There are tons of banking options out there, from small, local banks to huge multinational banks to credit unions. How to choose the best option for you.
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At some stage in your investing journey, you may experience a situation where your investment returns surpass your active income (non-investment income). The first time this happens, you may feel excited as you imagine the possibilities. But you likely won’t quit your job just in case it was a fluke. However, after several years of
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And just like that, my two-month sabbatical is over. Did you miss me? Of course not! I continued to publish three posts a week and send out one newsletter a week like an addict. There was only a one-week period where I felt like I truly took things down a notch. Our family went up
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The down payment is the hardest financial obstacle to overcome for most potential home buyers. How much of a down payment is really necessary?
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We’ve researched the best airline miles credit cards of 2018 and narrowed the list down to the top five. Here they are, including welcome offer details.
Table of Contents
If you’re a frequent traveler–for pleasure or business–a great travel rewards credit card is a must-have. If you prefer to fly with a certain airline, a card that offers miles for that airline is essential. Airline miles credit cards can boost the miles you receive through your preferred airline’s mileage program. You can rack up miles by the millions. (Don’t believe me? Just check out the movie Up in the Air.) Note that the cards listed below are airline specific, rather than generic travel rewards cards that let you use your points on just about any airline. We’ve focused on great cards from some of the nation’s top airlines. We’ll look at just how much the average family could earn with these cards. “Average” is, of course, a bit of a broad term for anything personal finance related. So we’re using the Bureau of Labor Statistics data on consumer expenditures for 2016 as a proxy. We added up the food, gasoline, entertainment, and apparel categories to come up with an average of about $14,000 in spending per year. We’ll say the family in question spends another $2,000 with their airline of choice. These are the expenses you’re most likely to put through a credit card, so that’s how we’ll calculate potential rewards. Keep in mind that the value of points varies from month to month and depending on what type of travel you’re booking. We’ll use this chart from The Points Guy to estimate the most recent value for each credit card’s points.
1. Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card
There’s a reason the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card is so popular. It offers 2 points per $1 spent with Southwest Airlines® (direct purchases only) and 2 points per $1 spent on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners–including Best Western, Marriott, Hyatt, and more. You’ll get 1 point per $1 spend on all other purchases and 6,000 bonus points per year on your card member anniversary.
- Bonus: Right now, new card holders can get 40,000 points after spending $1,000 in the first three months of account opening. Then, another 20,000 bonus points are available after spending $12,000 in the first year. That’s up to 60,000 bonus points for new cardmembers.
- Fees: The Premier card comes with a $99 annual fee. If you spend enough on this card, though, you can easily outweigh that fee. The card doesn’t have foreign transaction fees, though, which could spell big savings for frequent international fliers (though Southwest only flies to Mexico and the Caribbean).
- Other Benefits: You can redeem your miles for any seat on any Southwest or AirTran flight, and there are no blackout dates.
- Membership Levels: Your credit card points can help boost your membership level in the overall Rapid Rewards program. A-List members get a 25% point bonus on top of base flights earned from each flight, priority boarding, and expedited security. Companion Pass–the highest status–earns you the ability to bring a companion for free whenever you purchase a ticket for yourself. You can change you receives the companion benefits up to three times per year.
2. Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express
With this card, you’ll earn 2 miles per $1 spent on purchases made directly with Delta.
- Welcome Offer: Right now, when you are a new cardholder, you’ll earn 30,000 bonus miles when you spend $1,000 in purchases within the first three months of card ownership. You’ll also get a $50 statement credit after you make a Delta purchase within your first three months of card membership.
- Fees: This card comes with a $0 introductory fee for the first year, and then a $95 fee per year after that. The card has no foreign transaction fees.
3. British Airways Visa Signature Card
Without a doubt the British Airways Visa Signature Card is the card to carry for those that fly British Airways. The bonus rewards for new card members are astounding, as you can see below. The rewards for everyday purchases are also excellent.
- Rewards: You’ll earn three Avios per $1 spent on British Airways purchases, and one Avios for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
- Bonus: New Cardmembers can earn 50,000 bonus Avois after spending $3,000 in the first three months. Then earn another 50,000 bonus Avios after spending $20,000 in the first year of account opening. That’s a total of 100,000 bonus Avios . Every calendar year you make $30,000 in purchases on your British Airways Visa card, you’ll also earn a Travel Together Ticket good for two years.
- Annual Fee: $95
4. Chase United Mileage Plus Explorer
If United is your airline of choice, you can get some great bonus perks from this card right now. It lets you earn miles for both United purchases and everyday spending, and gives you the first checked bag for free for each person whose ticket you purchase on the card.
- Rewards: You’ll earn two miles per $1 spent on tickets from United. And you’ll get an additional one mile per $1 spent on all other purchases.
- Bonuses: Right now, new cardholders can earn 40,000 bonus miles after spending $2,000 in the first three months of opening their accounts.
- Annual Fee: This card has a $95 annual fee, which is waived in the first year.
- Other Benefits: With the Chase United Mileage Plus Explorer card, you’ll get priority boarding and two United Club one-time passes on your card anniversary.
5. Blue Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express
With this card, you’ll earn 2 miles per $1 spent on purchases made directly with Delta or at US restaurants. 1 mile per dollar spent on everything else.
- Bonus: New cardholders will earn a 10,000 mile bonus after spending $500 in the first three months. Yes that’s watered down from the Gold version above, but the big benefit of the Blue vs. the Gold is in it’s fee structure.
- Fees: No annual fee, no foreign transaction fees. You give up a little bit in up front bonus and perks, but you are not saddled with an annual fee of up to $100 like other cards on this list.
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The Tax Policy Center recently calculated most working Americans didn’t pay federal income taxes in 2020. According to the chart below, supposedly 106.8 million out of 176.2 million total income tax filers did not pay federal income taxes. That amounts to 60.6%. Given there are roughly 332 million Americans, what happened to the other 156
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Caring for your aging parents can be expensive and emotionally draining. Here's how to plan your parents' long term care.
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Learn about what an NFT is, pros and cons to consider when investing in this emerging platform, and how to do it if you decide it's right for you.
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They say money can’t buy happiness. But what if having money can make you less stressed, less jealous, less combative, and more joyful? Then surely having more money can at least make you nicer right? I think so. My first realization with this correlation between niceness and wealth occurred at the end of 2015 when
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Almost everyone needs to file income taxes. Here's a list of the forms you need and where to get them so you can be straight with the IRS.
