The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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April is Financial Literacy Month, which is a perfect time to take stock (pun intended) of your retirement savings. Social Security is there to help secure your future, but savings should be the foundation of a bigger retirement plan. Have you ever done business online? The convenience and safety of doing business online is another way we’re meeting the changing needs and lifestyles of our customers. You can open your own personal my Social Security account within a matter of minutes and have ac...
It's been a good eight decades since your humble scribe has enjoyed the company of a dog; and then it was for only a short time. But now, canine company once more brightens this humble life, albeit its once every fortnight, and then for only an hour. But, one makes the best of what one is allowed. This time its many dogs, but they belong to someone else. At any rate their company is enjoyed even though its only twice in a month. And it is enjoyed with a vigor, as may be witnessed by the way the...
Out there in a world best describer as “Geriatrica” exist a group of old folks one might best be described as the Geriatric class. These folks were best described by author Tom Brokaw as “The Greatest Generation.” Their “greatness” has now faded somewhat. Their offspring have left the nest. Usually one of the pair has now gone to his or her reward; and living in the old homestead just ain't what it used to be. So, now many have found haven in an institution called “Independent Living Facili...
Ten years ago, on March 21, 2006, the CEO of Twitter sent out his first tweet. It’s appropriate, with spring coming, that the famous CEO was chirping in a format that the world now embraces as a vital form of interactive communication. Similarly, Social Security is no stranger to social media. Updated regularly, Social Security Matters is our blog. It’s our hub for Social Security news, like new features to my Social Security, changes in policy, retirement planning, and benefit information. The...
February is the shortest month of the year, but for us old timers it's a month that produced a lot of the folks who entertained us through our years of the “Greatest Generation.” For example, Actor Clark Gable was born on February 1, 1901. Who can forget his memorable portrayal in Gone With the Wind? On the second day of February, 1937, Tommy Smothers of the famous “Smothers Brothers,” came into the world. Comedian Joey Bishop was born on February 3, 1918; and a year and a day later, Red But...
Just about every minute, a woman dies of heart disease. But the majority of these deaths are avoidable. That’s why Social Security encourages you to participate in National Wear Red Day on February 5, which aims to raise awareness about preventing heart disease and stroke among women. Social Security plays an important role in many women’s lives — nearly 60 percent of people receiving Social Security benefits are women. Social Security provides important financial assistance to women in times...
As children old timers were taught to be courteous, especially to their elders. From around the 12th or 13th Century comes the French word courtesy. The noun courtesy refers to an act that is performed as an expression of respect. If a person respects someone it follows that they are courteous to that person in return. Polite behavior is an expression of courtesy. It is a display of excellent manners in dealing with another person. So it follows that as seniors enter into their twilight years...
National Trivia Day reminds us that knowledge about Social Security empowers you and prepares you for retirement. Remember, the more you know about Social Security, the more control you have over your bright future. What is the average number of years someone has paid into Social Security once they start collecting disability benefits? A)2 B) 7 C) 13 D) 22 Because the Social Security Act sets out a strict definition of disability, our beneficiaries are among the most severely disabled people in...
Your writer grew up surrounded by books; the place where toys were stored was adjacent to a voluminous family library, and reading books was a fascination which continued until age diminished the capacity to read. Biographies were a staple, and one that had a lasting impact was a 1922 book entitled Etiquette in Society, in Business, in Politics, and at Home; in which Emily Post dealt extensively with behaving properly. For some reason this publication intrigued this young reader, and her words...
Familiar carols are a part of the season. This song is so popular that holiday revelers clamored for it again. It’s “The Twelve Sites of Social Security,” inspired by the popular traditional holiday song, “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” — a holiday favorite since 1780. For the FIRST site of Social Security, we give to you: our home page, www.socialsecurity.gov. It’s the place to go for all things Social Security. Everything you could want — from online services and benefit screening tools...
While most of the months of the year derive their names from some sort of significant or romantic root, three months of the year have no special meaning other than numerical. September gets its name from the Latin word septem, seven, October for the Latin octo, eight, and novem in Latin means nine. That's how the months of the year lined up numerically in times gone by. Unlike July, which was named for Julius Caesar, or August, which got its name from Augustus, the word November just means that...
As if the holidays weren’t exciting enough, it’s November and that means election month. Current and future election hopefuls are prepping speeches and rallying every resource available for the big win. Even if you aren’t running for office, you can win big, too, by planning for retirement. When you decide to retire, the easiest and most convenient way to do it is right from the comfort of your home. Go to www.socialsecurity.gov where you can apply for retirement benefits in as little as 15 mi...
