Advisory Services

More than 90% of Social Security recipients do not maximize their benefits.

The vast majority of Americans remain “strategically uniformed”.  For most of us, Social Security is our most important retirement asset.  Lifetime benefits, even for low-earning couples, may be a very meaningful income source.  As with most things, timing makes a great deal of difference.  Retirees cannot rely on conventional wisdom when deciding the right time and the right way to file.  Not exploring your options may cause you to be one of those 90%. 

Navigating through Social Security's unique rules is almost as daunting as the Internal Revenue Code, if not more so.  With almost 3,000 core rules and thousands upon thousands of additional codicils in its Program Operating Manual, it's no wonder so many retirees simply can't invest the energy into developing a maximizing strategy on their own.

And Social Security representatives cannot and should not be relied upon to provide advice.  Social Security services more Americans than any other agency of the government, including the Internal Revenue Service.  Like most agencies, they are operating under tight budgets, with reduced staff, and often with less experienced representatives as more of them have retired! 

Of note, Social Security claims that its representatives do not give advice to consumers.  Instead, they provide information.

  Know your options

Not knowing your filing options can be one of the most costly, irreversible mistakes you can make in your lifetime.  Even with the recent changes to Social Security law, there are many options available to maximize your benefits. The number of options increase if you are married.  These options include “early filing”, “standard filing”, “delayed filing,” and many combinations of these. The majority of Social Security recipients fail to get the most from their benefits by filing after considering only one or two options in isolation.  Even worse - Social Security’s online filing system enables quick decision-making without any advice. 

We’ve got answers to your questions and we’ve got the tools to provide you with the information you need to make the most of your Social Security benefits. We offer three levels of consulting services to most effectively meet your needs.

• The three-point basic level of service includes an initial consultation providing you with critical dates needed in regard to your Social Security benefits.  You will also receive a booklet of commonly asked Social Security questions. Lastly, any questions you may have in regard to your Social Security benefits that are not answered at your initial consultation will be carefully researched and communicated.  This service is free of charge to our current tax clients.
• The four-point detailed level of service includes all the items in the basic service level plus a detailed analysis to identify maximizing strategies for your benefits.  This service is offered at a 20% discount to our current tax clients.
• The five-point detailed level of service includes all the items of the four-point detailed level of service plus a re-run of your detailed analysis for life-changes within 36 months of your initial analysis. This service is also offered at a 20% discount to our current tax clients.