ArcaMax

Reader Alert: A recent “Social Security Data Breach” has affected 2.9 billion people worldwide. Be cautious if you believe this event could have affected you.

Hello Toni:

I was watching the news and discovered that my Social Security number and personal information could have been stolen through the Social Security Data Breach. This ...Read more

There is probably nothing I am asked more often than some version of this question: "When should I file for my Social Security?" But as I've said repeatedly in this column, I am not a financial planner. So I really can't advise you about the best time to start your Social Security benefits. I can tell you that there is no magic or secret formula...Read more

Recently I enrolled in Medicare and have not received my Medicare & You Handbook. I’m concerned about what I should do during the Medicare season that happens in the fall. How do I find out which options are best for me? I have some health problems, and I’m concerned about making the wrong change.

I know that I will be bombarded by ...Read more

Every single day, more than a few of the emails I get from readers start out with this (or a similar) phrase: "I'll tell you what's wrong with Social Security!" They proceed to do just that. Sadly, their little rant is almost wrong and based on a misunderstanding of Social Security rules or misinformation they picked up -- usually off the ...Read more

You recently wrote an article explaining the hospice issues that you were experiencing regarding your mother. Please let your Toni Says Medicare column readers know other ways hospice comforts the caregiver when a loved one passes.

My mother’s hospice case manager and social worker made sure that I knew exactly what to do for her final ...Read more

As I've pointed out over and over again in this column, there are thousands of myths about Social Security benefits. Those myths are usually started online, but then they get picked up by uninformed people and spread from one nattering novice to another. I couldn't squeeze a thousand myths into a book, but I have written one called "Social ...Read more

Hi Toni,

In September I turn 65. I’m on COBRA from my job, which I retired from in May when I had heart surgery. The cardiologist informed me last week that the only thing that will improve my health is a heart transplant.

I need your guidance because I do not know what to do about enrolling in Medicare. Should I enroll in Medicare’s ...Read more

Q: My husband of 49 years died a few months ago. I filed for widow's benefits and started receiving them with no problem. But I got a letter telling me that I was not eligible for the $255 death benefit. When I called the Social Security people to ask about this, they told me that I wasn't due that one-time benefit because we were not living ...Read more

Dear Readers: This week I had my own experience with Medicare as my 92-year-old mother has reached her final stage of hospice. I feel it is important for me to explain hospice, so those with a terminally ill loved one learn the value of it. This information was given to me by the hospice provider taking care of my mother.

Dear Toni,

I ...Read more

People frequently write to me with an idea to change Social Security law in some way that they think is clever and unique. But I usually have to tell them that their proposal has been considered in the past. After all, Social Security has been around for almost 90 years now, and for those nine decades, people have constantly been coming up with ...Read more

Editor’s Note: Last week’s column about the “plastic Medicare card” scam stated that the most recent Medicare card update was in April of 2019. In fact, the rollout began in April 2018 and was completed 3 months prior to the scheduled completion date of April 2019. We apologize for any confusion.

Dear Toni,

Can you please explain ...Read more

People are always telling me that Social Security rules are so complicated. Actually, most of the basic rules are rather straightforward and simple. But to the extent that the program does get messy, there is a reason why that happens. It's because life gets messy. In other words, if our lives weren't so complicated, Social Security laws wouldn'...Read more