Ask Rusty

Dear Rusty: Help!! The Social Security Administration says I didn’t pay enough into my Social Security account, despite being a business owner and paying taxes. What can I do?” Signed: Self-employed American Dear Self-employed: For all potential SS beneficiaries, it is very important to know how Social Security determines if you are eligible for retirement benefits: Everyone (including…

Dear Rusty: I am 63 years old, and about to apply for my Social Security benefits. I am self-employed but only working part time. I know about Social Security’s annual earnings limit but recently I learned I must also be concerned about a monthly earnings limit of $2,040. My questions are:  1) How do I find…

Dear Rusty: I began collecting benefits at age 72 and am now 78. Since that time, I have continued to work and have contributed over $40,000 to Social Security over the last six years. At the time of my retirement, I was informed that the Social Security Administration (SSA) would review my contributions annually and replace…

Dear Rusty: I will be 62 in two years. I plan on signing up for SS at age 62, but I have heard there are details that are important when signing up. When it comes time, I want to make sure I do everything right. Can you help me understand? Signed: Claiming Soon Dear Claiming Soon: Deciding when to…

Dear Rusty: I am 67 and 9 months old, collecting a modest SS survivor benefit with plans to collect my own much larger benefit at age 70.  I was confident this plan was a good one; but recent turbulent events make me nervous that cuts could come to Social Security at any time without warning. Would it…

Dear Rusty: I turn 65 this November 2026. Someone told me I need to set up a Social Security account at least 3 months ahead of time before applying for Medicare for the first time. I do not intend to take any Social Security benefits until, perhaps, age 67 or later. Please advise and thank you. Signed:…

Dear Rusty: I am 79. My husband is also 79 and we both receive Social Security benefits. We were both married before, and we married each other at the age of 58. Am I to understand correctly that when either of us dies, the surviving spouse is not eligible to collect the deceased spouse’s Social Security benefits?…

Dear Rusty: My last Social Security payment decreased by about $400, so I went to my online SS account and found a November 2025 letter explaining that my 2024 tax return showed a greatly enlarged AGI (Adjusted Gross Income). Thus, SSA decided to withdraw monies, as of Jan 2026, from my bank account because I’d owed far more monies to them!  The…

Dear Rusty: I just found out, as someone who was collecting widow’s benefits on my second husband (a very small amount) for some time, that I was, all along, entitled to divorce benefits from my first husband which are much more. I thought I had to wait until my first husband passed before I could collect…

Dear Rusty: My girlfriend is 65 and she just enrolled in Medicare. She is still working full time as a nurse, but they are still deducting Medicare taxes from her paycheck. I thought as soon as you started Medicare, that they would no longer take any Medicare taxes from her paychecks. Is that not correct? Signed: Concerned Friend …