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Get What's Yours - Revised & Updated: The Secrets to Maxing Out Your Social Security
Social Security law has changed! Get What’s Yours has been revised and updated to reflect new regulations that took effect on April 29, 2016.
Get What’s Yours has proven itself to be the definitive book about how to navigate the forbidding maze of Social Security and emerge with the highest possible benefits. It is an engaging manual of tactics and strategies written by well-known financial commentators that is unobtainable elsewhere. You could try reading all 2,728 rules of the Social Security system (and the thousands of explanations of these rules), but academia’s Kotlikoff, the popular press’s Moeller, and public television’s Solman explain the Social Security system just as comprehensively, and a lot more comprehensibly. Moreover, they demonstrate that what you don’t know can seriously hurt wrong decisions about which Social Security benefits to apply for cost individual retirees tens of thousands of dollars in lost income every year. (Some of those people are even in the book.)
Changes to Social Security that take effect in 2016 make it more important than ever to wait as long as possible (until age 70, if possible) to claim Social Security benefits. The new law also has significant implications for those who wish to claim divorced spousal benefits (and how many Social Security recipients even know about divorced spousal benefits?). Besides addressing these and other issues, this revised edition contains a chapter explaining how Medicare rules can shape Social Security decisions.
Many other personal-finance books briefly address Social Security, but none offers the full, authoritative, yet conversational analysis of Get What’s Yours.
Get What’s Yours explains Social Security benefits through basic strategies and stirring stories. It covers the most frequent benefit scenarios faced by married retired couples; by divorced retirees; by widows and widowers. It explains what to do if you’re a retired parent of dependent children; disabled; an eligible beneficiary who continues to work. It addresses the tax consequences of your choices, as well as the financial implications for other investments. It does all this and more.
There are more than 52 million Americans aged 54 to 69. Ten thousand of them reach Social Security’s full retirement age of 66 every day. For all these people—and for their families and friends— Get What’s Yours has proven to be an invaluable, and therefore indispensable, tool.
Get What’s Yours has proven itself to be the definitive book about how to navigate the forbidding maze of Social Security and emerge with the highest possible benefits. It is an engaging manual of tactics and strategies written by well-known financial commentators that is unobtainable elsewhere. You could try reading all 2,728 rules of the Social Security system (and the thousands of explanations of these rules), but academia’s Kotlikoff, the popular press’s Moeller, and public television’s Solman explain the Social Security system just as comprehensively, and a lot more comprehensibly. Moreover, they demonstrate that what you don’t know can seriously hurt wrong decisions about which Social Security benefits to apply for cost individual retirees tens of thousands of dollars in lost income every year. (Some of those people are even in the book.)
Changes to Social Security that take effect in 2016 make it more important than ever to wait as long as possible (until age 70, if possible) to claim Social Security benefits. The new law also has significant implications for those who wish to claim divorced spousal benefits (and how many Social Security recipients even know about divorced spousal benefits?). Besides addressing these and other issues, this revised edition contains a chapter explaining how Medicare rules can shape Social Security decisions.
Many other personal-finance books briefly address Social Security, but none offers the full, authoritative, yet conversational analysis of Get What’s Yours.
Get What’s Yours explains Social Security benefits through basic strategies and stirring stories. It covers the most frequent benefit scenarios faced by married retired couples; by divorced retirees; by widows and widowers. It explains what to do if you’re a retired parent of dependent children; disabled; an eligible beneficiary who continues to work. It addresses the tax consequences of your choices, as well as the financial implications for other investments. It does all this and more.
There are more than 52 million Americans aged 54 to 69. Ten thousand of them reach Social Security’s full retirement age of 66 every day. For all these people—and for their families and friends— Get What’s Yours has proven to be an invaluable, and therefore indispensable, tool.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published February 17, 2015
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April 3, 2015
The Hook - Just read the title Get What’s Yours: The Secrets to Maxing Out Your Social Security. I want what’s mine and I’ll assume you do also. My sincere thanks to Denis Vukosav for recommending this book. If my comments don't convince you read Denis' here https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Line – ”The bad news is that one of the most important things we’ve discovered about understanding Social Security is that you can’t trust a lot of what other people say about it, beginning with the folks who work for Social Security.”
The Sinker – When you consider that
”The Social Security system has 2,728 core rules and thousands upon thousands of additional codicils in its Program Operating Manual…”
you can see why a book like this is needed. Of course Get What’s Yours: The Secrets to Maxing Out Your Social Security does not cover all 2000+ game plans but does give detailed information on many common scenarios. It is worth picking up if you will soon be applying for your benefits. It is well worth reading long before you hit that milestone in your life so you can plan better and get the best cash benefit that is yours to begin with. Reading this book could possibly increase your lifetime benefits. Though my husband and I are past the point of no return in our SS strategy, I will be highly recommending this book to family and friends.
You can more information and also ask Laurence (Larry) Koatlikoff specific questions on PaulMoeller’s PbS NewsHour Making Sen$e.
The Line – ”The bad news is that one of the most important things we’ve discovered about understanding Social Security is that you can’t trust a lot of what other people say about it, beginning with the folks who work for Social Security.”
The Sinker – When you consider that
”The Social Security system has 2,728 core rules and thousands upon thousands of additional codicils in its Program Operating Manual…”
you can see why a book like this is needed. Of course Get What’s Yours: The Secrets to Maxing Out Your Social Security does not cover all 2000+ game plans but does give detailed information on many common scenarios. It is worth picking up if you will soon be applying for your benefits. It is well worth reading long before you hit that milestone in your life so you can plan better and get the best cash benefit that is yours to begin with. Reading this book could possibly increase your lifetime benefits. Though my husband and I are past the point of no return in our SS strategy, I will be highly recommending this book to family and friends.
You can more information and also ask Laurence (Larry) Koatlikoff specific questions on PaulMoeller’s PbS NewsHour Making Sen$e.
December 27, 2023
2023:
Tough sledding.
So many provisos, if-this-but-also-that, and inscrutable acronyms.
I read the first edition in early 2016 with moderate curiosity.
Today I'm reading the second edition to make real decisions, real soon.
Kotlikoff's three general rules:
1. Be patient (wait to collect retirement benefits as long as possible)
2. Take all available benefits (which include disability, spousal, survivor, or parental)
3. Get your timing right.
Two takeaways:
1. If you decide to wait until age 70 for the biggest monthly check, no one will remind you to sign up for benefits. If you let it slide, you will permanently lose benefits.
2. When you sign up (either in person or online is better than over the phone) use the Remarks section to unequivocally state what you want. If you don't have it in writing, chances are that SS will start you retroactively and cost you the credit for delayed benefits.
2016:
I hopscotched my way through this book, skipping chapters on disability, divorce, gay couples, and widowhood. Unfortunately the book, although it was written in 2015, is obsolete. The authors favorite strategy, a loophole called 'file and suspend' has been closed.
That said, this book changed my mind. I'm always slightly astonished when that happens. I had assumed that when I turned 62 I would sign up for the monthly check.
