Does Social Security Use Your Last Salary or Highest Years?
Social Security doesn’t calculate your family’s survivor benefit off your last salary. It doesn’t even use a flat 35 years, no matter what you’ve read. It uses your highest-earning years — and for anyone who dies before 62, the number of years it counts shrinks along with your age. That single fact is why two […]
Social Security Survivor Benefit Stops at Age 16, Not 18
There’s a Social Security survivor benefit that disappears years before most families expect it to — and it isn’t your child’s. It’s yours. If you’re the surviving parent caring for a child under 16, your own monthly check ends on their 16th birthday, even though their own benefit keeps coming until 18 or 19. This […]
How S-Corp Earnings Affect Your Social Security Eligibility
If you run an S-corp and pay yourself a low salary to cut your payroll tax bill, there’s a good chance nobody has explained what that same move does to your future Social Security disability check. This article walks through exactly where the tradeoff lives, using a real numbers-based example, so you can make the […]
How the SSDI Offset Clause Ensures You Receive The Benefit You Need.
You’ve done everything responsible. You have disability coverage — through work, or a policy you bought yourself — and you’re assuming that if you’re ever also approved for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), that’s simply more money added on top of what you already have. For a lot of policies, that assumption is wrong. The […]
SSDI Won’t Replace Your Whole Paycheck. It’s Still Worth More Than You Think
Ask someone what Social Security is for, and they’ll usually talk about retirement — when to claim it, how much it pays, whether it’ll last. Disability and survivor benefits rarely come up, not because they matter less, but because a disabling injury or an early death isn’t something anyone plans around. Most people go their […]
Own Occ vs. Any Occ: Why SSDI Denies What LTD Approves
You've heard it, maybe said it yourself: disability insurance doesn't pay. Social Security doesn't pay. Nothing pays… They collect your premium — or your payroll tax — for years, and the one time you actually need the money, they find a reason to say no. You're not wrong that denials are common. Social Security denies […]
SSDI Isn’t Welfare — Here’s What Your Payroll Tax Premium Actually Buys
Look at your last pay stub. Somewhere on it, you’ll see a line that says “Social Security” or “FICA.” Every payday, a chunk of your paycheck goes into that line. A lot of people just see money coming out of their check without ever appreciating what it buys. Here’s the truth: yes, it’s technically a […]
Should You Buy a Joint-Life SPIA or is There a Better Way to Protect Your Spouse?
You’ve got savings, and you want the most guaranteed income you can turn it into. You also want to make sure your spouse doesn’t lose that income if you die first. Most people assume protecting your spouse just means accepting a lower monthly check — a straightforward trade, nothing more to think about. It’s not […]
Using an Annuity to Avoid the 10% IRA Early Withdrawal Penalty (72(t) Explained)
Every IRA and 401(k) has an invisible fence around it until you turn 59½. Climb over early, and the IRS charges you a 10% toll on top of the regular tax you already owe. Most people just wait it out — five years, ten years, however long it takes — because that’s what everyone assumes […]
Find Out How Much You Need to Invest in a SPIA for “$X” Dollars of Income Per Month
“How much do I need to invest to get $2,000 a month? $5,000? $10,000?” Whatever the number in your head is, it’s one of the most common questions asked about guaranteed income — and it’s a genuinely hard one to answer honestly. Not because the math is complicated, but because your real answer depends on […]