Social Security numbers are needed whenever we file a tax return or open a new financial account. But how important is it to have a...
Martha Shedden, CRPC, RSSA
Articles by this author
If My Spouse Dies, Do I Get Both Their Social Security and Mine?
If your spouse dies, one of the first financial questions you may face is whether you can receive both your own and your spouse’s Social...
Why Did My Social Security Payment Date Change? Understanding the Reasons and What to Do Next
Articles about Social Security often focus on big-picture issues like how long retirees should wait before beginning their benefits and whether benefits will have to...
How the Social Security Spousal Benefits Loophole Closed—and What Couples Need to Know Now
Retired wage earners aren’t the only ones eligible for Social Security benefits. Wage earners’ spouses often can claim benefits, too, based on their husbands’ or...
Social Security Fairness Act Payments: What You Need to Know
The Social Security Fairness Act, signed into law in early 2025, increases the Social Security benefits available to millions of public sector retirees. Bottom Line...
Social Security Benefits for Children
Social Security benefits typically serve as a source of income during retirement, but some people are eligible for benefits much earlier—during childhood. Some children can...
How Do I Know If I Have 40 Credits for Social Security?
Social Security credits are accumulated by earning income and paying payroll taxes on that income. But if you fail to accumulate at least 40 Social...
Is Social Security Taxable? Seven Things You Should Know
Are you wondering, how much Social Security will I get? It’s a good question, but what really matters is how much you’ll get to keep....
When Should You Apply for Social Security Benefits?
Social Security expert Martha Shedden has spent decades advising people how and when to file for their benefits. Last December, with her own 70th birthday...
Social Security Disability Payment Schedule for 2025
When people mention Social Security payments, they’re typically referring to retirement benefits—but the Social Security Administration (SSA) also operates the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)...
Can You Collect Social Security and Still Work?
Today’s high cost of living is encouraging many retirement-age people to remain in the workforce. But can you collect Social Security and still work full...
Average Social Security Check by Age
The Social Security Administration stopped mailing out benefits estimates back in 2011, leaving many of us unclear about how large our Social Security payments will...