The second chapter, Life's Biggest Danger Isn't Dying, It's Living, is the opening salvo for their firm belief that you will get more if you are patient and delay receiving Social Security benefits until you are 70.
This, however, is not what you will hear from the Social Security Administration. Kotlikoff urges the reader not to rely on information from the SSA to make your decisions. This is what makes Social Security so bedeviling. You can be told you can get something and you can get that something, but that something can turn out to be nothing.
Atul Gawande's book Being Mortal changed my mind about when to retire. Statistics show that working longer generally increases longevity and health. My husband and I are blessed with good health and plan, Lord willing, to work through our sixties. (I work two days/week. But I have a few days of regular non-paid work.)
While the overriding message is DELAY, DELAY, DELAY, there are 5 reasons not to delay.
1. You need the money.
2. A medical condition arises that will lower your life expectancy.
3. If you a) earned a high wage b) have an older spouse who becomes eligible for spousal benefit.
4. If you have a young child or disabled child living at home who may collect a child benefit.
5. If you are widowed and take your retirement benefit and wait to take survivor benefit.
This book is formatted like a best-seller diet book. It feels like it's published by Rodale. Pull-out boxes are scattered across the pages. They are called Social Security Verbatim. What a hoot!
"What does actually paid mean? Actual payment occurs when you are actually paid..."
"Even if we caused the [benefits] overpayment, you must show that you are without fault."
I will add more notes when I have time, but much of the content is available online here:
https://maximizemysocialsecurity.com/...
Tough sledding.
So many provisos, if-this-but-also-that, and inscrutable acronyms.
I read the first edition in early 2016 with moderate curiosity.
Today I'm reading the second edition to make real decisions, real soon.
Kotlikoff's three general rules:
1. Be patient (wait to collect retirement benefits as long as possible)
2. Take all available benefits (which include disability, spousal, survivor, or parental)
3. Get your timing right.
Two takeaways:
1. If you decide to wait until age 70 for the biggest monthly check, no one will remind you to sign up for benefits. If you let it slide, you will permanently lose benefits.
2. When you sign up (either in person or online is better than over the phone) use the Remarks section to unequivocally state what you want. If you don't have it in writing, chances are that SS will start you retroactively and cost you the credit for delayed benefits.
2016:
I hopscotched my way through this book, skipping chapters on disability, divorce, gay couples, and widowhood. Unfortunately the book, although it was written in 2015, is obsolete. The authors favorite strategy, a loophole called 'file and suspend' has been closed.
That said, this book changed my mind. I'm always slightly astonished when that happens. I had assumed that when I turned 62 I would sign up for the monthly check.
The second chapter, Life's Biggest Danger Isn't Dying, It's Living, is the opening salvo for their firm belief that you will get more if you are patient and delay receiving Social Security benefits until you are 70.
This, however, is not what you will hear from the Social Security Administration. Kotlikoff urges the reader not to rely on information from the SSA to make your decisions. This is what makes Social Security so bedeviling. You can be told you can get something and you can get that something, but that something can turn out to be nothing.
Atul Gawande's book Being Mortal changed my mind about when to retire. Statistics show that working longer generally increases longevity and health. My husband and I are blessed with good health and plan, Lord willing, to work through our sixties. (I work two days/week. But I have a few days of regular non-paid work.)
While the overriding message is DELAY, DELAY, DELAY, there are 5 reasons not to delay.
1. You need the money.
2. A medical condition arises that will lower your life expectancy.
3. If you a) earned a high wage b) have an older spouse who becomes eligible for spousal benefit.
4. If you have a young child or disabled child living at home who may collect a child benefit.
5. If you are widowed and take your retirement benefit and wait to take survivor benefit.
This book is formatted like a best-seller diet book. It feels like it's published by Rodale. Pull-out boxes are scattered across the pages. They are called Social Security Verbatim. What a hoot!
"What does actually paid mean? Actual payment occurs when you are actually paid..."
"Even if we caused the [benefits] overpayment, you must show that you are without fault."
I will add more notes when I have time, but much of the content is available online here:
https://maximizemysocialsecurity.com/...
March 21, 2015
The information in this book would have gone down a lot easier if I didn't feel like I was reading the script for an infomercial. Stylistically, the writing left me feeling a bit icky. My other main complaint is that most of the examples given cited figures that seemed to target people well above the national average for income, so while Mr. X might be getting hundreds of thousands of dollars more over his lifetime by waiting until he's 70 to collect, Mr. Y wasn't going to see nearly as large a benefit by following the advice of the authors.
Those issues aside, I think I can readily summarize the key points in the book. I'm targeting my comments to the baby boomer audience (of which I am a member).
1) Do whatever you can to put something, anything, into your own retirement fund via an IRA or similar. Every penny counts.
2) Unless economic crisis dictates otherwise, wait until you are 70 to claim your own retirement benefits.
3) If you are a window or widower, apply for survivor benefits at full retirement age - 66 or thereabouts - (but *not* your own retirement benefits).
4) No matter what you do, you're only going to get one benefit at a time. If your survivor benefits are higher than your own retirement benefits, you'll just get the survivor benefit (and visa versa).
5) The Social Security administration is not equipped to give you detailed advice, so if you have questions either do your own research or contact a capable accountant.
6) Even if you have to take out a loan, do whatever you can to avoid taking any benefits before full retirement age. That, my friends, will really mess you up. Unfortunately, I suspect most people taking benefits early are doing so because they are already in a bad financial situation.
A note to the authors.
I would have actually read the entire book if it had been written differently. A couple of chapters up front that outline the important points, followed by chapters focused exclusively on case studies might have been better.
Those issues aside, I think I can readily summarize the key points in the book. I'm targeting my comments to the baby boomer audience (of which I am a member).
1) Do whatever you can to put something, anything, into your own retirement fund via an IRA or similar. Every penny counts.
2) Unless economic crisis dictates otherwise, wait until you are 70 to claim your own retirement benefits.
3) If you are a window or widower, apply for survivor benefits at full retirement age - 66 or thereabouts - (but *not* your own retirement benefits).
4) No matter what you do, you're only going to get one benefit at a time. If your survivor benefits are higher than your own retirement benefits, you'll just get the survivor benefit (and visa versa).
5) The Social Security administration is not equipped to give you detailed advice, so if you have questions either do your own research or contact a capable accountant.
6) Even if you have to take out a loan, do whatever you can to avoid taking any benefits before full retirement age. That, my friends, will really mess you up. Unfortunately, I suspect most people taking benefits early are doing so because they are already in a bad financial situation.
A note to the authors.
I would have actually read the entire book if it had been written differently. A couple of chapters up front that outline the important points, followed by chapters focused exclusively on case studies might have been better.
July 18, 2016
I'm torn on how to rate this book. On the one hand, this is an important topic and the writing style is conversational and friendly. But the book was very confusing.
Because there are so many specific situations that may apply, Social Security is a difficult topic to succinctly and clearly cover. I had to keep flipping back through the book as I read, because I came across a lot of information that at first seemed to conflict with earlier information, but then I would realize that I had missed a nuance that actually meant the situation was different. (I found Laurence Kotlikoff's Ask Larry columns online more helpful.)
