Food & Free Food & Social Security

Small Business...

The small business owned by my wife and daughter has been a five year adventure.  We've been in the 'small business' business on and off for many years.  Putting healthy food on the table in the suburbs has it's rewards, not in the monetary sense.  We've always worked in ways we thought advantageous to the community.  This option gives neighbors healthy options, something other than beige food, fried food, feedlot food, Chinese-import food, growth hormone food, etc.

This is a real vegetable.  Many children and suburbanites may not recognize these but they are Roma tomatoes.  They are edible.

 
Free Food & Social Security...

An original purpose of this blog was to chronicle my unemployment and efforts at re-employment.  Some readers would consider that I've not been diligent in re-employment.  After working for fifty years and looking at '65' later this year I have taken a reprieve but have been very busy.

One thing that happens when you reach 60 is that everyone wants to help you manager you money and they all claim to be good.  Some admit that they are all good, even their competition so then you pick someone who does not appear to be a dick, dresses moderately and seems sincere.  My wife has validated the appropriateness of a few.  They are all men.  I'm looking for a woman.

We've learn a lot about Social Security.  I'll recap.

• Most people have to work until 66 or 67 to reach their maximum retirement age.  You can collect at 62 but there is a penalty.
• If you don't start collecting at 66 your benefit grow 8% each year until age 70.  It does not grow after that.
• The Social Security people are limited by law.  They can answer questions but cannot give you advice.
• Spousal Benefit:  when the higher earner reaches 66 they can 'file and suspend' if they wish to continue working.  The lower earner can collect a 'spousal benefit' which is 50% of the higher persons.  Their own continues to grow until they file.
• If you are divorced and have been married for ten years you can collect the higher benefit of your and your ex's.  If you remarry before 60 that option goes away.  If you remarry at 60 and your ex's benefit is larger than yours (or the spousal benefit based on your current husband) you collect the higher.  You can work the numbers on as many ex's as you may have.
• If your spouse is dead you can collect on their benefit if it is higher.
• If you file and have second thoughts you have one time to say "I screwed up!"  You can withdraw you filing w/i 18 months, pay SSA back and move on.

You get invited to a lot of seminars, most of them involve food.  The better the food the longer someone will talk before giving you the food.  The low budget firms might have beverages.  Try ever free seminar you can get.

No one can tell you how long you are going to live.  That, along with financial need, are the two incestuous components of navigating Social Security successfully.

Job Pursuit...

Four people asked me this week if "are you really going to look for work?"  The answer is yes.  It provides structure and forces you to get a haircut and wear some decent clothes, something other than what your wore yesterday or something with your college name on it.

I'm meeting w/ my outplacement guy next week.  That will be the last or second to the last time.