How will my foreign pension impact my Social Security benefits?

Full question: I am a 72 year old dual UK-US citizen and draw about $2,000 in US Social Security monthly and pay taxes in the UK on an income of about $60K, including the US social security amount. I still work and I pay into a defined contribution pension scheme valued at about $50K, at…

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Do Medicaid Waiver payments for taking care of my disabled adult child count as SGA?

Full question: Will Medicaid Waiver payments for taking care of my disabled adult child count as SGA (Substantial Gainful Activity), and therefore cause me to lose SSDI benefits? Hi there, You can learn more at this IRS website about how Medicaid Waiver payments may be excludable from income. Best of luck, Martha

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Will my own Social Security benefits be more than my current railroad survivor benefits?

Full question: I am drawing the railroad widow benefits. I will be 70 next January. I worked many years and would collect a sizable Social Security check. How do I tell if it would be larger than the tier 1 check from my husband, or is that what I compare? Hi there, You can find…

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I am a French citizen working in the US. What will my retirement look like?

Full question: Hi I am a French citizen working in the US since 2010. I planned to retire from France in June 2030 and then in the US in November 2030 (67 yrs old). Can I claim the French US treaty to “avoid” the WEP?  Hi there! There are many aspects to the Social Security…

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Am I entitled to survivor benefits if I got remarried, but divorced after 4 years?

Full question: I am a single woman, 62, caring for my disabled adult child who gets SSDI from his deceased father. Am I also entitled to survivor benefits if got remarried but divorced after 4 years? Hi there, If you were married for ten or more years to your disabled adult child’s father, you are…

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If I apply to switch from survivor benefits to my own benefits, how long will it take to go into effect?

Hi there, You can make the decision of when you want to switch from survivor benefits to your own retirement benefits. You should file for those about three months prior to the date you want them to start to allow time for SSA to process the change. The first check in the new amount will…

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