For my situation, this is what I have determined I should do, going forward, per this book:
1. Wait until 70 to collect my maximum retirement benefit, unless I'm diagnosed with some kind of disease that would kill me by then or shortly afterward.
2. Make sure that I write down in the Remarks section of the form that I want to collect at 70 and NOT receive the automatic retroactive 6 months of benefits (which would set all of my future Social Security checks to a slightly reduced amount, as if I had claimed at 69 and a half years).
3. Do not trust anything the Social Security office tells me.
It's pretty sad that the system is still set up so that the people who are rewarded are the households with one high earner and one low (or zero) earner. Dual income households who make close to the same amount don't benefit as much, and now that Social Security has closed the loophole for one spouse to file and suspend retirement (until it maxes out at age 70) while collecting spousal benefits from full retirement age until 70, I can see that I'm likely to end up paying more into the system than I'll ever get back.
Because there are so many specific situations that may apply, Social Security is a difficult topic to succinctly and clearly cover. I had to keep flipping back through the book as I read, because I came across a lot of information that at first seemed to conflict with earlier information, but then I would realize that I had missed a nuance that actually meant the situation was different. (I found Laurence Kotlikoff's Ask Larry columns online more helpful.)
For my situation, this is what I have determined I should do, going forward, per this book:
1. Wait until 70 to collect my maximum retirement benefit, unless I'm diagnosed with some kind of disease that would kill me by then or shortly afterward.
2. Make sure that I write down in the Remarks section of the form that I want to collect at 70 and NOT receive the automatic retroactive 6 months of benefits (which would set all of my future Social Security checks to a slightly reduced amount, as if I had claimed at 69 and a half years).
3. Do not trust anything the Social Security office tells me.
It's pretty sad that the system is still set up so that the people who are rewarded are the households with one high earner and one low (or zero) earner. Dual income households who make close to the same amount don't benefit as much, and now that Social Security has closed the loophole for one spouse to file and suspend retirement (until it maxes out at age 70) while collecting spousal benefits from full retirement age until 70, I can see that I'm likely to end up paying more into the system than I'll ever get back.
May 11, 2015
Full Disclosure: I was chosen a Goodreads winner and received a free copy of Get What's Yours... in the mail. That in no way affects the review that follows.
As confusing as the SSI system is, it's no wonder that a book like this is necessary! This particular one is easy to read and understand, witty, and very well organized, with a glossary, an appendix (the actual SSI benefits application, annotated), and plenty of diverse examples.
The authors have really done a very good job of explaining and providing many diverse examples of various scenarios, so that the reader can try to make the best of his or her individual situation. I learned quite a lot by reading it. All that considered, there was not an example that pertained to my particular situation, which is so atypical that I would have been surprised if it had been discussed and ther4efore am only very slightly disappointed.
The authors tackled what might otherwise be a very boring subject in a splendid and very creative way. Kudos!
As confusing as the SSI system is, it's no wonder that a book like this is necessary! This particular one is easy to read and understand, witty, and very well organized, with a glossary, an appendix (the actual SSI benefits application, annotated), and plenty of diverse examples.
The authors have really done a very good job of explaining and providing many diverse examples of various scenarios, so that the reader can try to make the best of his or her individual situation. I learned quite a lot by reading it. All that considered, there was not an example that pertained to my particular situation, which is so atypical that I would have been surprised if it had been discussed and ther4efore am only very slightly disappointed.
The authors tackled what might otherwise be a very boring subject in a splendid and very creative way. Kudos!
October 7, 2015
Written in simple English, with lots of examples [real & imaginary], this book explains and offers advice on how to maximize Social Security benefits in almost every possible family scenario. Yes, the authors repeat themselves, and they know it, but they want to make sure readers understand and remember their best strategy. For in many cases, those who make the wrong decision will leave lots of $$$ on the table. My only complaint is that they didn't completely address an increasingly common scenario - those who continue working after age 70 - and how income taxes on Social Security income complicates retirement plans.
September 17, 2017
Get What’s Yours is a reference guide to help you learn how to navigate the Social Security System to get the most benefits available.
What I liked and some will have a problem with is treating our social security benefits like a business. I also liked how we start learning what to do in chapter 1.
Get What’s Yours is a must read because we learn about rules we’d never heard about and because much of the material is new to us readers will want a copy for their home library.
What I liked and some will have a problem with is treating our social security benefits like a business. I also liked how we start learning what to do in chapter 1.
Get What’s Yours is a must read because we learn about rules we’d never heard about and because much of the material is new to us readers will want a copy for their home library.
October 17, 2016
The authors just want us to understand that, if possible, wait until age 70 to claim Social Security benefits ... you and your surviving spouse will reap the benefits of waiting for the rest of your long lives.
December 3, 2017
Very good description of how Social Security works, and how to maximize your benefits.
March 30, 2021
I was 65 years old in September of 2018, so I decided it was time to do my homework for Social Security. I'm exceptionally glad I did, though as you may once have thought of homework when you were younger, it is NO FUN!
What you will gain by reading this book is a solid, basic knowledge of the ins and outs of the Social Security world, as well as familiarity with the terminology, the "lingo" that will be thrown at you when you apply for benefits. In addition, you will get fair warning of some of the most common mistakes people make when choosing how and when to take their benefits. (Be aware that mistakes made at this crucial juncture can cost you more than embarrassment, they can cost you big money!) Do be forewarned: These authors have a strong bias toward waiting until you are 70 to draw your benefits. However, even if you are SURE that you want to begin drawing your benefits earlier, you owe it to yourself to at least consider what you might be giving up by doing so.
Here are a few points to keep in mind if you decide to read this book:
1. Be sure you are reading the most recent edition of the book. Social Security law changes constantly.
2. Do NOT attempt to read this book just before bed (unless you are looking for a remedy for your insomnia.) The material is both complicated and boring, though the authors do their best with what they've got. I read the book two mornings a week at my favorite breakfast spot; my waitress would cheer me on while pouring my endless cups of coffee.
3. Bring a highlighter for the sections most relevant to you and a pen and paper for taking notes. Treat this endeavor as you would a college class.
4. If you are married, neither you nor your spouse have yet retired, and you both were born before January 1st, 1954, you MUST read this book before you make your Social Security decisions. By virtue of your lucky stars and fortuitous birth years, you are eligible for drawing increased benefits! But you have to understand them and know how to time your benefit applications. This is what my husband and I did. Thanks, Mom and Dad, for not having me 4 months later than you did!
What you will gain by reading this book is a solid, basic knowledge of the ins and outs of the Social Security world, as well as familiarity with the terminology, the "lingo" that will be thrown at you when you apply for benefits. In addition, you will get fair warning of some of the most common mistakes people make when choosing how and when to take their benefits. (Be aware that mistakes made at this crucial juncture can cost you more than embarrassment, they can cost you big money!) Do be forewarned: These authors have a strong bias toward waiting until you are 70 to draw your benefits. However, even if you are SURE that you want to begin drawing your benefits earlier, you owe it to yourself to at least consider what you might be giving up by doing so.