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If you've faced financial problems due to medical bills, it's time to consider dedicated medical credit cards. Our guide will help you find the right one.
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Imagine retiring by age 40. You may have to prepare for a 50-year retirement! Traditionally, the average American would retire by age 65 and prepare for a 20-year retirement. However, with the median life expectancy increasing and more people desiring to retire earlier, we must plan for even more unknowns. When I first started writing
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Credit cards that offer free TSA pre-check or global entry as a free perk, plus a comparison of other features each card offers.
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When it comes to cars, buyer’s remorse is the worst because there’s no return policy. Once you buy your car, it steadily depreciates in value over time. Therefore, you had better buy a car you really love, responsibly. Let’s discuss how to avoid buyer’s remorse when purchasing an expensive vehicle. I have experienced tremendous buyer’s
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A market correction is when a stock market falls by more than 10%. What should you do when your investments suddenly take a dip?
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Have $200K? Find viable investment options and the ultimate guide to getting started so that you can grow wealth and meet your goals.
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The Best Checking and Savings Account Promotions, Deals and Offers | August 2021
9:27 AMNo bank wants your business as badly as the bank that doesn’t have it. In fact, they are often willing to pay you to become a customer. If you are looking for a new bank, check out these bank promotions.
Table of Contents
For any adult looking to take charge of their personal finances, owning both a savings and checking account is essential. Of course, there’s the basic reason that you need an account for depositing checks and paying bills. But, also, these accounts show banks how reliable you are when you fill out credit applications. The one question every single loan application has is “Do you own a savings account, checking account, or both?” Unfortunately, over the last 10 years, owning these accounts has become more expensive. Banks have been kind enough to pass their additional fees along to you. If you’re not careful, you could be losing $100 to $300 a year simply for the privilege of owning a checking or savings account. Lucky for you, there are ways to avoid these fees. Perhaps even luckier for you, some banks are willing to pay up to $500 simply to get your business. Below is a list of the best online savings and checking promos and bonuses we could find. They include a variety of big banks and one smaller bank, so nearly all of offers you see below are nationwide. All fifty states are eligible for each offer (sans Huntington Bank), and the more money you have to deposit, the more money you’re likely to earn in the form of a cash bonus. Keep an eye out for the requirements to avoid the monthly maintenance fees, and feel free to contact us if you think you’ve found an offer as good as or better than the ones below.
- Best New Checking and Savings Account Bonuses
- Best High Yield Savings Alternatives
- How Does a Checking Account Work?
- How Do I Check My Checking Account?
- Is There a Limit on Transactions Within a Checking Accounts?
- Do Checking Accounts Earn Interest?
- How Many Checking Accounts Can I Have?
- How Does a Savings Account Work?
- How Do I Check My Savings Account?
- Is There a Limit on Transactions Within a Savings Accounts?
- What is the Interest Rate Range for Savings Accounts
- How Many Savings Accounts Can I Have?
- Final Thoughts on the Best Checking and Savings Account Promotions and Deals
Best Checking Accounts
| Best For | Bank |
|---|---|
| Best Overall | Citibank Account Package |
| Best Perks (free checks) | Bank of America Checking |
| Best Bonus | Chase Total Checking |
Best Savings Accounts
| Bank | Best For |
|---|---|
| American Express® High Yield Savings Account | High APY |
| CIT Bank Savings Builder | No fees |
| Chase Savings | Cash Bonus |
Best Checking Accounts Promotions and Deals
1. Chase Total Checking® – $200 Cash Bonus
You can earn a $200 bonus with a Chase Total Checking® account. To receive the $200 checking bonus:
- Open a new Chase Total Checking account, which is subject to approval.
- Have your direct deposit made to this account within 60 days of account opening. Minimums to avoid monthly service charges are much lower than average with this account.
The very first checking account I opened after graduating college was with Citi. Partly because they had a great online bonus, and mostly because their branch was half a block from my apartment! Citi is currently offering a $700 bonus on their priority account package if you meet the following criteria:
- Open a new Citibank Priority Account Package by 12.30.2019.
- Within 30 days of account opening, make a qualifying deposit of $50,000 or more of non-Citi funds into the new account, and maintain this deposit as your daily balance for a period of 60 days.
5. Bank of America Checking – $100 Cash Bonus Bank of America is offering a $100 cash bonus to new customers who open an eligible online checking account. Both the Bank of America Core Checking and Bank of America Interest Checking qualify for the $100 bonus. Terms of the bonus are as follows:
- Open a checking account through the link above before December 31st, 2019.
- Set up at least two qualifying direct deposits of $250 or more within the first 90 days of opening your account.
- Be a student under the age of 24;
- Have a preferred rewards account;
- Maintain a minimum daily balance of $1,500 or more; or,
- Have at least one qualifying $250 recurring direct deposit.
6. Sun Trust New Advantage – $300 Cash Bonus Sun Trust offers one of the best cash bonuses available to new account holders, and their requirements aren’t all that cumbersome. Two simple rules must be followed in order to receive the $300 bonus, followed by a geographical restriction.
- Open a new account online with promo code before January 2nd, 2020
- Complete at least $3,000 in direct deposits in a statement cycle, for two consecutive cycles
The checking account must be opened online with, and the client must have, an address in the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, or the District of Columbia.The $300 bonus will be credited to your account within 8 weeks of these two requirements being met. You cannot receive this bonus offer if you have a current checking account with SunTrust or have close one inside of the last six months. This account does have a $20 monthly fee, however that can be waived by maintaining a total balance with SunTrust of $10,000 or making $3,000 in direct deposits each month. 7.
Wells Fargo Everyday Checking – $400 Cash Bonus You can earn a $400 bonus by opening a Wells Fargo Everyday Checking Account. To qualify for the bonus, you’ll need to meet the following requirements:
- Open the account from the bonus offer webpage, or bring a bonus offer code to a participating Wells Fargo branch.
- Make a deposit of at least $25 into the account.
- Within 150 days opening the account, receive a cumulative monthly total of $3,000 or more in qualifying direct deposits each month for three consecutive months.
- You must open and fund your account no later than November 27, 2019.
- You maintain a minimum daily account balance of $1,500.
- Have $500 or more in total qualifying direct deposits.
