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4 --April 19, 2017
GOLDENDALE, WASHINGTON
Dear Savvy Senior,
I'm considering retiring later this year and starting my Social Se-
curity benefits, but would also like to work part time. Will this affect
my benefits, and if so, how much?
Ready to Retire
Dear Ready,
You can collect Social Security retirement benefits and work at
the same time, but depending on how old you are and how much you
earn, some or all of your benefits could be temporarily withheld.
Here's what you should know. Working rules
Social Security says that if you're under your full retirement
age-which is 66 if you were born between 1943 and 1954, or 66 and
2 months if you were born in 1955--and are collecting benefits, then
you can earn up to $16,920 in 2017 without jeopardizing any of your
Social Security if you don't reach your full retirement age this year.
But if you earn more than the $16,920 limit, you'll lose $1 in benefits
for every $2 over that amount.
In the year you reach your full retirement age, a less stringent
rule applies. If that happens in 2017, you can earn up to $44,880 from
January to the month of your birthday with no
penalty, But if you earn more than $44,880 dur-
ing that time, you'll lose $1 in benefits for every
$3 over that limit. And once your birthday pass-
es, you can earn any amount by working with-
out your benefits being reduced at all.
Wages, bonuses, commissions, and vacation dim Miller
pay all count toward the income limits, but pen-
sions, annuities, investment earnings, interest,
capital gains and government or military re-
tirement benefits do not. To figure out how much your specific earn-
ings will affect your benefits, see the Social Security Retirement
Earnings Test Calculator at SSA.gov/OACT/COLA/RTeffect.html.
It's also important to know that if you do lose some or all of your
Social Security benefits because of the earning limits, they aren't
lost forever. When you reach full retirement age, your benefits will
be recalculated to a higher amount to make up for what was with-
held. For details and examples of how this is calculated, see
SSA.gov/planners/retire/whileworking2.html.
For more information on how working can affect your Social Se-
curity benefits see SSA.gov/planners/retire/whileworking.html, or
call the Social Security at 410-965-2039 and ask to receive a free copy
of publication number 05-10069, "How Work Affects Your Benefits."
Tax factor
In addition to the Social Security rules, you need to factor in
Uncle Sam too. Because working increases your income, it might
make your Social Security benefits taxable.
Here's how it works. If the sum of your adjusted gross income,
nontaxable interest, and half of your Social Security benefits is be-
tween $25,000 and $34,000 for individuals ($32,000 and $44,000 for cou-
ples), you have to pay tax on up to 50 percent of your benefits. Above
$34,000 ($44,000 for couples), you could pay on up to 85 percent,
which is the highest portion of Social Security that is taxable.
About a third of all people who get Social SecuriW have to pay in-
come taxes on their benefits.
For information, call the INS at 800-829-3676 and ask them to mail
you a free copy of publication 915 "Social Security and Equivalent
Railroad Retirement Benefits," or you can see it online at
IRS.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p915.pdf.
In addition to the federal government, 13 states--Colorado, Con-
necticut, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New
Mexico, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, and West Vir-
ginia-tax Social Security benefits to some extent too. If you live in
one of these states, you'll need to check with your state tax agency
for details.
Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, NO. Box 5443, Nor-
man, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor
to the NBC Today show and author of "The Savvy Senior" book.
Constitution.com
2o17
THE
NITY
Opponents of the Sheriff's signs
The signs don' t say we don't have a serious drug
work problem in our county I wonder
how many of our citizens have to
I write as a concerned property die from drug overdose before it
owner here in Klickitat County. I can be considered a "serious drug
have three concerns with Sheriff problem." Is it one death. Is it two
Songer's signs that are popping up deaths? (We are already over two
around the county warning drug deaths this year.) How many over-
dealers not to linger in our commu- dose cases should our EMTs re-
nities. In order of importance: spond to for there to be a serious
• The real message the signs con- problem. How many of our school
kids exposed to drugs are needed
vey is: "This community has a
drug problem. Don't buy property for it to be serious. I say that if
here as land values may drop." Is even one drug dealer sells one ille-
this true for each community gal drug in our county, that it is a
where a sign goes up? Do we want serious problem.
to convey this image of our neigh- By statute, Bob is sworn to pro-
borhoods? tect our citizens and to enforce our
• The signs are campaign signs state laws. I have not seen in the
for the sheriff. While every citizen sheriff's job description that he is
has a First Amendment right to to be providing addiction court-
put political messages on his or her selling assistance. Even so, our
property, these signs should not be sheriff has on multiple occasions
paid for with public funds, publically given out his personal
• The signs are silly If it were ceil phone number, stating that he
really that easy to deter economic will personally help anyone who
crime, I would encourage more really wants assistance be directed
signs against car theft, and bur- to the resources where they can get
glary, and such. assistance with their addictions.
Klickitat County seems to be While the sheriff's warning
struggling with itself. Mayors and signs may seem harsh, they are not
towns are looking to build new in- nearly as harsh as the reality of
dustries, especially in tourism. Yet our youths who become addicted to
the county's leadership seems un- these drugs or the deaths that have
welcoming, with a "go away and already occurred in Klickitat
leave us alone" attitude. Am I County this year from overdoses of
wrong? illegal drugs.
Sandy DeMent Scott Robinson
Wahkiacus Goldendale
The signs work
I want to applaud Sheriff Bob
Songer for caring enough about his
county to declare drug dealers per-
sona non grata in Klickitat County
Market can't be
forced
I have heard Congresswoman
Herrera Beutler speak many times
about the positive effects "market
forces" would have if certain
changes were made to healthcare. I
may be missing something, but ac-
cording to her biography, she has
spent her entire working life in pol-
itics, not in a work environment in-
volved with market forces--the
ones where layoffs are common,
where factories close and move out
of the country I think she needs to
allow a broader understanding of
"market forces."
Other market forces that de-
serve mention include the banking
system mortgage behavior that re-
sulted in the 2008 meltdown, the re-
cent Wells Fargo employees abuse
of clients, and Mylan's massive in-
crease in the cost of Epipen.
According to Rep. Herrera Beut-
ler, we are to expect that insurance
companies will act in the best in-
terest of the public in creating poli-
cies if we allow market forces to
work. I am more than skeptical.
Companies are in business to make
money They will only bend to the
public need when there are specific
rules they are forced to follow.
I spent the last 30 years of my
working life in a business involv-
ing "market forces." I experienced
first-hand when my company, with-
out notice, closed our office and es-
corted all employees off the
premises for bottom line reasons.
Market forces are not evil. They
are a fact of business. However, to
assume that these market forces
will be benevolent is more than
naive. I believe Rep. Herrera Beut-
ler needs quite a bit more experi-
ences with the market forces.
Ken Margraf
Goldendale
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FOLKS RIB Us
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SOLVIN'TH' WORLD,S
PROBLEMS...
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