Here are a few points to keep in mind if you decide to read this book:
1. Be sure you are reading the most recent edition of the book. Social Security law changes constantly.
2. Do NOT attempt to read this book just before bed (unless you are looking for a remedy for your insomnia.) The material is both complicated and boring, though the authors do their best with what they've got. I read the book two mornings a week at my favorite breakfast spot; my waitress would cheer me on while pouring my endless cups of coffee.
3. Bring a highlighter for the sections most relevant to you and a pen and paper for taking notes. Treat this endeavor as you would a college class.
4. If you are married, neither you nor your spouse have yet retired, and you both were born before January 1st, 1954, you MUST read this book before you make your Social Security decisions. By virtue of your lucky stars and fortuitous birth years, you are eligible for drawing increased benefits! But you have to understand them and know how to time your benefit applications. This is what my husband and I did. Thanks, Mom and Dad, for not having me 4 months later than you did!
September 10, 2024
This book was recommended to my wife and I by a financial advisor, so we checked a copy out of our local library. I soon came to realize that I had the first edition (February 2015). Its big hook is a method of filing and suspending, while your spouse collects a spousal benefit, that results in tens of thousands of dollars of additional benefits. That loophole was phased out by new regulations that took effect in April 2016. This resulted in the need for the authors to turn out a second edition (May 2016) almost immediately, entitled "Get What's Yours - Revised & Updated: The Secrets to Maxing Out Your Social Security."
The book is written in a folksy style, that none-the-less communicates how to navigate through the very dry and complex system of rules and choices that determine a large part of the retirement income for most US citizens. It begins with some startling anecdotes about a huge opportunity for increased benefit that most people are unaware of (and is no longer available). This is followed by an excellent explanation of the basic terminology and principles that govern the various benefits provided by the Social Security Administration – retirement, spouse, surviving spouse, divorced spouse, divorced surviving spouse, surviving dependent, surviving parent of young child, disability, worker disability. There are several specialized chapters that drill down in particular categories of claimant – such as married, gay couples, divorced, widowed, never married, disabled, holders of government pensions and windfall penalties. Finally, there is a FAQ of 50 good-news hints, and 25 bad-news gotchas. This is all great, but the problem is that it describes a social security code that was significantly revised approximately one year after publication. For certain, some important information is obsolete. And the rest is therefore not trustworthy. Readers should go for at least the 2nd edition. My rating of 1 star is only for this first edition. Unfortunately, goodreads considers both editions to be the same book.
The book is written in a folksy style, that none-the-less communicates how to navigate through the very dry and complex system of rules and choices that determine a large part of the retirement income for most US citizens. It begins with some startling anecdotes about a huge opportunity for increased benefit that most people are unaware of (and is no longer available). This is followed by an excellent explanation of the basic terminology and principles that govern the various benefits provided by the Social Security Administration – retirement, spouse, surviving spouse, divorced spouse, divorced surviving spouse, surviving dependent, surviving parent of young child, disability, worker disability. There are several specialized chapters that drill down in particular categories of claimant – such as married, gay couples, divorced, widowed, never married, disabled, holders of government pensions and windfall penalties. Finally, there is a FAQ of 50 good-news hints, and 25 bad-news gotchas. This is all great, but the problem is that it describes a social security code that was significantly revised approximately one year after publication. For certain, some important information is obsolete. And the rest is therefore not trustworthy. Readers should go for at least the 2nd edition. My rating of 1 star is only for this first edition. Unfortunately, goodreads considers both editions to be the same book.
September 1, 2019
The author's take 300 pages to tell you, over and over, to wait to collect social security benefits until your full retirement age. Then they give you lots of spousal scenarios - all of which are suitable for spouses who are within a few years of each other's age and who are at or nearly at 62 or better. Having a fat salary is also helpful for any of their calculations. So basically there wasn't a whole lot that applied to me beyond the advice to wait. And all of this was explored and explained in top heavy paragraphs that aren't ultimately terribly clear.
Two of the last few chapters do outline most of what they spent the preceding few hundred pages saying - and would've done nicely on their own.
Two of the last few chapters do outline most of what they spent the preceding few hundred pages saying - and would've done nicely on their own.
August 22, 2017
If you've been divorced and have a less than generous state pension ( whose earnings were not covered by social security) this is a great book to weep into. We're talking about the unhappy interplay of PIA, WEP and GPO. So if these acronyms befuddle you and you need to be informed about your social security status, this book is highly recommended.
November 5, 2017
As others have mentioned, the title is unpleasant, although the subtitle is accurate; I'm someone who thinks US social security should be more like a safety net than a 401K (I just can't see why we'd let Warren Buffett claim social security benefits), and the title seems to promote the opposite view. But, most of us don't have a nest egg the size of Warren's, and we're going to need social security if we're going to avoid poverty in retirement; since social security rules are complicated and the local offices are too swamped to provide accurate advice, most of us need to educate ourselves about the rules.
I strongly advise everyone considering this book to get the "Revised Updated" version - the one with the red "Revised" added to the title on the cover (published May, 2016); much of the advice in the original edition was made obsolete when changes to the law took affect in early 2016.
I learned a lot from the book but would've preferred a different writing style; the authors take a very folksy/humorous tone, including tons of anecdotes which I found annoying. The many references to how the law used to work (prior to the big changes in 2016) were really confusing/distracting to readers like me who weren't grandfathered in to the old rules; hopefully the next edition will put all of the pre-2016 info into an appendix to be referenced only by the small population of people who are affected.
I found I had to read important parts of the book repeatedly in order to absorb them (also skipped a few chapters that weren't relevant to my situation). This would probably have been the case with any book on the topic as the concepts are arcane.
I expect to work for many more years (especially after reading this book), and I'm sure the rules will change again before I retire; still, I'm glad I read this now so that I can have the basics in mind while planning for the future.
I strongly advise everyone considering this book to get the "Revised Updated" version - the one with the red "Revised" added to the title on the cover (published May, 2016); much of the advice in the original edition was made obsolete when changes to the law took affect in early 2016.
I learned a lot from the book but would've preferred a different writing style; the authors take a very folksy/humorous tone, including tons of anecdotes which I found annoying. The many references to how the law used to work (prior to the big changes in 2016) were really confusing/distracting to readers like me who weren't grandfathered in to the old rules; hopefully the next edition will put all of the pre-2016 info into an appendix to be referenced only by the small population of people who are affected.
I found I had to read important parts of the book repeatedly in order to absorb them (also skipped a few chapters that weren't relevant to my situation). This would probably have been the case with any book on the topic as the concepts are arcane.
I expect to work for many more years (especially after reading this book), and I'm sure the rules will change again before I retire; still, I'm glad I read this now so that I can have the basics in mind while planning for the future.