- Have 10 or more posted debit card transactions from the account during each fee period. This includes debit card purchases using PIN, signature, online, phone, and digital wallet.
- You have a link to Wells Fargo Campus ATM or Campus Debit Card.
- The primary account owner is 17 to 24 years old.
Fifth Third Bank Essential Checking – $500 Cash Bonus In order to receive the voluptuous $500 bonus from Fifth Third, you must meet three simple conditions.
- Open a new Essential Checking account by October 31st, 2019.
- Deposit at least $15,000 within the first 90 days of opening the account.
- Maintain that balance for 90 days after you’ve reached requirement #2.
- Maintain a combined monthly average balance of $15,000 across your deposit and investment accounts.
- Spend at least $500 per month on a Fifth Third credit card.
- Have an outstanding balance with a Fifth Third personal mortgage, auto loan or line of credit.
Santander Bank Simply Right Checking – $225 Cash Bonus This is one of the easier checking account bonuses to qualify for. All you need to do are the following three steps:
- Open an account by December 31st, 2019 with the promotion code SDB225G699.
- Have direct deposits totaling $1,000 or more posted to the account within the first 90 days, starting the first business day after opening the account.
- Keep your account open for at least 90 days, and open at the time of the bonus payment.
Best Savings Accounts Promotions and Deals
Deal of the Day: Chase is now offering a $225 cash bonus when opening a Total Checking® Account. No minimum deposit and all deposits are FDIC insured up to the $250,000 per depositor maximum.
1. CIT Bank Savings Builder – 2.10% APY
CIT Bank Savings Builder is a pure savings account that pays a current annual percentage yield of 2.10%. And there are no account opening fees or maintenance fees. To qualify for the advertised rate, you must either maintain a minimum balance of $25,000, or make monthly deposits of $100, beginning with a minimum $100 opening deposit. If you have less than $25,000, and don’t make monthly deposits, the annual percentage yield drops to 1.24%. Unfortunately, CIT Bank does not offer a checking account. You are limited to no more than six transactions per statement cycle, however you may deposit checks into your Savings Builder account remotely, as well as make transfers with the CIT Bank mobile app.
2. Citi Accelerate Savings – 2.05% APY Citi Accelerate Savings is currently paying an annual percentage yield of 2.05%, and requires no minimum opening deposit. There is a monthly service fee of $4.50, which can be waived if you maintain a minimum $500 average monthly balance for the calendar month. Unfortunately, the account does not come with check writing privileges. There is also a fee of $2.50 for non-Citibank ATM transactions.
There is a $10 monthly service charge if you link the savings account with a Citi checking account. However, that can be waived if you either make one qualifying direct deposit or one qualifying bill payment per statement period, or if you maintain a $1,500 minimum combined average monthly balance in all linked accounts.
3. Ally Bank Online Savings Account – 1.80% APY 
Ally Bank Savings Account is currently paying an annual percentage yield of 1.80% on all balance tiers. There is no minimum balance requirement, and no monthly maintenance fee. In fact, they don’t charge for standard or expedited ACH transfers, domestic and international incoming wires, or cashier’s checks. They also charge below the industry standard for overdrafts, returned items, excess transactions, and outgoing domestic wire fees. As is typical of savings accounts, you’re limited to no more than six transactions per statement cycle. However, you can accept mobile deposits through Ally eCheck Deposit. But you can also open an Ally Bank Interest Checking Account. It currently pays 0.60% APY on minimum daily balances over $15,000, and 0.10% APY on balances below. This account also has no monthly maintenance fees. And one of the advantages you have with Ally is that you can also invest through Ally Invest. That includes taking advantage of professional portfolio management through Ally Invest Managed Portfolios.
How Does a Checking Account Work?
A checking account is the ultimate form of demand deposit account. A demand deposit account is one that gives you regular access to your funds. It also takes in savings accounts and money markets. But checking accounts have the advantage of giving you greater access to your money than virtually any other type of account. The very term “checking account” is fast becoming something of a dated term. Checking accounts were so named because of the ability to access your funds through checks. And there was a time when checks were the only way to access your account, short of going to the bank and withdrawing funds directly (which itself may have required writing a check!). But today’s checking accounts offer multiple ways to access your funds. And an increasing number of checking accounts no longer offer paper checks at all. This shouldn’t be surprising at all, given that fewer merchants are accepting paper checks than ever. Today, it’s more common to make payments online. And with the widespread development of ATM machines, you can now get cash without having to go to a bank branch. Meanwhile, checking accounts now offer online bill payment capabilities, as well as person-to-person transfer methods. Checking accounts are the preferred destination for direct deposits from paychecks, pensions and government benefits. But you can also move money into a checking account by transferring it from a savings account or money market at the same bank, or from another bank.
How Do I Check My Checking Account?
The old-fashioned way – 20 years ago – was to maintain an updated check register, and reconcile it against the bank statement that was mailed to you each month. While a few people still use this method, it’s easier and much more convenient to check your account electronically.Virtually every bank today offers online banking. That gives you the ability to check your account on your home or work computer at any time. You have access to all accounts you have with a particular bank, including your checking account. You also have the ability to transfer funds between accounts, transfer funds to outside accounts, and make payments online. But nearly all banks also have mobile banking. Many provide all the functionality of the online version, though some banks may limit certain activities. However, you can check your account balance, run transactions, make payments from your phone, and even transfer money directly to and from individuals using various payment services. Another major advantage of mobile banking is mobile deposits. The feature enables you to accept checks through your smart phone. You simply take a photo of both the front and back of the check, then download it to your account through the mobile banking app. The clearing process isn’t as quick as making a deposit in person, but it will enable you to make the deposit immediately while saving you a trip to the branch.
Is There a Limit on Transactions Within a Checking Accounts?
Generally speaking, there are no limits on the number of transactions made within a checking account. This is because a checking account is specifically designed to be a high activity account. You’ll typically have an unlimited number of transfers outside the account, checks written, and debit card transactions.However, a bank may impose certain limits on one or more of its checking account offerings. While it may offer unlimited activity, it might impose an activity fee tied to a certain number of transactions. For example, it may permit up to 10 outgoing transactions per month. But if you exceed that number, an activity fee will be applied to the excess transactions. It’s one of those “fine print” fees that every depositor needs to be aware of in choosing the right checking account. If there are any transaction limits on checking accounts, it isn’t due to any type of federal laws. For example, Federal Regulation D, limits the number of outgoing transactions from either a savings account or a money market. The limit is no more than six “convenient” transfers or withdrawals per month per account. Convenient transfers include preauthorized, automatic transfers, and transfers and withdrawals initiated by phone, fax, or online, as well as those made by check, debit card, or other methods payable to third parties. Again, those limitations apply only to savings accounts and money markets, and not checking accounts. In most cases, there’ll be no limit on the number of transactions you can run through your checking account.
