Investing Blog Roundup: Social Security Survivor Benefits Expanded for Same-Sex Couples

The SSA recently announced that survivor benefits have been expanded to members of same-sex couples who would have been married, but who were prevented by law from doing so (i.e., prior to the ruling in United States v. Windsor that expanded marriage rights to same-sex couples). Benefits are also being granted to members of same-sex couples who were married, but had not met the 9-month threshold for survivor benefits prior to their spouse’s death, because the law prevented them from being married earlier.

• Social Security Opens to Survivors of Same-Sex Couples Who Could Not Marry from Paula Span

The above is a New York Times article, so if you cannot access it because of the paywall, here are the relevant pages on the SSA’s website:

• Notice of Class Action Order: Thornton v. Commissioner of Social Security
• Notice of Class Action Order: Ely v. Saul

Other Recommended Reading

• MSCI’s ESG Ratings Are Misleading from Cam Simpson, Akshat Rathi, and Saijel Kishan
• What Does Good Tax Law Look Like? from Alicyn McLeod
• Crypto, NFTs Are Rife With ‘Mountains’ of Fraud, IRS Says from Allyson Versprille
• Climate Activists Poised to See Big Gains in 2022 from Tim Quinson
• To Get the Most From Social Security, Log On from Mark Miller (NYT)
• Plan Now to Avoid a Tax Bomb Later. Why Asset Location Matters from Kate Dore
• Robo-Advisor Dream of Disrupting Wall Street  Not Working Out as Planned from Eric Rosenbaum
• How I Bonds Can Rescue Your Savings from Inflation from Adam Hardy

Thanks for reading!