Tag Archives: Social Security

More older Americans are getting divorced, and as a result more people are faced with dividing up retirement accounts at the end of a marriage.   Special Financial Issues People are living longer and social mores about divorce have relaxed, says Bari Weinberger, a family lawyer with the Weinberger Law Group in Parsippany, N.J. That has resulted in more older people seeking divorces. She adds that more women are exiting their marriages after their children are grown because they feel …

After the close of another year, income taxes of course come to mind. While it’s clear we have to pay tax on our income, there are plenty of provisions in the tax code that require federal taxes to be paid on things you may not normally think of. As you’re gathering your forms and preparing to submit your returns, consider the following checklist of surprises, groaners, and ironies.   Unemployment Benefits It’s ironic but true – you have to pay …

You lose a spouse in divorce, and you also stand to lose custody of children as well as property and possessions. But did you know you can also lose your health insurance? It’s an aspect of divorce that is often overlooked. And according to a study released in November by researchers at the University of Michigan, loss of health insurance via divorce is happening to more and more women.   Growing Problem for Middle Class About 115,000 American women lose …

Consumers struggling with onerous student loan payments in a tight economy may be in for some bad news: Those loans never go away, and even Social Security checks can be garnished to pay them back. According to a report by Smartmoney.com, between January and Aug. 6, about 115,000 people had their retirement checks reduced to pay off federal student loans. Up to 15 percent of the payment can be withheld, or $185 from the average Social Security check of $1,234. …

Attorney’s fees may seem expensive at first glance, but there are a number of reasons why they charge the rates they do. Lawyers see people in some of the most stressful times of life, often with issues of vital importance hinging on the outcome of a case. A lawyer takes the client’s problem and makes it his or her own. When asked why lawyers charge so much, Richard Quadrino, a disability attorney in practice with his partner Evan Schwartz, says, …