Do Checking Accounts Earn Interest?
In most cases, checking accounts don’t earn interest. And where they do, rates are downright microscopic. In fact, according to the FDIC’s Weekly National Rates and Rate Caps – Weekly Update, interest-bearing checking accounts currently pay just 0.06% APY on average.That’s the rate level you’ll typically see with local banks and credit unions. In fact, some interest-bearing checking accounts pay a rate of just 0.01%. In the grand scheme of things, that’s just dust! But you don’t have to maintain a checking account with a bank that pays such low rates. There are banks available, primarily online banks, that pay much higher interest. For example nbkc pays over 1% on its Personal Checking account, while Ally Bank pays up to 0.60% on its Interest Checking Account. Checking accounts that pay little or no interest aren’t an attempt by banks to mistreat their customers. Since checking accounts are essentially in-and-out accounts, interest isn’t usually a significant factor. When most banks do pay interest on checking, it’s just a token amount, probably mostly to make their checking account offers look more attractive than the competition. However, if you’re looking to add high interest to your bank savings, there are several online banks offering high interest on savings, money markets, and certificates of deposit. Many of these savings accounts are paying interest in excess of 2%. You can maintain a checking account with a minimal balance, and move any excess funds into a high-yield account to get the benefit of high interest.
How Many Checking Accounts Can I Have?
Though there may be certain banks that limit the number of checking accounts you can have, most won’t. You can have several accounts for yourself, as well as one or more for each member of your household – including your children. For example, you might maintain one checking account to pay general expenses, and another dedicated to paying house related expenses – it’s your choice.Banks also offer business checking accounts. If you have a business, you can maintain both a business checking account and a personal checking account. Each checking account offered by a bank generates fee income for the bank. This can come in the form of a monthly service fee, ATM access fees at non-network ATMs, and service fees charged to merchants for debit card usage. It’s usually in the bank’s best interest to allow you to have as many checking accounts as you want. Of course, there are a number of reasons why you’ll want to limit the number of checking accounts you have:
- Having several accounts can be a bookkeeping nightmare, as you try to keep track of the activity in each account.
- Multiple checking accounts can be confusing. You might mistakenly assume a payment made from one account was actually made from another.
- Generally speaking, the more checking accounts you have, the more bank fees you’re paying.
How Does a Savings Account Work?
Deal of the Day: Chase is now offering a $225 cash bonus when opening a Total Checking® Account. No minimum deposit and all deposits are FDIC insured up to the $250,000 per depositor maximum.
Much like a checking account, a savings account is also considered to be a demand deposit account. It’s so called because you have the ability to access funds at will. This is different from a certificate of deposit, which is referred to as a time deposit, and ties up your money for the duration of the term of the certificate.Savings accounts at most banks typically require very little money to open a new account. Most also impose no minimum on the amount you must keep in your account. That said, interest rates paid on savings accounts are frequently based on your account balance. Most will pay higher interest rates on larger account balances, which is sometimes referred to as tiered interest rates.While you do have access to the funds held in a savings account, it’s usually more restricted than it is with a checking account. For example, a checking account typically comes with check writing, an ATM card, online bill pay, and even direct person-to-person transfer apps. Most savings accounts will offer only one of those access options, usually an ATM card. But many banks won’t offer any direct access capability at all. Instead, you’ll need to transfer money into your checking account for payment purposes. Though it’s not as common with savings accounts as it is with checking accounts, you can also have money from paychecks, pensions and government benefits direct deposited into your savings account. In most cases, people will deposit a small amount from those payments into savings, as a regular savings plan, with the rest going into checking. It’s also possible to have your income tax refund deposited into a savings account.
How Do I Check My Savings Account?
Since a savings account is usually a low activity account–few withdrawals, and even fewer deposits–it’s never been common for depositors to keep written records of their savings account balances.With online banking, the best way to check your account is to do so on your computer or mobile device. This has become common with checking accounts, largely because of the greater number of transactions running through the account. Regularly checking a savings account balance may not be seen as a priority. However, it should never be ignored. Even if you have very few transactions, you should check your savings account balance on a daily basis. This is necessary if only for unauthorized transactions. A thief could gain access to your bank account, and totally ignore your checking account because your savings account has a much larger balance. Since a savings account is usually a much richer target than a checking account, monitoring it on a daily basis is at least as important as staying on top of your checking account balance. In addition, if your bank limits account withdrawals to electronic transfers into your checking account or an external account, you’ll need to always be aware of your savings account balance for budgeting purposes. And at a minimum, you should check your savings account balance every time you have a transaction in the account. You’ll be looking for a) that the transaction took place, and b) that there weren’t any errors. Even with electronic transfers, there can still be errors. The sooner you correct them, or the sooner you identify unauthorized activity, the faster and easier the remedy will be. If you regularly check your checking account online, you should take an extra 30 seconds to also view your savings account balance.
Is There a Limit on Transactions Within a Savings Accounts?
Transaction limits are one of the major differences between savings and checking accounts. While checking accounts usually have something close to unlimited transactions, savings accounts are more restricted.There are usually no limits to the number of deposits you can make into a savings account. But once again, savings accounts are limited to a specific number of outgoing transactions. Under Federal Regulation D, you’re limited to no more than six “convenient” transfers or withdrawals per 30-day account cycle. Convenient transfers include preauthorized, automatic transfers, and transfers and withdrawals initiated by phone, fax, or online, as well as those made by check, debit card, or other methods payable to third parties. However, a bank may impose no limit on the number of transfers you make into your checking account, or funds withdrawn at the teller window. You need to check with your bank to determine what their specific policies are on these limits.
