When a spouse dies, many widows assume that Social Security will automatically pay them the highest benefit available. That assumption is understandable, but it isn't always true. In reality, eligible ...

Losing a loved one is never easy and dealing with the financial situation afterwards can be overwhelming. For widows, ...

More than 70 million Americans depend on Social Security benefits each month as an important source of income.

A: Don’t bother. As I explained at the beginning of this column, retroactive benefits can only be paid if you file after your ...

Q: I am 67 and my wife is 54. I started collecting Social Security at 62. If I died today would she continue to receive my $1,400 Social Security benefit? If not, what age could she? — Patrick ...

About a month ago, I wrote a column in which I explained how “full retirement age” (the age at which a person can claim 100 percent of his or her Social Security retirement benefits) is going up. To ...

But the point I am getting at in today’s column is that almost without fail, every amendment to the original Social Security ...