An old friend of mine (we met shortly before my 17th birthday) is now eligible for full Social Security benefits. She’s been having trouble applying online, because the system isn’t accepting the checking account number she wants to use for direct deposit.
Fortunately, she’s in no hurry to figure out the problem, because she’s still deciding on when to start receiving her benefits. Other retirees who are having trouble with the Social Security Administration don’t have the luxury of waiting.
I ran into a bit of tax return difficulty some years ago, when my wife was recruited for a position with future Massachusetts governor Charlie Baker, who was then the CEO of Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare. She was paid a modest stipend for attending a monthly meeting, and that small amount of money became a big headache.
That experience helped to cement my view that complicating the Social Security equation by adding earned income is asking for trouble. Which was why one of my retirement goals was to not have, or need, a paying job. Of course this isn’t possible for many retirees and, sorry to say, 60 Minutes has confirmed my concern.