May 23, 2015
I give the book 4 stars because the authors covered the subject of Get What's Yours: The Secrets to Maxing Out Your Social Security. With almost 3000 rules to social security, the subject is terribly hard to cover, but I think the authors did the best job possible. The book is not easy to read. I had to stop often and think about what I just read. But that is due to the complexity of the issue, not the fault of the authors.
The books covers not only regular social security, but also disability, spousal benefits, and survivors benefits. I appreciated the chapter devoted to ideas to fix the system.
According to the authors in most cases, people should wait until age 70 to draw their benefits in order to maximize drawing the most benefits. They cite specific examples. However, they express disbelief that only a little over 1% of the retirees wait until age 70 to start drawing their benefits. I feel the authors are in a fairly high middle income class. I would bet most of the people they associate with are also in that same income group. I'm not sure the authors take into account most lower middle income group folks. I think by the time most people reach 62-65 years of age, they are tired of working -- both mentally and physically. Perhaps that's a good reason retirement benefits are taken earlier. However, that's not the subject of this book.
I received a copy of this book free from Goodreads First Reads. This opinion is my own and not influenced by anyone.
The books covers not only regular social security, but also disability, spousal benefits, and survivors benefits. I appreciated the chapter devoted to ideas to fix the system.
According to the authors in most cases, people should wait until age 70 to draw their benefits in order to maximize drawing the most benefits. They cite specific examples. However, they express disbelief that only a little over 1% of the retirees wait until age 70 to start drawing their benefits. I feel the authors are in a fairly high middle income class. I would bet most of the people they associate with are also in that same income group. I'm not sure the authors take into account most lower middle income group folks. I think by the time most people reach 62-65 years of age, they are tired of working -- both mentally and physically. Perhaps that's a good reason retirement benefits are taken earlier. However, that's not the subject of this book.
I received a copy of this book free from Goodreads First Reads. This opinion is my own and not influenced by anyone.
June 13, 2015
Our men's book club (we're in our 50's and 60's) picked this book and I'm very glad we did. Everyone should read this or something very similar prior to becoming eligible for social security (early retirement is 62). The three authors (Kotlikoff, Moeller, and Solman) have huge credibility, are recognized experts, and write well. Social security is very complex, with the potential for many, many different outcomes for everyone. I think most people believe that you submit your paperwork and the optimal answer for you pops up every time. Its not true and even social security employees don't have all of the answers. Reading this book will not necesarily provide all of your answers, but it should make it very clear to you that doing your homework is critical and potentially very rewarding.
The authors try to keep a very complex and dry subject engaging and light-hearted. They use numerous case studies and are repetetive where they believe emphasis is required. And they have a brief but very eye-opening discussion about the health of the whole social security system at the book's conclusion. I highly recommend this book.
The authors try to keep a very complex and dry subject engaging and light-hearted. They use numerous case studies and are repetetive where they believe emphasis is required. And they have a brief but very eye-opening discussion about the health of the whole social security system at the book's conclusion. I highly recommend this book.
August 29, 2020
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I'm nowhere near retirement age, but my husband is, so the subject of Social Security is a frequent topic of conversation. I was recommended this book in a financial advice group I belong to on Facebook and decided to check it out.
Get What's Yours was originally written in 2015, and then Congress passed a new Social Security act changing most of what was recommended in the book, so it was rewritten. If you are going to read Get What's Yours, make sure the copyright date is after 2016, when the Social Security laws changed.
"These days there is a fair chance that you will be forced to stop working sooner than you supposed due to a clear-the-decks boss, a hair-trigger economy, or a fickle physiology; that you will, as a consequence, find yourself involuntarily retired with far less savings than you had anticipated; and/or that you will live far longer than you had expected."
This paragraph resonated with me. That's the boat we're in. My husband has been out of work since the end of January 2020 and had no plans to retire as we still have four kids under the age of 18 in the house, and I'm only working part-time (but with some benefits that make it worthwhile to continue to work there). Then our investments tanked when the Coronavirus hit the U.S. and they are still recovering. But now, with no job on the horizon and a dwindling emergency fund, it looks like my husband may have to retire, but at least he'll be at Full Retirement Age (FRA) when he does. The book says a lot about taking early retirement at 62 and highly advises against it.
My big beef with Get What's Yours(besides the continual plugging of one of the author's appearances on PBS Newshour) is that it seems to be catered to those who were grandfathered in to the new changes in the Social Security plan. Most of the examples are of people who are 62 or 66 in 2016. Well, that doesn't apply to my husband, age 66 in 2020, and certainly not to me at age 47. So great portions of this book are taken up with all those people who were close to retirement age when Congress changed the rules for Social Security.
Just a few weeks ago, I found out through that financial advise group on Facebook (Facebook is good for some things, it turns out), that when my husband will retire, our children under 18 will be able to receive benefits. This was reiterated in Get What's Yours. Which is good to know. If we hadn't known that, do you think the people at Social Security would have offered that information? Probably not. And we would be out a lot of money we could be using for their care and saving for schooling, which is one of the main reasons my husband didn't want to retire until 70, anyway. The people working at Social Security don't offer advice, they offer "information." (BTW, that Facebook group is called The Moneyist, an offshoot of TV's Marketwatch program)
I was most interested in the sections on survivor benefits, as I will most likely outlive my husband (he is, after all, 19 years older than me). I've also been out of the workforce for about 15 years raising our kids, and even before kids, I rarely worked full-time for a full year because of college. The book told me what I already knew: survivor's benefits are half of what my husband's benefits would be at FRA. And if my husband dies before I turn 50, I can't apply for benefits (so hang on for three more years, dear!) , but it would be better if he died when I were 60, according to the book. My children would get benefits if they are still under 18, which I knew from my own personal experience of losing my father when I was fourteen. Most likely, my earnings in the next 23 years will not make my own Social Security payments any higher than half of my husband's.
There's a lot of talk about applying for benefits but deferring them until you are 70, but I couldn't wrap my head around it. If you stop working, you need the money. So apparently this information is for those who continue to work. Then why apply for benefits if you are not going to use them? And I'm confused, because in the book, it seems you could only defer payments if you were grandfathered in before the 2016 changes.
The authors of Get What's Yours spend a lot of time on married couples, and those with higher incomes, too. Even in their book, they mention that "The national median wage was $28,851 in 2014." But they can offer no real life examples of Social Security payouts when you're living at the poverty level.
There's also a great swath of information for the divorced and remarried, or the multiple marriages and divorces, which is a reality in the world we live in, but since it didn't apply to me, I skipped those sections. There's a lot of repetition in Get What's Yours, and the authors admit it, because they are trying to drive the points home.
The main advice that is repeated ad nauseum is to wait until 70 to take your Social Security Benefits. Well, that's a no brainer. Anyone who has ever looked at the Social Security Earnings Statement they used to send out every year (but is now easily accessed online at www.ssa.gov), can see that your payout goes up exponentially between the ages of 66 (or 67 depending on your birth date) and 70. For my husband, it would be an extra $900 a month! But alas, like I mentioned, that's probably not in the cards for our family. So, don't lose your job when you're close to retirement age, either.
