Optimizing your lifetime Social Security benefits requires you to think about an unpleasant topic.

I've been saving up questions I've gotten from readers about benefits for spouses. It's an issue I've covered a hundred times in this column. But the questions still keep coming.

In this week's Ask the Editor Q&A, Joy Taylor answers questions on the taxation of Social Security benefits ...

A: Interesting questions. Before I answer them, let me clarify a term for some readers. You talked about “quarters of coverage.” That’s an old term that hasn’t been used in years. Younger readers ...

You may not be able to predict exactly how long you'll live, but it's a good idea to plan for a longer-than-expected life.

Waiting to claim Social Security benefits until age 70 would maximize your retirement income and secure a stronger financial ...

Experts weigh in on how to decide when to claim Social Security benefits and whether it’s smart to accelerate that timeline to invest.

Social Security is set to deplete its trust fund before the end of 2032. The main challenge facing the program is a major demographic shift in the U.S. Social Security requires multiple changes to ...

There's a campaign to end taxes on Social Security benefits at the federal and state levels. A new temporary federal senior deduction of up to $6,000 per individual aims to curb the amount of taxes ...

'Can I elect to have the taxes withheld through the Social Security Administration?' "I suspect that my military pension combined with a Social Security benefit of approximately $1,700 will result in ...

'My 40 quarters for Social Security eligibility were reached in 1983' "I could have claimed Austrian retirement on my 65th birthday in 2023, but concerns about the Windfall Elimination Provision ...