Social Security Made Simple

by Mike Piper

Find all of the following, explained in plain-English: How your Social Security retirement benefits, spousal benefits, and widow/widower benefits are calculated How your benefits are affected if you have a government pension or if you continue working while claiming Social Security How to decide when is the best age for you (and your spouse, if you're married) to claim Social Security in order to get the most out of your benefits Whether or not it makes sense to take Social Security early in order to invest the money How to check your earnings record on the Social Security Administration's website to make sure you're getting the full benefit you deserve How Social Security benefits are taxed and how this affects retirement tax planning Please note that this book does not cover Social Security disability benefits or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

Genres: Finance, Nonfiction, Personal Finance, Self Help, Reference, Economics

100 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Anthony Whitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Makes a complex subject easy to understand. A must read for those considering social security benefits.

[Kurt · Rating 4 out of 5]

With retirement only a year or so off, I thought I should get a better understanding of how Social Security works. This book did a great job of answering my questions. It is short and concise and well organized. I would have appreciated a bit more explanation on a few topics, and a bit less on others, but overall it was just right and probably adequate for answering most people's questions.

[Keith Donaldson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Information

I liked all of what I read and learned a lot of information. I would have liked to learn more about spousal benefits. Example: I’m currently 63 and have the largest PIA, my Wife is 56. I will be taking my benefits at age 70, my Wife will begin at her FRA so she can get 50% of my PIA. Will the my PIA amount keep getting larger to reflect the COLA’s even if I have already started taking benefits before my Wife reaches her FRA?

[Clive · Rating 4 out of 5]

Concise & well written

You get what it says on the tin. Good summary with a lot of detail showing how your benefit is calculated with good advice on strategies for maximum benefit for singles and married couples. Well worth the modest cost

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely helpful book! This is such a complicated topic. Mike Piper distills it down to the basic elements, so we get a sense of the primary Social Security rules and general strategies that work for most people.

Thanks!

[Gary L Rau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Social Security at 30,000 Feet

Good overview of Social Security benefits and considerations for claiming.

Recommended for those who want to get a handle on the gods to discuss with their financial planner.

[Jim]

The title of the book is true!

Using this book will help you jump start pre-retirement planning by focusing on your specific situation. The book will allow you to identify and evaluate your options to optimize payout.

[william brehm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book!

Well written book about Social Security and when to start taking it. Explains in a easy to read format and summarizes each chapter.

[janice burch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Basic Information

I expect the book not to be so basic. This would be a good first book for someone considering retirement.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick and easy to understand.

[Hans Scheil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Source For Social Security Planning

Thorough review of the important elements of the Social Security Timing Decision! Hans Scheil, CFP, Author of The Cardinal Guide

[Xiaochu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Social security is simple but only after you read this book.

[Michele R. Hayhurst · Rating 4 out of 5]

Basic info

Good basic information on when to apply for benefits under different circumstances. A must read for those close to retirement age.

[AsH L Stead-Summers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just the Facts

Must read ! A very quick productive read. Takes all guess work out of Social Security Choices. Thank you for writing it.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good information on social security in different circumstances. I'll be referencing this book when my situation changes.

[Norton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good overview of SS and strategies. Skimmed over much of the basic info on how SS works. The general strategies section was good save for the outdated info on file and suspend.

[Kathy Kearns · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of information you will need. Not my favorite subject but it was needed.

[J Layne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very helpful book. However, all the ever-changing "rules" have exceptions, and it is impossible to know what is the best course for any one individual to take. The book's language and layout is good and simple to understand. The topic is too complex to grasp. No one can explain it. Thank you to author for all of the helpful information. No thank you to our government for coming up with this gobbledy-gook. Each chapter of the book ends with a Simple Summary of that chapter that is especially cogent and helpful, easy to understand and succinctly stated.

[Hillary Gaeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

What is it about:
A short 100 page booklet on the nuts and bolts of Social Security as of 2017

Why I loved it:
- Read it in a night
- Very easy to follow with good end of chapter summaries and lots of specific (math) examples
- Well laid out topics including less common topics like divorce, kids, and pensions AND explained the earnings test!
- One simple take away -- if you are single, the break-even of waiting to file is living until 80.5
- Perhaps the biggest take away for me -- a great summary on SS tax and how to think about it in retirement planning (re-re-consider a big backdoor Roth!)

[Francis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent primer to understand and plan for the Social Security Benefits one may be entitled to.

[miguel a ayala · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good book

I wanted to be informed about my social security benefits. The book is very informative. I recommend it to anyone who is about to retire.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
Interesting basic information, and based on current Social Security rules. A good place to start in trying to understand the process.

[Nancie Lafferty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, simple, helpful. Complicated system to figure out, and this book was of great assistance.

[Jim Southard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Effectively simplifies a complex subject into basic rules of thumb. Highly recommended.

[Bill Schrader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply the best book written on the subject. A must-read for upcoming retirees. Refer to it often.