If you know nothing about how social security benefits works, you will learn something with this book. However, since I am the money manager in the family and worry about the finances and financial future of the family, I had already learned much of this information prior to reading the book.
I'm nowhere near retirement age, but my husband is, so the subject of Social Security is a frequent topic of conversation. I was recommended this book in a financial advice group I belong to on Facebook and decided to check it out.
Get What's Yours was originally written in 2015, and then Congress passed a new Social Security act changing most of what was recommended in the book, so it was rewritten. If you are going to read Get What's Yours, make sure the copyright date is after 2016, when the Social Security laws changed.
"These days there is a fair chance that you will be forced to stop working sooner than you supposed due to a clear-the-decks boss, a hair-trigger economy, or a fickle physiology; that you will, as a consequence, find yourself involuntarily retired with far less savings than you had anticipated; and/or that you will live far longer than you had expected."
This paragraph resonated with me. That's the boat we're in. My husband has been out of work since the end of January 2020 and had no plans to retire as we still have four kids under the age of 18 in the house, and I'm only working part-time (but with some benefits that make it worthwhile to continue to work there). Then our investments tanked when the Coronavirus hit the U.S. and they are still recovering. But now, with no job on the horizon and a dwindling emergency fund, it looks like my husband may have to retire, but at least he'll be at Full Retirement Age (FRA) when he does. The book says a lot about taking early retirement at 62 and highly advises against it.
My big beef with Get What's Yours(besides the continual plugging of one of the author's appearances on PBS Newshour) is that it seems to be catered to those who were grandfathered in to the new changes in the Social Security plan. Most of the examples are of people who are 62 or 66 in 2016. Well, that doesn't apply to my husband, age 66 in 2020, and certainly not to me at age 47. So great portions of this book are taken up with all those people who were close to retirement age when Congress changed the rules for Social Security.
Just a few weeks ago, I found out through that financial advise group on Facebook (Facebook is good for some things, it turns out), that when my husband will retire, our children under 18 will be able to receive benefits. This was reiterated in Get What's Yours. Which is good to know. If we hadn't known that, do you think the people at Social Security would have offered that information? Probably not. And we would be out a lot of money we could be using for their care and saving for schooling, which is one of the main reasons my husband didn't want to retire until 70, anyway. The people working at Social Security don't offer advice, they offer "information." (BTW, that Facebook group is called The Moneyist, an offshoot of TV's Marketwatch program)
I was most interested in the sections on survivor benefits, as I will most likely outlive my husband (he is, after all, 19 years older than me). I've also been out of the workforce for about 15 years raising our kids, and even before kids, I rarely worked full-time for a full year because of college. The book told me what I already knew: survivor's benefits are half of what my husband's benefits would be at FRA. And if my husband dies before I turn 50, I can't apply for benefits (so hang on for three more years, dear!) , but it would be better if he died when I were 60, according to the book. My children would get benefits if they are still under 18, which I knew from my own personal experience of losing my father when I was fourteen. Most likely, my earnings in the next 23 years will not make my own Social Security payments any higher than half of my husband's.
There's a lot of talk about applying for benefits but deferring them until you are 70, but I couldn't wrap my head around it. If you stop working, you need the money. So apparently this information is for those who continue to work. Then why apply for benefits if you are not going to use them? And I'm confused, because in the book, it seems you could only defer payments if you were grandfathered in before the 2016 changes.
The authors of Get What's Yours spend a lot of time on married couples, and those with higher incomes, too. Even in their book, they mention that "The national median wage was $28,851 in 2014." But they can offer no real life examples of Social Security payouts when you're living at the poverty level.
There's also a great swath of information for the divorced and remarried, or the multiple marriages and divorces, which is a reality in the world we live in, but since it didn't apply to me, I skipped those sections. There's a lot of repetition in Get What's Yours, and the authors admit it, because they are trying to drive the points home.
The main advice that is repeated ad nauseum is to wait until 70 to take your Social Security Benefits. Well, that's a no brainer. Anyone who has ever looked at the Social Security Earnings Statement they used to send out every year (but is now easily accessed online at www.ssa.gov), can see that your payout goes up exponentially between the ages of 66 (or 67 depending on your birth date) and 70. For my husband, it would be an extra $900 a month! But alas, like I mentioned, that's probably not in the cards for our family. So, don't lose your job when you're close to retirement age, either.
If you know nothing about how social security benefits works, you will learn something with this book. However, since I am the money manager in the family and worry about the finances and financial future of the family, I had already learned much of this information prior to reading the book.
May 7, 2015
There is repetition in the book. However, it describes the various options well and also the language used by social security. The book has good advice for same sex couples and divorced individuals. The general theme is to wait till your 70-if you are lucky enough to have other sources of income in the meantime thru savings or work. Worth a read if you are getting close or haven't decided more than a year ago. Would be good for children to understand to help there parents make the right move.
March 17, 2015
Manages to make filing for Social Security benefits, a dry, intimidating subject, both lively and understandable. If you are nearing retirement, widowed with or without children, or even divorced, you need to read and understand the lessons presented here. The strategy you use to file can amount to literally over $100,000 over your lifetime; pretty good return on a book you can buy for less than $20!
March 8, 2023
Wish the book had a new edition as some SSA references are outdated yet very informative about the general idea to maximize your opportunities with SS by waiting as long as possible (emergencies aside) to file for SSI once in retirement.
August 4, 2016
Great advice and details and examples in this book. I gave this book to my mother she loves it.
May 11, 2015
This book is an eye opener. If you're approaching retirement age or under 70 it might be worth tens of thousands of dollars to you to read this book. Seriously.
November 4, 2024
I honestly thought that I would have to work for the rest of my life. I just didn’t think I would ever be rich enough to retire. Luckily I had someone else handling my money.
And after the pandemic it just seemed ridiculous that I would have to commute to an office again. So I turned a lot down.
I was actually going to accept some job offers — 100% remote, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that while I love what I do for a living, there is always some amount of political bullshit that I have to put off with.
And since I can afford not to work, I just said screw it and retired.
I DO miss the work strangely, but I don’t miss the JOB.
So I figure I’d better learn as much as I can about when and how to take Social Security. I don’t need it yet, but I’ll definitely want it before long and I’ve heard it’s not as simple as “Wait as long as you can!”
Hopefully this book will help!
Well, even though I know this book is slightly out of date, it has put the fear of dog into me. Social Security is mind-numbingly more complicated than I had imagined!
These days there is a fair chance that you will be forced to stop working sooner than you supposed due to a clear-the-decks boss, a hair-trigger economy, or a fickle physiology; that you will, as a consequence, find yourself involuntarily retired with far less savings than you had anticipated; and/or that you will live far longer than you had expected.
The lesson here is that you need to tell Social Security what to do, not ask them.
I have not done much reviewing on this book because the details are truly dizzying. Partly because they out-line a lot of scenarios which aren’t applicable to me.
Mostly because the system itself is so convoluted that even Social Security doesn’t understand it.
If you think you may qualify for this longer period, make sure you ask Social Security about it.
