Retirees


 

A 24-page cooperative publication of the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards and the Federal Citizen Information Center, U.S. General Services Administration. The publication discusses “red flags,” taken from a CFP Board survey of situations where a consumer had been taken advantage of by a financial advisor. Each of these red flags: 1. Identifies a common situation where consumers may be victimized. 2. Describes the warning signs of fraud or abuse. Shares real-life situations in which consumers were abused. 4. Shows what consumers can do to protect themselves.


Agency: U.S. General Services Administration


You can work while you receive Social Security retirement (or survivors) benefits. If you are under full retirement age for the entire year, we deduct $1 from your benefit for each $2 you earn above the annual limit. In the year you reach full retirement age, we deduct $1 in benefits for every $3 you earn above a different limit, but we only count earnings before the month you reach full retirement age. Starting with the month you reach full retirement age, you can get your benefits with no limit on your earnings. Visit www.socialsecurity.gov/retire2/whileworking.htm to learn what the earnings limits are for this year.

Audience: 
Workers near retirement, retirees

Agency: Social Security Administration


You may be able to get extra help to pay for the monthly premiums, annual deductibles, and co-payments related to the Medicare Prescription Drug Program. The Extra Help is estimated to be worth an average of $3,900 per year. To qualify for the Extra Help, a person must be on Medicare, have limited income and resources, and reside in one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia. For more information, visit www.socialsecurity.gov/prescriptionhelp

Audience: 
Workers near retirement, retirees

Agency: Social Security Administration


Some people have to pay federal income taxes on their Social Security benefits. This usually happens only if you have other substantial income (such as wages, self-employment, interest, dividends and other taxable income that must be reported on your tax return) in addition to your benefits. For more information, visit www.socialsecurity.gov/retire2/whileworking.htm

Audience: 
Taxes and your Social Security benefits

Agency: Social Security Administration


If you have participated in a traditional pension plan, a 401(k), or other employment-based retirement plan, you will want to know how to file a claim for your benefits. This publication outlines some of your plan's obligations and briefly explains the procedures and timelines.
For Spanish article click here.

Audience: 
Workers, Retirees

Agency: Department of Labor


This site was developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to provide information and resources to help you and your family plan for future long-term care (LTC) needs.
At least 70 percent of people over age 65 will require some long-term care services at some point in their lives.  And, contrary to what many people believe, Medicare and private health insurance programs do not pay for the majority of long-term care services that most people need - help with personal care such as dressing or using the bathroom independently.  Planning is essential for you to be able to get the care you might need.

Audience: 
middle-aged adults, older adults, persons with disabilities, caregivers of older adults

Agency: Department of Health and Human Services


This tool is designed to help explain what long-term care services are available, how much you can expect to pay for long-term care, and what financing options are available to support your long-term care costs.  The results of the Long-Term Care Planning tool are general in nature and not intended to replace comprehensive financial and other long-term personal planning.

Audience: 
older adults, caregivers of older adults, persons with disabilities

Agency: Department of Health and Human Services


If you are a Medicare beneficiary, you are eligible for Medicare prescription drug coverage, regardless of your income, health status, or current prescription expenses.  This website will help you learn more about the options available to you.

Audience: 
older adults (65+), caregivers of older adults, disabled persons

Agency: Department of Health and Human Services


Medicare is the nation's largest health insurance program, covering nearly 40 million Americans. The Medicare program is for people age 65 or older, some disabled people under age 65, and people of all ages with end-stage renal disease (permanent kidney failure treated with dialysis or a transplant).
This online tool is designed to help individuals determine whether or not they are eligible for Medicare, and to provide information about enrollment.  If you are not a U.S. citizen or a lawfully admitted alien who has lived in the U.S. continuously for a five-year period, please contact Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 for your Medicare enrollment and eligibility instead of using this tool.

Audience: 
older adults (65+), caregivers of older adults, disabled persons

Agency: Department of Health and Human Services


The Medicare Program is the nation's largest health insurance program, covering nearly 40 million Americans that are age 65 or older, disabled, and/or experiencing end-stage renal disease.  This site provides an overview of the plans available through Medicare.

Audience: 
older adults (65+), caregivers of older adults, disabled persons

Agency: Department of Health and Human Services


Tips and strategies for handling your finances at different stages of life.

Audience: 
Youth, Elderly/Seniors, Caretakers, Young Adults

Agency: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation


Getting in shape financially is vital to a person’s overall well-being. For senior citizens, people with disabilities and others who receive federal benefits including Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) by check, switching to electronic payments is a simple, but important step toward improving their financial fitness. One of the options for electronic payments that Treasury suggests  as an easier alternative to checks is Direct Express® Debit MasterCard® card.  This Treasury-recommended prepaid debit card provides a safe, user-friendly alternative for Social Security and Supplemental Security Income recipients.

Audience: 
Social Security, Supplemental Security Income and other federal benefit recipients

Agency: Department of the Treasury


Fraud Advisory from the CFTC: Provides information to investors regarding foreign currency trading (Forex) scams.

Audience: 
Investors

Agency: Commodity Futures Trading Commission


This special edition of the FDIC Consumer News is a guide for seniors and their families, topics include information pertaining entirely to seniors’ issues such as retirement strategies; how to avoid fraud; and annuity investing.  Readers will find practical suggestions and reliable information about how to maintain financial stability and independence during the retirement years.   The FDIC Consumer News can be accessed online or ordered online for free.

Audience: 
Seniors, Caregivers, General Audience

Agency: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation


GoDirect offers a safe way for consumers to receive Social Security and other federal benefit payments.


Agency: Department of the Treasury


Getting in shape financially is vital to a person’s overall well-being. For senior citizens, people with disabilities and others who receive federal benefits including Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) by check, switching to electronic payments is a simple, but important step toward improving their financial fitness.  One of the options for electronic payments that Treasury suggests as an easier alternatives to checks is "Direct deposit".  Benefit recipients who use direct deposit can access their payments as soon as their bank or credit union opens on payment day.

Audience: 
Social Security, Supplemental Security Income and other federal benefit recipients

Agency: Department of the Treasury


Did you know that a person retiring at age 65 spends an average of 18 years in retirement? Experts estimate that you'll need 70-80% of your pre-retirement income—lower earners will need 90 percent or more—to maintain your standard of living when you stop working. This is based on the assumption that you'll cut out many of your current expenses, like commuting costs, when you retire.

Audience: 
General public planning for retirement

Agency: Department of the Treasury


FDIC Consumer News provides practical guidance on how to become a smarter, safer user of financial services. Each issue offers helpful hints, quick tips, and common-sense strategies to protect and stretch your hard-earned dollars. Subscriptions to FDIC Consumer News are available free of charge. Visit www.fdic.gov/consumernews or contact the FDIC Public Information Center. Call toll-free 1-877-ASK-FDIC (1-877-275-3342). 

Audience: 
Adults, Youth, Educators, Bankers, Students, Parents, Homeowners

Agency: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation


The form used by a consumer to file a complaint about a thrift or savings association.


Agency: Office of Thrift Supervision