What is the Interest Rate Range for Savings Accounts
Under “Best High Yield Savings Alternatives” we offered two online banks that pay interest of 2.00% APY or higher, including one that also pays cash back. But you should understand that these rates are exceptional. The vast majority of local banks and credit unions pay much lower rates on savings accounts.According to the FDIC’s Weekly National Rates and Rate Caps – Weekly Update, interest paid on savings accounts is averaging just 0.10% nationwide. It makes little sense to hold savings in a bank paying such low rates. However, people frequently do it because they like the idea of a local brick-and-mortar branch. But if you keep your money in such a low interest paying account, you’re paying a heavy price for physical access. Either of the banks we’ve listed in this guide pay at least 20 times more in interest than the average local bank. What’s more, despite lacking local branches, online banks can give you just as much access to your funds as a bank with local branches. The vast majority of financial transactions now take place online. You can just as easily transfer funds from an online bank as you can between accounts at your local branch, though there may be a one or two day wait on the completion of the transfer. A good savings strategy, that will earn you higher interest and still give you quick access to transfers into your checking account is to maintain just enough money in a local bank savings account to make necessary transfers in the checking account. Any excess funds–which should be the bulk of your savings–can be invested in a high interest online savings account.
How Many Savings Accounts Can I Have?
Just as is the case with checking accounts, you can usually have as many savings accounts as you want. However, you’ll have many of the same disadvantages that you will with multiple checking accounts. This can include bookkeeping complications and the general confusion that comes with having several of the same type of account.But there is one important issue that’s more significant with savings accounts than it is with checking accounts. Because savings accounts normally have higher balances than checking accounts, you could bump up against the FDIC limit. FDIC insures funds held at banks for a maximum of $250,000 per depositor. If you have that kind savings, you’ll want to make sure your combined accounts at any single bank don’t exceed that amount. If so, you should transfer the excess funds to another bank. Fortunately, you can get an additional $250,000 of FDIC coverage at each bank where you have deposits.
Final Thoughts on the Best Checking and Savings Account Promotions, Deals and Offers
There are all types of checking and savings accounts available. You’ll certainly want to go with the one that will work best for your personal situation. But if you’re shopping for a new account, you’ll want to favor those that pay generous account opening bonuses, like those listed in this guide. And since each account has a certain minimum time limit to qualify, you can simply wait until it expires, then apply for a cash bonus at a different bank. It’s a way to earn a few hundred dollars extra each year.Looking for the best checking accounts or savings accounts? These bank promotions can get you cash back when you open a new account and a top APR.The post The Best Checking and Savings Account Promotions, Deals and Offers | August 2021 appeared first on The Dough Roller.
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Since 1995, I’ve been a do-it-yourself investor (DIY investing). It all started when I saw my father trading stocks on his Charles Schwab online account. I was hooked and asked him to teach me. The introduction led me to trade stocks during college. Sometimes I’d win, sometimes I’d lose. Thankfully, my portfolio was only about
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Trading after the market closes at 4:00 p.m. EST is certainly possible, but not without risks. How to decide if after-hours trading is right for you.
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As part of my sabbatical, I’ve convinced my wife to write more posts. Yes! My master plan is working. Here is Sydney discussing money lessons for college students. – Sam Even though I haven’t been in school for over twenty years, I always get excited during back to school season. I think back to the
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Social Security is confusing, to say the least. This guide tells you how Social Security benefits are calculated and how to maximize your benefits.
For most Americans, Social Security is a big piece of your retirement plan. This government-run system is pretty complicated and jargony. Yet future retirees need to understand how benefits are calculated and the intricacies of drawing on Social Security during retirement.
Table of Contents
This guide is designed to break down the Social Security system as it relates to you. When you’re finished reading it, you will understand how your Social Security benefits are calculated. You’ll understand when you’ll be eligible to take benefits. We also cover how you might increase your benefits and when you should consider drawing on your Social Security benefits.
Overview of How Social Security Benefits are Calculated
Let’s start with the most complex part of Social Security: how benefits are calculated. If you know much about Social Security, you probably know that it’s not hard to qualify for benefits. Because the Social Security program was set up to help lower-income workers during and after the Great Depression, the bar to qualify for Social Security is set fairly low. Social Security skews its calculations to help lower-income workers. These individuals likely can’t save for retirement on their own, more than higher-income workers. In other words, a lower-income worker will see a greater percentage of lifetime income returned in Social Security checks. A person making $50,000 a year could count on a bigger benefit check than the person making $25,000 a year. The difference between a person making $50,000 a year and a person making $100,000 a year won’t be as significant. All of this can be confusing. But when we look at the calculations for Social Security benefits, things can clear up.Minimums to Qualify
Qualifying for Social Security benefits is based on credits. Credits show that you earned a certain amount of money during your working years. To earn one credit, you need to make $1,000 during a working year. You can earn up to four credits per year (even if you earn tens of thousands of dollars). You need 40 credits over a lifetime to qualify for Social Security benefits. So if you earn at least $4,000 a year and work 10 years, you’ll qualify for Social Security benefits. Now, your credits don’t have anything to do with how much Social Security income you can expect. They’re just the basic bar to cross to ensure that you contributed at least something to the Social Security system.Averaging Your Earnings
The amount of your Social Security benefit check is determined by your lifetime income average. The Social Security Administration keeps track of your annual income and Federal Insurance Contribution Act contributions each year you work. You can find all this information on your W-2 forms and other earned-income related forms. When you’re ready to draw on Social Security, the SSA averages your earnings over your 35 highest-paying years of work. Then, the SSA plugs that number, along with your age, into a formula. The formula determines what your monthly Social Security check will be. If you work fewer than 35 years, the SSA fills in the off years with zeros, bringing down your average. So, if you worked 32 years, they’ll add each year’s earnings, plus three zeros and divide the total by 35. If you work more than 35 years, the SSA will use your 35 highest-earning years. This is why it’s good to work at least 35 years before drawing on Social Security benefits.Earnings Limits
The Social Security Administration counts all of your taxable earnings each year up to a set limit. In 2017, the maximum taxable earnings ceiling is $127,200, and that ceiling generally increases every tax year, at the discretion of the government. While you’ll still pay income taxes on any earned income over $127,200, you won’t pay FICA taxes on that income. And since you aren’t paying FICA taxes on income over $127,200, any income over that amount won’t count toward your Social Security equation Effectively, contribution limits keep high-income earners from getting overly-large Social Security payouts. Even if you earned $200,000 in 2017, you’d never get credit for more than $127,200 in your Social Security calculation. Each year has its own maximum earnings amount, all the way back to when the Social Security system was started. The goal is to level the playing field, whether you were a major earner in 2017 or 1960.Indexing Your Earnings
Before the Social Security Administration averages your 35 years of income, it first indexes those earnings. The index factor turns dollar figures from various years into today’s dollars, helping to control for inflation. Index factors are meant to give a more realistic picture of your earnings. For instance, the index factor from 1967 is 8.24, and that year’s maximum earnings is $6,600. Today, $6,600 wouldn’t be much money, but back then, it was a decent annual wage. How do I know this? Multiply $6,600 by 1967’s index factor, which gives you $60,918–a decent amount of money for an individual to earn in 2017. If you want to calculate your Social Security benefits, you’d need to multiply your annual earnings from each year by that year’s index factor. The closer you get to the current year, the smaller the index factor will be. You can get your social security statement at SSA.gov. The statement will show you your lifetime earnings and your calculated monthly benefit. Below, you’ll find the maximum earnings and index factor chart from the 2017 SSA pamphlet.
