Worried about retirement? Already retired and want to reduce costs? These tips can help you reduce spending and learn more about benefits available to you. And, it will help you reduce identity theft.
Read more to learn about:
- Benefits available to you
- Free Credit Reports that, when regularly reviewed, could save you money by lowering the interest rates on your credit card
- Where to check for unclaimed pensions
- Planning for healthcare costs in retirement and Social Security Benefits estimators.
- Books with creative ways to reduce spending
Getting Ready to retire? The Social Security Administration has calculators to estimate your benefit at http://www.ssa.gov/planners/benefitcalculators.html. AARP also has a similar Social Security Calculator which can be found at http://www.aarp.org/work/social-security/social-security-benefits-calculator.html.
AARP’s Healthcare Costs Estimator (http://www.aarp.org/work/retirement-planning/the-aarp-healthcare-costs-calculator/) can help you determine whether you’ve saved enough. Medicare’s Costs Calculators (https://www.medicare.gov/your-medicare-costs/) breaks down costs in the Medicare Program and informs you of options you can use to get help paying costs.
The National Council on the Aging has created a website called BenefitsCheckup, which can help you find out whether there are any benefit programs that could help you pay for prescriptions, pay for food, as well as learn more about Health Insurance Counseling, Transportation Programs, Assistive Technology Programs, Volunteer Opportunities and Alzheimer’s Programs.
Concerned about Identity Theft? Review your Credit Report at AnnualCreditReport.com with the three major credit bureaus. If you are 65 or older (Or have been a victim of Identity Theft, regardless of age), you can request a security freeze from the three major credit bureaus. To stop getting telemarketing calls, register for the National Do-Not-Call Registry. Register for free, online at www.donotcall.gov/ or by phone at 1(888)-382-1222. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has a number of resources available at http://www.consumerfinance.gov/older-americans/additional-resources/.
Want to see if there’s an unclaimed Pension in your name? Visit PBGC.Gov and take a look! You can also call them at their Customer Contact Center: 1-800-400-7242. PBGC Customer Contact Center hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday – Friday (except Federal holidays).
These books, available at the library, can also help you plan for retirement and reduce costs:
The AARP Retirement Planning Survival Guide
Retirement on a shoestring / by John Howells
How to retire the cheapskate way [sound recording CD] / Jeff Yeager