Strategies

Credibility Determinations

Credibility determinations are the critical assessments made by pension administrators, judges, and adjudicators to evaluate whether the information...

The Totality of Symptoms

The totality of symptoms refers to evaluating the complete picture of financial warning signs when assessing your retirement readiness and pension...

Congress Considers Sweeping Overhaul of Social Security Program Benefits

Congress moves toward Social Security reform as the trust fund depletion date accelerates, threatening 22% automatic benefit cuts by 2032 without legislative action.

How Multiple Conditions Help

Multiple documented health conditions can actually strengthen your retirement security by increasing your eligibility for benefits, improving disability...

Combination of Impairments

A combination of impairments occurs when you have two or more separate medical conditions that, when evaluated together, create a more severe disability...

2027 Social Security Cost of Living Adjustment Expected to Rise 3.8% for Retirees

Social Security retirees will see their benefits rise 3.8% in 2027, adding roughly $74 monthly to the average check—the largest increase since the pandemic's...

The Dot and Sco Databases

The DOT and SCO databases are two now-retired occupational reference systems that shaped how the Social Security Administration evaluated disability...

How Ssa Counts Available Jobs

The Social Security Administration counts available jobs through a systematic process that determines whether work exists in sufficient quantity in the...

Oklahoma Eliminates Orphan Tax: Foster Children Can Keep Full Social Security

After decades of collecting Social Security survivor benefits from orphaned foster children, Oklahoma joins 29 other states in ending the practice.

Jobs That Exist in the Economy

The modern economy contains hundreds of thousands of distinct jobs across nearly every imaginable field—from traditional trades like electricians and...

Fact Check: Does Delaying Social Security Past 70 Increase Your Benefit? No

Age 70 is where Social Security stops increasing your benefit. Waiting past 70 produces zero additional income.

How to Maximize Your Deceased Spouse’s Social Security Survivor Benefits

Waiting to claim survivor benefits at full retirement age gives you 100% of your spouse's Social Security amount—versus just 71.5% if you claim at...

The Other Work Argument

The "Other Work Argument" refers to the ongoing dispute over whether workers who receive an early pension—typically on medical, disability, or...

When You Can’t Do Your Old Job

When you can't do your old job anymore, your retirement timeline often changes whether you want it to or not.

$847 Average Monthly Benefit Lost to Social Security Earnings Record Errors

Social Security earnings record errors can permanently reduce your retirement benefits by hundreds of dollars monthly—and you likely won't notice until decades later.

Past Relevant Work Denials

A past relevant work denial occurs when a pension or Social Security benefits administrator rejects a claim based on the conclusion that your earlier...

Wealth Inequality and Life Expectancy Gaps Reshape Social Security Outcomes

The longevity gap between rich and poor means Social Security's progressive formula now produces regressive lifetime outcomes.

Social Security 2027 Benefit Increases Differ by Earning Level

While all retirees receive the same 2027 COLA percentage, the progressive benefit formula means higher earners see larger dollar increases than lower earners.

The Unskilled Work Argument

The unskilled work argument is a common defense strategy in class action settlements and wage-loss disputes where defendants claim that plaintiffs are...

Age 70 Social Security Claims Maximize Survivor Benefits for Spouses

Survivor benefits max out at your full retirement age—waiting to age 70 gives you no more money, unlike a worker's own retirement benefit.

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