work and I make a good salary.

So I didn't want to lose the advantage of putting more money away for retirement and I'm currently alone, so I'm married, but I don't live with my mouth okay very good and the Teresa do you have group health insurance offered to you through work yet okay yeah well that's the key. So if you have group health insurance from an employer, where you actively work after age 65. You can delay enrolling in Medicare until the employment ends or the coverage stops, whichever happens first.

Without incurring any late penalties.

If you enroll later when the employer tied coverage ends though, you're entitled to a special enrollment period of up to eight months to sign up for Medicare. So the active employment is the key idea though you can't delay Medicare enrollment without penalty. If your coverage comes from retiree benefits or cobra, which doesn't count as active employment, but in your case you're actively employed you with a group health plan in place and so you would be able to wait on that point. The key would be once you start working you want to go ahead and then begin taking the Medicare benefits.

At that point so you don't have any late penalties or anything like that. So I think you're in a pretty good shape as long as you're continuing to work and when that time comes with the Lord redirects yeah I think at that point would be the time to go ahead and look at your filing so we appreciate your call today. Hopefully that's helpful to you and thank you for listening let's take an email today questions@moneywise.org is how you can get your email into us, we'd love to hear from you questions@moneywise.org are an email today comes from Jake in Wisconsin.

Here's what he writes. He says Rob how I strike the balance between giving and providing for my family and I love this question because really at the heart of it is a desire to be found faithful in honoring the Lord with all that he's entrusted to us and you know I love what Paul David Tripp says about this he says well if we start with provision. The idea that were to provide for our families, which is a good thing. It's biblical. The problem is we start there we can end up with an endless list of needs and wants that causes us to never get to the giving side. The challenge with that is that the gospel stories a generosity story. We were created in the image of the ultimate giver and I would like to say were most like him when were giving so how would you then approach this Jake I'd say. First, pray and ask the Lord what lifestyle he's called you and your spouse to live, how much of your money. I would ask the Lord am I to give and how much to spend on myself or my family and save for the future and then whatever the Lord tells you I'd build that giving plan right into the budget first right off the top, then an amount for savings or debt reduction. Your priorities and then I'd live on the rest, and perhaps you set a goal to increase giving over time. Not when there is money left because there won't be any. If you don't have a plan to do it.

So perhaps the plan is to get out of debt and then not increase lifestyle spending but redirect out to additional giving, and I think that really is the key.

Guess what, when you do that that will really help to decrease taxes so that you can give even more which creates this virtuous cycle like to talk about so I think yell as you think and pray about this the Lord to give you some real clear direction and I would start there and then the sea where he might lead. We appreciate your call today.

I lets it back to the phones Harvey is going today and that we appreciate your call Harvey. How can I help you recall, I have a question about search. Show you mentioned about the different options that security is offering now and then changes have been made since I started the journey when I was 66 and eight years ago and still working full time and end hours and accumulate Social Security.

I reinvest that in no market or whatever.

So I'm just wondering if I missed any opportunity to maximize Social Security since I started retirement.

One reason not to start a retirement crystal ball is to help him smoking on their show. I was much told that it would take me told me in my 80s to catch up with writing years so early and not lose the right decision, but I just want to hug your comments on that.

Yeah, I appreciate that Harvey and I think you when you elected to take it you've got a locked in your benefit apart from a cost-of-living adjustment. So the key right now is just to be asking the Lord your based on the resources you have the income the provision that he's a providing house. The best way to manage that and handle it and you were not to see any increases necessarily in Social Security.

There's not a better way to structure that I think you once you decided to take it. That is the benefit apart from. Again, any cost-of-living adjustments that are done across the board.

So the key now is just to be found faithful in handling what you've been entrusted according to God's principles limiting lifestyle and giving generously and staying out of debt really just asking the Lord to give you a clear vision for how you can use his money as a tool to accomplish his purposes in this exciting season of life. So I think you're on the right track. Sounds like you're incredibly thoughtful guy, wanting to be found faithful in managing the Lord's resources and I would just say keep it up. I keep up the good work. But with regard to changes you can make in Social Security. Things are pretty much set right now and so you just want to live well within your means and we appreciate your call today I listed next to a Michigan Laura, thank you for your patience. I can help out charity and I waited long as you can direct where Mary and I had to make more money and he had average impact the way that A*10 year whatever.

So maybe you should take yourself security now like black and he can enjoy and if he can't calculate earlier than you could get his focus security which would be more he could enjoy your predicting it get their perspective and I don't know what to think. Yeah well there's no question that just based on historical norms and trends in the information we have men predecease their wives and so the opportunity is to maximize that benefit to the best of your ability. And that's why if you qualify being able to take a spousal benefit and let a primary wage earner's money, increase the Social Security benefits increase can make a lot of sense. Just because then that the larger amount you both will enjoy to its maximum hill get the most benefits he can and you as a spouse. If it's higher than any potential benefit you had coming to you based on your own working career could enjoy that higher payout as well, which would really maximize what you have. If you both claim benefits. Now you just have to know that you're both under full retirement age so you're going to lose those benefits now and in the future. So here's what I would do. Laura is probably not contact somebody at the Social Security administration there very easy to work with and talk to.

Especially during COBIT bill due virtual visits and just look at everything that's there have them run some analysis on what is the best way to maximize it and that you can set that up in SF essay.gov. Just keep in mind though that if he takes his benefits early that will affect the amount you receive in the future as a survivor and so that's again where I think it's beneficial, despite what you're saying about to go longevity and expected ages. It's beneficial to try to maximize that if you don't need the money today, but clearly if you do that, I would say you take it. Enjoy it. You've worked hard for it and then the just has to learn to give you some real clarity about how to move forward with what he's entrusted to you. We appreciate your call today, very, very much before we wrap up today. Let me take an opportunity to remind you moneywise is listener supported in hearing here and we would be grateful if you would prayerfully consider a gift to the ministry at stacked. It's tax-deductible and it's quick and easy to give on our website moneywise live.org just click the donate button when you give at least $25 is our gift to you. Will send you a copy of the great new book by Paul David Tripp called redeeming money you can make your gift today moneywise live.org just click donated.

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