Just a brief announcement for today. We’ll return to our regular publishing schedule on Friday.
The 2017 edition of Social Security Made Simple is now available. (The prior edition was released in late 2015, immediately after the changes made to the Social Security rules by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015.)
The paperback version of the book will be on sale for half-off through tomorrow (Tuesday, March 7). That is, the paperback version will be on sale for $7.50, rather than the usual $15.
For reference, the changes to the book are modest — everything has been updated to use the 2017 figures, and I’ve added a new brief appendix discussing claiming strategies for widows/widowers.
For those who haven’t read the book, the chapter listing is as follows:
- Qualifying for Retirement Benefits
- How Retirement Benefits Are Calculated
- Spousal Benefits
- Widow(er) Benefits
- Social Security for Divorced Spouses
- Child Benefits
- Social Security with a Pension
- The Earnings Test
- The Claiming Decision for Single People
- When to Claim for Married Couples
- The Restricted Application Strategy
- Age Differences Between Spouses
- Taking Social Security Early to Invest It
- Checking Your Earnings Record
- How Is Social Security Taxed?
- Social Security and Asset Allocation
- Do-Over Options
Conclusion: Six Social Security Rules of Thumb
Appendix A: The File and Suspend Strategy
Appendix B: Widow(er) Benefit Math Details
Appendix C: Restricted Applications with Widow(er) Benefits
You can find the new edition here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0997946512/