Social Security & Medicare
Benefit changes, claiming strategies, eligibility rules, Medicare enrollment, Part D updates, and policy changes affecting retirees.
Latest in Social Security & Medicare
2027 Social Security COLA projections are split — will the “Trump Bump” from war inflation boost your check?
If you collect Social Security, the difference between a quiet year for inflation and a turbulent one could mean an extra $30 or an extra...
2027 COLA projected at 2.8% again — senior group warns it’s not enough
A retiree collecting the average Social Security benefit of roughly $1,976 a month gained about $55 from the 2026 cost-of-living adjustment. If the latest projection...
What happens to your Social Security check if the trust fund is depleted — the actual math
A retiree collecting $2,000 a month from Social Security right now would lose $460 of it overnight if Congress lets the program’s trust fund run...
Medicare Part B premium crosses $200 for the first time, hitting $202.90 in 2026
Linda Garza, a 72-year-old retired teacher in San Antonio, checked her bank deposit in January 2026 and did a double take. Her Social Security payment...
More than a quarter of your Social Security COLA raise will be eaten by the new Medicare hike
Margaret Diaz, a 74-year-old retired school aide in Tucson, opened her January 2026 bank statement expecting a modest bump from Social Security. The cost-of-living raise...
SSA warns of surge in fake Social Security benefit-statement emails targeting seniors
The email looks like it came straight from the Social Security Administration: the agency logo sits at the top, the formatting is clean, and the...
New “Six Figure Limit” proposal would cap Social Security benefits at $50,000 per person
A retired couple in which both spouses earned top salaries for 35-plus years and waited until age 70 to file could collect roughly $122,000 a...
Medicare Part B deductible climbs to $283 — another hit on top of the premium
The 2026 Medicare Part B deductible is now $283, a $26 jump from the $257 that beneficiaries paid in 2025. Paired with a standard monthly...
Suze Orman: “The 2026 Social Security–Medicare trap is here” — Part B premium hike eats a third of the COLA
A retiree collecting the average Social Security check will see about $56 more per month starting in January 2026. Before that money covers a single...
Medicare Part B premium rises 9.7% to $202.90 a month in 2026
The standard Medicare Part B premium will jump to $202.90 per month in 2026, an increase of $17.90 from the $185.00 that enrollees paid in...
Social Security trust fund may run dry by 2032, CBO projection shows
A worker turning 60 this year could be 66 when Social Security’s reserves hit zero, too young even to reach the program’s full retirement age...
What happens to Social Security checks if the trust fund is depleted
Every month, roughly 70 million Americans deposit a Social Security check. For many retirees, that payment covers rent, groceries, and prescriptions with little left over....
The maximum Social Security check in 2026 is $4,152 a month. Here’s what it actually takes to get it
Fewer than one in a hundred American retirees will ever see $4,152 land in their bank account from Social Security. That is the maximum monthly...
Why so many retirees are paying federal tax on Social Security they thought was tax-free
Pull $22,000 a year from Social Security, collect a $19,000 state pension, and withdraw another $15,000 from a traditional IRA to cover property taxes and...
Medicare Part B premiums rose to $203 per month in 2026: what changed and who pays more?
Millions of retirees saw a familiar expense climb again this year when Medicare Part B premiums rose to $202.90 per month for 2026. The change...
Social Security’s 2.8% COLA for 2026 adds just $56 a month: is it enough to keep up with costs
The Social Security Administration (SSA) set its 2026 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) at 2.8%, translating to roughly $56 more per month for the average retiree starting...
Social Security earnings limit in 2026: how much you can work without losing benefits
Many Americans choose to keep working after claiming Social Security. Some want extra income, while others enjoy staying active in the workforce. But here’s the...
Social Security after 70: what actually happens to your check if you wait past the deadline
Many Americans spend years debating when to start Social Security. Claiming at 62 provides earlier income, while waiting can significantly increase monthly payments. By the...