One of the biggest surprises surviving spouses face is the "widow's penalty," a sudden reduction in household Social Security ...

A new bill in Congress, the SWIFT Act, aims to increase Social Security survivor benefits for widows, widowers, and surviving ...

Today’s column involves a husband and wife, both of whom were getting Social Security benefits — and the husband dies.

These options are open to you because something called the “deemed filing rule” doesn’t apply to widows. That rule generally says that when you file for one Social Security benefit, you are “deemed” ...

Social Security checks are set to rise in 2026 with a 2.8% COLA increase. Retirees can expect an average monthly payment of ...

Survivor benefits come with complex rules, and one wrong move could cost you. Timing when you claim your benefit or switch can significantly impact lifetime income. Smart strategies like delaying or ...

Over the past 17 years that I have been doing this column, I have written about 50 columns dealing with the Social Security offsets that impact some state and local government employees who work at ...

The Social Security Administration typically follows a schedule for when it mails out its checks. Here's when to expect your ...

Losing a spouse is emotionally overwhelming, and the financial decisions that follow can feel just as heavy. The rules regarding Social Security survivor benefits may be confusing for some, and many ...

A Fort Myers widow is sharing her story to warn others about the unexpected challenges of applying for Social Security benefits. Michele Perez waited years to apply for new Social Security benefits, ...

I continually remind my readers that they shouldn't worry too much when they read or hear reports of Social Security's ...