Who we have repeated been made aware may not know or may give the wrong answer!!
You are a 59-year, 364-day old divorced woman who was miserably married to Mr. Big Bucks for 10-plus years until he dumped you for a starlet from “Real Stepford Housewives”.
Social Security Staff Will Often Tell You with 100 Percent Certainty Things That Are 100 Percent Untrue.
If you don’t specify in writing on your benefit application form in the Remarks sections exactly what benefits you are filing for and which benefits you aren’t filing for and precisely when you want to receive the benefits for which you are applying, you won’t have any legal proof to appeal a mistake by Social Security if it makes one.
And the status quo isn’t just a function of bureaucrats looking to protect their turf, protected, as most bureaucracies are, by rules that reward fidelity over competence.
Democracy is a collective choice by the people. But having indecipherable institutions, be they our Social Security system, our tax system, our health-care system, or our financial system, deprives the people of the knowledge they need to make choices.
It’s social security system has one rule: you reach retirement age and you get a monthly check—the same check as everyone else.
Stated differently, we need a 53 percent hike in all federal taxes to permit our federal government to meet all its expenditure commitments.
The fact that Social Security actuaries raised their, not my, measure of the system’s unfunded liability by almost $1 trillion in one year shows how quickly things are changing and why small, slow changes won’t work any better for Social Security than they did for Detroit.
Whew. That was an agonizing slog through the social security system. Not because of the writing. It’s clear, conversational and often funny.
It’s just that the system is such a clusterfuck with so many exceptions and possibilities and the fact that social security itself is not a reliable source of information about social security!
I’m glad I read this book. While it’s slightly out of date it has made it clear that I will need to do all this research all over again as the time gets nearer for me to care about it.
Without this book I would not have been prepared OR warned.
I’ll actually look for a later version of this book when the time comes.
Part of the problem is that it is writing for all of the many possible combinations of people that need this information. Those with kids, without, divorced, disabled, etc. and the rules for all of them are maddeningly different.
I would definitely recommend at least skimming this book thoroughly.
I’ll give it a strong 4.
And after the pandemic it just seemed ridiculous that I would have to commute to an office again. So I turned a lot down.
I was actually going to accept some job offers — 100% remote, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that while I love what I do for a living, there is always some amount of political bullshit that I have to put off with.
And since I can afford not to work, I just said screw it and retired.
I DO miss the work strangely, but I don’t miss the JOB.
So I figure I’d better learn as much as I can about when and how to take Social Security. I don’t need it yet, but I’ll definitely want it before long and I’ve heard it’s not as simple as “Wait as long as you can!”
Hopefully this book will help!
Well, even though I know this book is slightly out of date, it has put the fear of dog into me. Social Security is mind-numbingly more complicated than I had imagined!
These days there is a fair chance that you will be forced to stop working sooner than you supposed due to a clear-the-decks boss, a hair-trigger economy, or a fickle physiology; that you will, as a consequence, find yourself involuntarily retired with far less savings than you had anticipated; and/or that you will live far longer than you had expected.
The lesson here is that you need to tell Social Security what to do, not ask them.
I have not done much reviewing on this book because the details are truly dizzying. Partly because they out-line a lot of scenarios which aren’t applicable to me.
Mostly because the system itself is so convoluted that even Social Security doesn’t understand it.
If you think you may qualify for this longer period, make sure you ask Social Security about it.
Who we have repeated been made aware may not know or may give the wrong answer!!
You are a 59-year, 364-day old divorced woman who was miserably married to Mr. Big Bucks for 10-plus years until he dumped you for a starlet from “Real Stepford Housewives”.
Social Security Staff Will Often Tell You with 100 Percent Certainty Things That Are 100 Percent Untrue.
If you don’t specify in writing on your benefit application form in the Remarks sections exactly what benefits you are filing for and which benefits you aren’t filing for and precisely when you want to receive the benefits for which you are applying, you won’t have any legal proof to appeal a mistake by Social Security if it makes one.
And the status quo isn’t just a function of bureaucrats looking to protect their turf, protected, as most bureaucracies are, by rules that reward fidelity over competence.
Democracy is a collective choice by the people. But having indecipherable institutions, be they our Social Security system, our tax system, our health-care system, or our financial system, deprives the people of the knowledge they need to make choices.
It’s social security system has one rule: you reach retirement age and you get a monthly check—the same check as everyone else.
Stated differently, we need a 53 percent hike in all federal taxes to permit our federal government to meet all its expenditure commitments.
The fact that Social Security actuaries raised their, not my, measure of the system’s unfunded liability by almost $1 trillion in one year shows how quickly things are changing and why small, slow changes won’t work any better for Social Security than they did for Detroit.
Whew. That was an agonizing slog through the social security system. Not because of the writing. It’s clear, conversational and often funny.
It’s just that the system is such a clusterfuck with so many exceptions and possibilities and the fact that social security itself is not a reliable source of information about social security!
I’m glad I read this book. While it’s slightly out of date it has made it clear that I will need to do all this research all over again as the time gets nearer for me to care about it.
Without this book I would not have been prepared OR warned.
I’ll actually look for a later version of this book when the time comes.
Part of the problem is that it is writing for all of the many possible combinations of people that need this information. Those with kids, without, divorced, disabled, etc. and the rules for all of them are maddeningly different.
I would definitely recommend at least skimming this book thoroughly.
I’ll give it a strong 4.
January 25, 2020
Even in my own mind, I was torn about how to rate this book. In the end, if you got this book in your late 40s or 50s, or 60s, it would be valuable to you in planning your retirement and dealing with social security.
First, it delineates all, or mostly all of the issues you should consider when planning your retirement and how to file for and understand your social security benefits. It is a great primer into those issues for anyone that isn't aware of them.
Second, it gives suggestions for managing issues in those areas and what to look for. This is really helpful. It's like a pilots checklist for flying. Check all these boxes before you "takeoff" on your social security strategy.
Third, its written in a confusing way. It feels like it doesn't know whether it needs to be a readable book or a reference title.
Fourth, it can get outdate in some important areas overnight if the rules of social security change - which they have many times. It feels like there needs to be lots of disclaimers and warnings about this and what to do in order to check on currency of social security guidelines.
NO, THAT IS ABSOLUTELY WHAT THIS BOOK NEEDS.
The book really recommends the following -
DELAY YOUR BENEFITS!
Well, for most people, yes, that is probably a good idea. But here are 5 reasons not to delay.
1. You need the money.
2. Your life expectancy is limited, for whatever reason.
3. You earned a high wage and have an older spouse who becomes eligible for spousal benefit.
4. You have a young or disabled child living at home who may collect a child benefit.
5. You are widowed and take your retirement benefit and wait to take survivor benefit.
This is why I feel like you should go to somewhere like https://maximizemysocialsecurity.com/ to get the latest on social security rules and guidelines when you start to look at your retirement plan.
First, it delineates all, or mostly all of the issues you should consider when planning your retirement and how to file for and understand your social security benefits. It is a great primer into those issues for anyone that isn't aware of them.