Find Your Indexed Monthly Earnings
You can use the information and chart above to calculate your own indexed monthly earnings (AIME), if you want. Just take these steps:- First, record your actual earnings for each year that you worked. If you earned more than the maximum earnings, then just write down whatever the maximum amount is for that year. If you earned nothing, write zero.
- Next, multiply your actual income (or the maximum earnings amount) for each year by that year’s index number. Record your indexed earnings for each year.
- Find the 35 highest-paying years (by indexed, not actual, earnings), and add up your indexed income from each of those years. If you worked less than 35 years, just add up the indexed income from each year you did work.
- Divide that total by 420 (the number of months in 35 years), rounding down to the next lowest dollar. This figure is your average indexed monthly earnings (“AIME”).
Percentage of Income Replaced
The goal of Social Security is to help retirees meet their basic needs, not to help them live lavishly. To help make this happen, the Social Security Administration will replace a certain percentage of each bracket of AIME. As of 2016, Social Security will replace the first $856 of your indexed monthly earnings at the rate of 90 percent. Amounts between $856 and $5,157 will be replaced at the rate of 32 percent. Amounts over $5,157 will be replaced at the rate of 15 percent. That seems confusing, but it’s actually pretty straightforward. Let’s say that your average indexed monthly earnings is $5,200. Here’s how you’ll calculate your monthly Social Security benefit:- $856 x 90% = $770.40
- $4,301 x 32% = $1,376.32
- $43 x 15% = $6.45
- $770.40 + $1,376.32 + $6.45 = $2,153.17
Cost-of-Living Adjustments
As you can see from the above calculations, the Social Security Administration tries, as much as possible, to control for inflation when calculating your Social Security benefit. And the administration continues to try to control for inflation through Cost-of-Living Adjustments (COLA) each year. In 2017, for instance, Social Security benefits went up by 0.3 percent. Each year, the COLA is different because it’s based on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) from the third quarter of the previous year. In plain language, the CPI-W tracks the erosion of buying power in each U.S. dollar, by quarter. As you well know, $1 today doesn’t buy what $1 would have bought 30 years ago. Inflation has eroded the buying power of that $1. So by tying Social Security benefits to the CPI-W, the SSA seeks to ensure that your benefit check has roughly the same buying power now as it did five years ago or that it will have in 15 years. The CPI-W is set each quarter by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Department of Labor. It’s the official, legal measure that the SSA uses to calculate COLAs. While most years bring an increase in Social Security checks because of Cost-of-Living Adjustments, if the CPI-W shows zero inflation, then Social Security checks would remain the same the next year. This is unlikely but possible. One thing to note is that for seniors drawing Medicare, when Medicare premiums increase, the COLA can be partially or completely offset. So you’re covered by Medicare, but you don’t get that percent increase in your Social Security checks. You can find out more about COLA, including the current year’s COLA percentage, here.When Should You Start Collecting Social Security Benefits
One final factor in your Social Security check amount is when you decide to take benefits. If you take benefits before you reach full retirement age, you’ll get 75 percent of what you would otherwise have gotten. If you wait long after full retirement age to take benefits, you’ll get more in your monthly checks. Benefits are tied to age in this way in an attempt to even out how much individuals draw from Social Security over a lifetime. If you take benefits a 62, you’ll draw on them for several more years than if you take them at 65 or 70. So your monthly check is reduced, with the assumption that you’ll wind up taking about the same total amount out of the system. What percentage of your base benefits you can get and when is calculated by government actuaries, who use information like the lifespan of the average American. Because there’s really no such thing as the “average American,” deciding when to take benefits is complex and personal. Before we look at when you might decide to start drawing on Social Security, let’s look at your full retirement age, what will happen if you take benefits early or late, and a few other factors.Full Retirement Age
Full retirement age depends on when you were born. Workers who were born earlier will have a younger full retirement age than workers who were born later. The following chart from the Social Security Administration will help you find your full retirement age:
Taking Benefits Early
In some situations, you may want to take Social Security benefits early. The earliest anyone can receive Social Security retirement benefits is age 62. As noted above, the earlier you take your benefits, the less you’ll get in your monthly checks. Here’s how much you can expect your benefits to be reduced by if you take them early:- If you take benefits at age 62 they’ll be reduced by about 30 percent
- If you take benefits at age 63 they’ll be reduced by about 25 percent
- If you take benefits at age 64 they’ll be reduced by about 20 percent
- If you take benefits at age 65 they’ll be reduced by about 13.3 percent
- If you take benefits at age 66 they’ll be reduced by about 6.7 percent
Taking Benefits Late
On the flip side, if you wait longer than your full retirement age to take your benefits, your benefits will increase by a certain amount each year. The benefit increase only applies until age 70, though, so once you reach 70, there’s no more benefit in delaying your Social Security checks. How much your benefits will increase each year depends on your birth year. This chart from the SSA will show you how much your benefits will increase. Going back to our previous example of a person whose AIME is $5,200, let’s see how delaying retirement by months or years would affect those monthly Social Security checks. We’ll assume the person in question was born after 1943:- Base Amount: $2,153.17
- Delaying Retirement one year: $2,325.42
- Delaying Retirement two years: $2,511.46
- Delaying Retirement three years: $2,712.37
Can You Work While Receiving Benefits?
