UNDERSTANDING YOUR
SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFIT OPTIONS

One of the most important decisions you need to make before retiring is when and how to claim your Social Security benefits. Almost all retirees apply for Social Security as soon as they become eligible at age 62. By doing so, you may significantly and permanently impact your income and benefits for the rest of your life. The difference between the best and worst possible decision about when to start Social Security can be well over $100,000!

LEARN IMPORTANT RULES THAT AFFECT THE AMOUNT OF RETIREMENT BENEFITS YOU COLLECT, AS WELL AS STRATEGIES FOR COORDINATING SOCIAL SECURITY WITH OTHER SOURCES OF RETIREMENT INCOME!

• How to properly file for Social Security benefits
• Maximize the amount you are eligible to receive
• How to avoid the most common mistakes people make when claiming benefits
• Positioning your assets to minimize or avoid paying taxes on Social Security benefits
• How to claim a spousal benefit, even if divorced
• How working while receiving Social Security affects your benefits
• How Social Security is taxed

• How to determine which claiming strategy is best for you
• What is the future of Social Security and what it means to you
• How cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) impact benefits
• When it makes sense to delay benefits and when it does not
• What to do if you have other income from pensions or IRAs

UNDERSTAND HOW SOCIAL SECURITY WORKS WITH YOUR OTHER RETIREMENT ASSETS
Social Security is one of the most valuable and least understood benefits available to retirees today. Advance planning is essential, and the decisions you make now can have a tremendous impact on the total amount of benefits you stand to receive over your lifetime. This educational workshop will provide you with much needed information to help you understand the system, coordinate spousal and survivor benefits, minimize taxes, and maximize your personal benefits.

IT’S IMPORTANT TO HAVE A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF THESE ISSUES:

• How married couples can coordinate benefits to help enhance spousal and survivor benefits
• Claiming a spousal benefit while earning delayed retirement credits
• How working could affect your benefits, and the taxability of Social Security benefits
• How claiming early worker benefits could lower your spousal benefit at full retirement age
• The effect of remarriage on survivor benefits for widowed and divorced spouses
• Can you fix your Social Security election if you made a mistake?