Second, it gives suggestions for managing issues in those areas and what to look for. This is really helpful. It's like a pilots checklist for flying. Check all these boxes before you "takeoff" on your social security strategy.
Third, its written in a confusing way. It feels like it doesn't know whether it needs to be a readable book or a reference title.
Fourth, it can get outdate in some important areas overnight if the rules of social security change - which they have many times. It feels like there needs to be lots of disclaimers and warnings about this and what to do in order to check on currency of social security guidelines.
NO, THAT IS ABSOLUTELY WHAT THIS BOOK NEEDS.
The book really recommends the following -
DELAY YOUR BENEFITS!
Well, for most people, yes, that is probably a good idea. But here are 5 reasons not to delay.
1. You need the money.
2. Your life expectancy is limited, for whatever reason.
3. You earned a high wage and have an older spouse who becomes eligible for spousal benefit.
4. You have a young or disabled child living at home who may collect a child benefit.
5. You are widowed and take your retirement benefit and wait to take survivor benefit.
This is why I feel like you should go to somewhere like https://maximizemysocialsecurity.com/ to get the latest on social security rules and guidelines when you start to look at your retirement plan.
July 18, 2018
If you’re over 50 (any age really but you’re not going to listen if you are younger) and you are planning on getting married, unmarried, divorced, living together, or ‘disposing’ of a spousal unit, then read up on the rules of the USA social security system as a mere 1 day could make a big difference in your future benefits.
That’s one of the two big lessons to learn from this book, the other is more well known, the longer you wait to start collecting benefits, the more you get, maxing out at age 70. So if you can afford to wait when the time comes, it might be worth it.
I read the author Kotlikoff’s book on Medicare and found it especially useful, so while I thought I was fairly well versed on Social Security I figured it wouldn’t hurt to take a look. You never know what you might not know.
I’d like to say the person who is in an ‘average’ or ‘normal’ life situation, that is married a long time to the same person, same, or similar, job a long time etc, but there are a variety of situations one can be in so, there hardly is a middle of the road. This book is well organized by chapter titles, so the many that will not apply to you, for example, perhaps in a particular pension system, or ex-military etc, so you can easily skip those chapters.
I noticed some of the other reviews criticizing that this book had some outdated info, for example, the not having info about the effect of the big cuts that took place in 2015 for social security, so be sure to get the most recent edition, which is up to date, in this case published in 2016.
After a quick look through, you’ll find you only need about 20 pages, but they’ll be reassuring ones.
August 30, 2018
The Social Security laws are complex. So is this freaking book. It is very hard to follow his logic. So much better if they had presented "logic trees" to help a person understand the path to take? They are smart enough to build these. Why were they not included. This is achingly complex stuff. Stupifying. That's why I'm just piling it in and signing up now at age 65, because even though I've paid hunderts of thousands of dollars into this program over the years, congress sees this as something I get By The Grace of God (I forget the irritating word.... AH! YES! ENTITLEMENTS! ARE YOU KIDDING ME? ENTITLEMENTS? I PAID FOR THIS. IF I HAD THE $$ I PAID THESE PIRATES OVER 50 YEARS OF WORKING, I COULD HAVE SUPPORTED SEVERAL PERSONS ON THE INCOME THE INVESTMENTS WOULD HAVE YIELDED!)
Our gobernment is thinking about reducing our "ENTITLEMENTS!" Scrod them. I'm taking mine now.
The software subscription these guys sell? it was spoda be easy? I had to scratch my head for a couple of days and then call tech support (and I WRITE SOFTWARE FOR A LIVING???) The tech supt. people got me straightened out. I'm sure the programmers knew what they wanted for inputs.
Let's just say it's better than slogging thru the USA SSA docs?
grrrrrrrrrrrr.
Our gobernment is thinking about reducing our "ENTITLEMENTS!" Scrod them. I'm taking mine now.
The software subscription these guys sell? it was spoda be easy? I had to scratch my head for a couple of days and then call tech support (and I WRITE SOFTWARE FOR A LIVING???) The tech supt. people got me straightened out. I'm sure the programmers knew what they wanted for inputs.
Let's just say it's better than slogging thru the USA SSA docs?
grrrrrrrrrrrr.
January 25, 2019
This book, as well as the CD or audio version, is literally a piece of crap. I listened to the audio version, as well as perused the book version, and, not long afterward, I signed up for social security. What these so-called experts (a.k.a. "authors") said had NOTHING TO DO WITH THE REALITY OF SIGNING UP FOR SOC. SEC., I assure you. So, their publication is pretty much worthless. And, by the way, they seemed to dwell excessively on MARRIED COUPLES, and said little to nothing of much value or significance about how a single person can benefit from their book. What a joke!!!
So, obviously, I say: Go elsewhere for info & help on gaining knowledge & a firsthand guidance on the ins & outs of signing up for Soc. Sec.. Speaking with folks who've gone through the process, and are currently receiving Soc. Sec., would be of FAR GREATER VALUE. Thank you very much.
So, obviously, I say: Go elsewhere for info & help on gaining knowledge & a firsthand guidance on the ins & outs of signing up for Soc. Sec.. Speaking with folks who've gone through the process, and are currently receiving Soc. Sec., would be of FAR GREATER VALUE. Thank you very much.
October 28, 2017
I read the revised edition of this book which was published last year. I HIGHLY recommend that everyone read this book, if you think that the social security office is a great place to get information about, well, social security you can forget it. They're understaffed and overworked and it seems they don't know all the rules. These 3 authors have written a very comprehensive book addressing all kinds of situations, from married couples, divorced, survivors, disabled and children. And people who are single and never married. I can't say enough about how VITAL it is for everyone, especially those who are within retirement age, to read this book WAY before it's time to retire. There are a LOT of eye-opening information.
November 17, 2018
An essential book to understand the massive and obfuscated Social Security legislation. Offers concise strategies on how to maximize your Social Security benefits given old/new security rules, as well as your marital status, age, and other life events. Chapters 16 and 17 are a well structure summary of these strategies, so -if in a rush- just focus on these two sections and you will get all the value of the text.
One lesson from the book is clear: do not rely on your social security to plan your retirement. Keep an eye on social security changes throughout the years and keep your strategy updated.
One lesson from the book is clear: do not rely on your social security to plan your retirement. Keep an eye on social security changes throughout the years and keep your strategy updated.
March 21, 2021
He did his homework, on behalf of beneficiaries, but fails to mention that Congress sets the law, SSA administers it. Even though SSA is almost entirely self funded, it is Congress who decide how much money the administration gets for staff. So if your SSA rep is overworked and under paid, blame Congress, not us. He is way too snarky about those of us who work hard on behalf of beneficiaries.
Oh, and, Congress changed the law about file and suspend (a strategy only available to those with means) largely because of this book. Social security was never meant to be way for the well-off to soak the system.
Oh, and, Congress changed the law about file and suspend (a strategy only available to those with means) largely because of this book. Social security was never meant to be way for the well-off to soak the system.
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