These days, more and more retirees are working past retirement, either as entrepreneurs or in part-time jobs. Some do this because they are in excellent health and want to stay busy, while others work because they have to. If you’re 62, you could start drawing Social Security benefits while working. Between age 62 and age 67 (or your full retirement age), your Social Security benefits will be docked if you make more than a certain amount a year. In 2017, the limit is $16,920. For every $2 you earn above that limit, your Social Security benefits will be reduced by $1. So if you make $20,000 in 2017 while drawing Social Security benefits, your benefits will be reduced by $1,540 over the course of the year. In the year that you’ll reach full retirement age, this calculation changes slightly. In this year, you’ll lose $1 in benefits for every $3 you earn, but only until the month in which you reach your full retirement age. Once you reach full retirement age, you can work as much as you want without having your benefits docked. But the real advantage of working while drawing Social Security benefits is that the amount that is deducted between 62 and full retirement age is added back to your Social Security checks once you reach full retirement age. This gets much more complex if you retire midyear or if you’re self-employed, so it’s worth talking to a knowledgeable adviser if you’re self-employed, considering starting your own business, or may fully retire midyear while drawing Social Security checks. This page of the SSA Retirement Planner explains working while drawing Social Security benefits more thoroughly. It also includes examples, which can help you figure out how working while drawing a Social Security check might look for you. One important piece of information to glean from the Social Security Administration’s examples listed on the above-linked page is that your benefit will most likely still be smaller than if you’d waited to get benefits at full retirement age. If you work and draw benefits before retirement age, the deductions taken from your Social Security check because of earning more than the maximum amount will be added back, making for a larger monthly check in the long run. But that larger, adjusted check will most likely be smaller than the check you would have received had you waited until full retirement age to draw on your Social Security benefits.What if You Retire Before Receiving Benefits?
Some people stop working before they receive Social Security benefits. In this case, individuals may live off a spouse’s income or other investments while waiting to reach full retirement age – or age 70, if they want to boost that benefits check. If you retire before you decide to draw Social Security, it won’t have much effect. As long as you have 35 working years under your belt in which you earned a decent income, those zero-income years before you draw Social Security won’t make a difference because they won’t even count in your overall calculation.Social Security for Spouses
If you and your spouse both worked, you’ll be eligible for separate Social Security benefits, based on your separate income amounts. But spouses who never worked, or didn’t work long enough to earn 40 credits in the Social Security system, can apply for benefits through a spouse. The two main things to know about spousal benefits are that Social Security will come from the spouse’s benefits first and spousal benefits can be equal to up to 50 percent of the other spouse’s full retirement amount. Beyond that, spousal benefits can be quite confusing, though, so let’s break it down. If you’re at least 62, you can draw on your spouse’s Social Security benefits. If you don’t qualify for Social Security on your own, you can draw 50 percent of your spouse’s full retirement amount, reduced by a certain percentage based on your current age. If you’re at least 62 and qualify for your Social Security benefits but would get more if you drew on your spouse’s, you’ll get a combination of benefits that will equal the larger amount.- So if your Social Security benefit is $500 a month, but 50 percent of your spouse’s benefit is $700 a month, you’ll get $700 a month, first from your benefits, then from your spouse’s.
Spousal Benefits Work Together
Spousal Social Security benefits get very complicated because a decision on the part of one spouse affects the benefits for the other spouse. The simplest situation is when both spouses worked and neither will have substantially higher Social Security benefits. In this case, each spouse just draws on his or her own benefits. But if there’s a big difference, or if one spouse doesn’t qualify for Social Security, you’ll want to take some time to make the best decision for your family. Let’s say you were a stay-at-home mom for most of your working years, never earning enough money to qualify for Social Security. You can draw on your spousal benefit starting at age 62, but you’ll only get 35 percent of your spouse’s benefit. This increases in percentage until you can take a full 50 percent at age 67 (or whatever your full retirement age is). However, if your husband takes his benefits before he reaches full retirement age, your benefits will be calculated on the actual monthly check he gets not his base benefit if he had waited until full retirement age. So your husband’s drawing benefits early affects your benefit amount negatively.In Case of Death or Divorce
Things get more complex if you’re divorced or the surviving spouse in a death. In case of divorce, as long as you were married at least 10 years, you can collect Social Security benefits based on your ex-spouse’s Social Security record. Here are the rules:- You must have been married at least 10 years.
- You must be at least 62, and benefit reduction rules apply the same as if you were still married to your ex-spouse. If your ex-spouse dies, you can collect benefits as a surviving divorced spouse at age 60. If you’re disabled, that limit goes down to age 50.
- Your ex-husband must be eligible for benefits, though he doesn’t need to be using them. You need to have been divorced for two years or more to draw on your ex-spouse’s benefits if he or she is not using them.
- You must not be currently married.
- If you’ve been married and divorced twice, you can decide to claim benefits from either your first spouse or your second, as long as each marriage lasted at least 10 years.
- You can draw benefits from an ex-spouse even if that person’s current husband or wife is also collecting spousal Social Security benefits.
- If you remarry before age 60 (or 50 if you’re disabled), you can’t receive survivor’s benefits unless your marriage ends through death, divorce or annulment.
- If you remarry after 60, you’ll continue to receive benefits from your deceased spouse’s Social Security record.
- If you’re caring for your deceased spouse’s child or children (whether they are yours biologically), you’ll receive benefits until they reach age 16. (This is regardless of your marital status or age.) Once the children are 16, they may continue to receive benefits, but yours will terminate.
- You can only receive benefits from one spouse’s record. So if you would get better benefits through your second spouse’s work record than from your deceased spouse’s record, take those benefits instead.
So When Should I Take My Benefits?
Now that you have all of this information, let’s tackle the biggest question for most future retirees: When should I take my benefits? This is quite a complex question, and you’ll need to factor in a number of assumptions and calculations. One blog post can’t possibly cover all contingencies for this question. So we’re not going to definitively tell you when you should draw your Social Security benefits. What we will do is look at a variety of factors you can consider in your decision-making process, and then we’ll link to some helpful resources that could help you make this decision. First, as you’ve seen, Social Security benefits can vary a lot depending on when you start drawing benefits. And as I noted earlier, this difference in benefits is not meant to discourage you from retiring earlier. The difference in benefit amounts is meant to even out over time. Theoretically, the “average American” would get the same amount of Social Security money, over a lifetime, whether he or she started drawing benefits at 62 or waited until 70. You’re just making up for lost time with larger monthly payments if you wait to take your benefits later. It’s not hard to figure out how much you’ll get in each monthly check, depending on when you decide to draw Social Security benefits. But that doesn’t make it any easier to decide when taking benefits will be best for you.How Much Do You Have Saved?