As we prepare to celebrate Christmas 2015, it might serve us well to recall a previous Christmas, one that occurred in 1777, at Valley Forge, Pa. The men who were seeking to break free of the British Crown and form their own--free--nation huddled in the snow there fearing that their Valliant effort might be for naught. The general who was desperately trying to lead our shivering, rag-tag band of patriots to freedom from the tyranny of King George III, George Washington, went on to lead them,...
If you handle the finances of someone who receives benefits from Social Security, or you know someone who may need help managing his or her benefits, you may want to consider applying to be a representative payee. A representative payee is someone who receives Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments on behalf of a person not capable of managing the funds on his or her own. A representative payee makes sure an individual’s basic needs are met by using the money to p...
A new publication most senors would be wise to get their hands on is the 2015 Dementia Resource Guide that was put out by the Alabama Department of Senior Services, and was recently the subject of one of Eastdale Estates' weekly Who's Lookin' Out for You? Series held each Tuesday morning there. Mrs. Susan Segrest, Executive Director of the Central Alabama Aging Consortium, spent a Tuesday morning last month at the senior retirement facility explaining the various sections of the publication,...
Social Security listened to customer feedback and made the online appeals process even better. Now, people who disagree with our disability decision can complete their appeal using our improved online appeals process. More than 90,000 people use our online appeals application each month. We’ve certainly come a long way since introducing the online appeal option in September 2007. Throughout the nation, applicants, their representatives, third parties, groups, and organizations use the online a...
Question: Can I refuse to give my Social Security number to a private business? Answer: Yes, you can refuse to disclose your Social Security number, and you should be careful about giving out your number. But, be aware, the person requesting your number can refuse services if you don’t give it. Businesses, banks, schools, private agencies, etc., are free to request someone's number and use it for any purpose that doesn’t violate a federal or state law. To learn more about your Social Security nu...
Most “senior citizens” who populate various types of government-supported living facilities are beginning to spend a major part of their time contemplating on their future—however long that may be. Eighty five years ago most of them were toddlers; Mahatma Gandhi was making his Salt March, and the Planet Pluto had just been discovered. Most of them, your writer included, weren't aware that we were entering into what became known as “The Great Depression,” because the news focused more on Gangst...
Eighty years ago, on August 14, 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law. The new law guaranteed a basic income for retirees and, at the time, the unemployed. Over the years, Social Security has expanded its safety net to provide benefits for retirees, people with disabilities and the chronically ill, and spouses and children of deceased workers. The agency has evolved to serve the needs of a changing America. Now, we’re celebrating this historic a...
They landed at Normandy, were shot at by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor, endured the Inchon landing, sweated it out in the jungles of Vietnam, lived day after day in the expectation of a Russian invasion of Western Germany, or fought in Afghanistan and other Middle Eastern theaters--in defense of their country. Most of them endured the Great Depression, where the minimum wage for those who were lucky enough to have jobs was 25 cents an hour; only to see their country morph into a wartime environme...
Each year our colleges and universities spew forth an avalanche of graduates, many with their heads packed with new information; but few with any regard to knowledge that emerged in centuries past. The world might be better served today if more students of every nation were to have been brought to their attention four century-old literary advice from the pen of William Shakespeare, for example: In Act 1 of Scene 3, Hamlet's chief counselor advises his son Laertes some pearls of wisdom that...
In 2015, more than a million people will be diagnosed with cancer. This alarming statistic affects people and families all over the world. On June 7, 2015, we observe National Cancer Survivors Day in the United States. In support of this day, Social Security encourages checkups, early detection, and awareness, while honoring the survivors who have gone through this battle and defeated the disease. Social Security stands strong in our support of the fight against cancer. We offer services to...
Emily Post passed away before cell phones became popular; but she was the ultimate expert on etiquette. She would most likely have been mortified had she been alive to witness today's epitome of bad manners: cell phone usage. Marching under her banner, modern day experts on good manners have posted a list of ten rules for good cell phone manners, a list that has apparently been kept under wraps, for there's little evidence of it having ever been read by the multitude of cell phone users....
On Memorial Day, we honor men and women who died while courageously serving in the U. S. military. We also recognize active duty service members, especially those who have been wounded. Cities and towns across the United States host Memorial Day parades to thank our service members and their families for their sacrifices. Policymakers put into place laws and benefits to protect our heroes and their families. For example, Social Security provides survivors, disability, retirement, and Medicare...
The word is unique, in that it has two spellings—both of which are correct—and both express the same feeling. Whether the last syllable begins with an a or an e, is relatively immaterial, since the meaning is the same: a special atmosphere, mood, or feeling that is created by a particular entity. After a dozen years of searching for a place in which to live out the remaining years of existence on this planet, the realization emerges that what was being sought was: “A special atmosphere or mood...