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financial fOcus ®

When Should You Take Social except for yearly cost-of-living adjustments. But if you waiting a few years to collect Social Security, so you can
receive the bigger payments. Conversely, if your health
need the money, you need the money, even if you’re just
Security? 62 or any age before full retirement age. is questionable and your family has not been fortunate in
However, if you have adequate financial resources to terms of longevity, you might want to start taking your
By Sally Sima Stahl meet your monthly needs, whether through earned income, benefits earlier.
One of your important your investment portfolio or a combination of the two, • Employment – You can certainly continue working
sources of retirement you could have some flexibility in choosing when to take and still receive Social Security benefits. However, if
income will likely be Social Social Security. In this case, you may want to weigh these you’re under your full retirement age for the entire year,
Security – but when should considerations: Social Security will deduct $1 from your benefits for every
you start taking it? • Life expectancy – For all of us, it’s one of life’s great $2 you earn above the annual limit of $22,320. In the year
You can start collecting mysteries: How long will we live? Of course, we can’t you reach your full retirement age, Social Security will
Social Security benefits at see into the future, so the question can’t be answered deduct $1 in benefits for every $3 you earn above $59,520.
62, but your checks will with total confidence. But to make an informed decision So, you may want to keep these reductions in mind when
be considerably bigger if on when to take Social Security, you don’t need to know deciding when to begin accepting benefits. Once you
you wait until your full your exact lifespan – you just need to make a reasonably reach your full retirement age, you can earn any amount
retirement age, which is good estimate. So, for example, if you’re approaching without losing benefits. (Also, at your full retirement age,
likely between 66 and 67. You could even wait until 62, you’re enjoying excellent health and you have a Social Security will recalculate your benefit amount to
you’re 70, at which point the payments will max out, family history of longevity, you might conclude it’s worth credit you for the months you received reduced benefits
because of your excess earnings.)
• Spouse – Spouses can receive two types of Social
Security benefits: spousal and survivor. With a spousal
benefit, your spouse can receive up to 50 percent of your
full retirement benefits, regardless of when you start
taking them. (Your spouse’s benefit can be reduced by the
amount of their own retirement benefit and whether they
A took Social Security before their full retirement age.) But
with a survivor benefit, your decision about when to take
Social Security can make a big difference. A surviving
spouse can receive the larger of their own benefit or 100
COLONOSCOPY percent of a deceased spouse’s benefit, so if you take
benefits early and receive a permanent reduction, your
spouse’s survivor benefit may also be reduced for their
lifetime.
CAN SAVE irrevocable – decision. So, consider all the factors before
When to take Social Security is an important – and

making your choice.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by
your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor, Edward
Jones, Member SIPC.
YOUR LIFE all states and Washington, D.C., through Edward D.
Edward Jones is a licensed insurance producer in

Jones & Co., L.P., and in California, New Mexico and
Massachusetts through Edward Jones Insurance Agency
of California, L.L.C.; Edward Jones Insurance Agency of
New Mexico, L.L.C.; and Edward Jones Insurance Agency
of Massachusetts, L.L.C.
Edward Jones, its employees and financial advisors
cannot provide tax advice. You should consult your
qualified tax advisor regarding your situation.
Contact us at (561) 748-7600, Sally Sima Stahl, AAMS,
1851 W. Indiantown Road, Ste. 106, Jupiter, FL 33458.

DON’T DELAY YOUR CHANCE club neWs

FOR EARLY DETECTION Laugh A Little With The Martin

County Genealogical Society

It’s recommended that adults start getting colonoscopies Researching ancestry may seem like a serious
at age 45. The colorectal specialists at Cleveland Clinic endeavor – and it often is – but there is also a lighter
in Florida utilize state-of-the-art techniques to diagnose side to discovering one’s lineage. At the Martin County
and treat colon conditions. From routine screenings to Genealogical Society’s April meeting, in a presentation
titled The Funny Side of Genealogy, genealogist
the most complex surgeries, trust our experts to provide Daniel Horowitz will offer a refreshing look at
world class care. Schedule your colonoscopy today with genealogists and their sometimes bizarre activities
from an outsider’s perspective. He’ll also share some
one of Florida’s top hospitals. great resources and research techniques – and explain
why everyone looks at you funny when you talk about
your ancestry research.
Dedicated to genealogy since 1986, Horowitz
has worked at MyHeritage since 2006, liaising with
genealogy societies, bloggers and media as well as
lecturing and attending conferences round the world.
ClevelandClinicFlorida.org/Colonoscopy | 844.290.5764 He is involved in several crowdsource digitization
and transcription projects, and he holds a board-level
position at The Israel Genealogy Research Association.
Free and open to the public, the meeting will be
at the Blake Library, 2351 S.E. Monterey Road in
Stuart, from 1 to 3 p.m., Friday, April 19. For more
information, go to mcgsfl.org/events.
The Martin County Genealogical Society (MCGS)
offers a variety of services at the Genealogy
Room in the Blake Library including an extensive
research library, access to several genealogy websites
and assistance from MCGS volunteers. For more
information about membership, activities and services
go to mcgsfl.org.