Your retirement savings should bear on when you decide to take your check. Many financial experts, including those at Charles Schwab, recommend putting off taking Social Security if you can live off your retirement savings during those early retirement years. But you also don’t want to run out of money, so that you’re living only on meager Social Security checks later in life. Whether you have a lot or a little in your retirement savings, you’ll need to make some delicate calculations, calculations that you might want to run through with a qualified financial planner. It’s really impossible to say off the bat whether you should use Social Security first or tap into retirement savings right away.How Long Will You Live?
We don’t like thinking about death and life expectancy, but these things are important in Social Security calculations. Remember, Social Security payments are based on average life expectancy, which is about 77 years. So whether you take early payments or delayed payments, if you live until age 77, you’ll get about the same amount of money. But if you live much past 77, you’ll get a lot more money over time by delaying your payments and holding out for the bigger monthly check. On the other hand, if you die well before 77, taking smaller payments earlier will net you a larger payout in the long run. If you have health conditions or a family history hinting that you may not make it to 77, you may want to consider taking your Social Security early. But if you expect to live to the ripe old age of 90 or older, delaying your check will likely be the best bet. The chart below shows your break-even age, the age after which you’ll come out ahead if you live on. The longer you wait to draw on Social Security, the more quickly you’ll hit your break even age:
What if You’re Married?
If you’re married, you’ll want to think through how you can maximize your total Social Security income as a couple. You have a few options here:- Claim and suspend. If one spouse has made a lot more than the other, and the higher-earning spouse wants to keep working, that spouse can claim benefits at full retirement age, while suspending payments indefinitely. The lower-earning spouse can then take the 50 percent spousal benefit. This means the couple gets a steady Social Security check, but the higher-earning spouse’s suspended payments will increase that spouse’s Social Security benefit over time.
- Claim twice. If the two spouses have made a similar amount over their lifetimes, they can take lower payments to start while boosting Social Security payout later on. In this case, both spouses retire, taking the regular Social Security benefit for one and the smaller spousal benefit for the other. Later on, the second spouse can withdraw off of his or her own Social Security benefits. In this way, the couple gets 50 percent more than just one spouse’s benefit early in retirement, and a much higher second Social Security check later on.
- Survivor benefit. It’s also important to think about what will happen to the surviving spouse if one of you dies. Waiting until full retirement age to collect Social Security boosts the surviving spouse’s monthly benefit, so this is typically a good idea.
If You Keep Working
In some cases, it’s best to delay taking benefits if you keep working in order to build up the bigger benefit. If you’re wavering about taking benefits early, at 62, while you still work, it’s usually best to delay at least until you reach full retirement age. If the market works in your favor, you may get a better return on your investment by taking Social Security payments while you’re still working. Just invest the Social Security checks each month, and you may get a better payout in the long run. The problem with this strategy is that it depends on the volatile market. If you don’t get a good payout, or if your investments lose money, you’ll be out that Social Security money, and you’ll live with the smaller benefit checks for the rest of your life. If you can’t afford to lose the money, this is probably not the best option for you. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you shouldn’t take benefits while you work. Remember, if you make more than $15,120 (in 2013, at least) while taking Social Security benefits, your benefits are reduced now, but will be boosted once you hit full retirement age or stop working. As we noted above, the boosted benefit will likely still be smaller than your benefit would have been had you waited to draw Social Security until full retirement age. Once you reach full retirement age, you can continue working for any amount of money, while still drawing your full, standard Social Security benefit. Still, you may want to continue putting off applying for your Social Security checks, as the monthly benefit will continue to grow with each month that you put off drawing Social Security, until the month you reach your 70th birthday.The Future of Social Security
Right now, the future of the Social Security program is largely unknown. Because of today’s longer life expectancy, people are staying in the system longer than ever before, which is hurting its sustainability. At the moment, the Social Security Administration estimates that by 2033, they’ll have enough funding to pay about 77 percent of current Social Security benefits. This doesn’t mean that you’ll only get 77 percent of your current or future estimated benefits. But it does mean that for younger workers especially, Social Security may end up making up a smaller portion of their retirement income than it once did. The best we can do to understand the future of Social Security is to wait and see.Making the Best Choice for You
As a personal finance blog, we can’t tell you exactly what to do when it comes to drawing your Social Security benefits. Personal finance is just that–personal–and to offer advice without speaking to an individual one on one would be foolhardy. All this blog can do is offer you the information you need to make wise, well-informed, personal decisions. The bottom line is that if you aren’t completely comfortable making this decision on your own, you should consider talking with a qualified financial counselor who will talk you through your options. In the meantime, we invite you to look at this list of resources and further reading, which may make your Social Security decision a bit easier: Calculators SSA Retirement Estimator–This loose estimate tool is good if you don’t currently qualify for benefits (i.e., if you’re younger but curious about future benefits) SSA Online Calculator–This is a slightly more detailed version of the estimator and lets you input wages for all your working years. SSA Windfall Elimination Provision Calculator–If you have or will have a pension that’s not covered by Social Security, use this calculator for a more accurate estimate of your benefits. SSA Detailed Calculator–This more detailed calculator uses your Social Security record to give you a much more accurate estimate of benefits. Your Online Social Security Statement–Whether you qualify for Social Security, you can check out your online benefits statement here. The information in this statement will help you accurately fill out any of the above calculators. Further Reading What You Need to Know When You Get Retirement or Survivors Benefits–SSA 5 Things Every Woman Should Know About Social Security–SSA What Young Workers Should Know About Social Security and Saving–SSA 10 Things to Know about Social Security–Kiplinger Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Social Security’s Future–American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Social Security–US News Social Security is worth $225,000 for a typical retiree–Dough Roller Are Social Security Benefits Taxable?–Dough Roller Maximize My Social Security Software Review – Calculating the Best Time to Bank Your Benefits–Dough RollerNext Steps
Social Security is a very complex system, but we've broken it down so anyone can start figuring what kinds of social security benefits to expect.The post The Definitive Guide to Social Security Benefits appeared first on The Dough Roller.
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