Social Security

States that tax Social Security fell to eight after West Virginia’s deduction hit 100%. The catch: which tax year your state’s cutoff belongs to.

Withholding tax from Social Security only became possible in 1997 — thirteen years after benefits became taxable. How to set it, and what it can’t reach.

The Social Security senior deduction is worth nothing to the lowest-income seniors — a deduction only cuts tax you already owe.

Is Social Security taxable? Tax on the first half of your included benefit is credited back to Social Security’s own trust funds; the rest funds Medicare.

Social Security family maximum: of 225 two-record cases sampled, auditors found 36% computed wrong — eleven years after the same audit finding.

Social Security child benefits averaged $532.84 a month for children of disabled workers in April 2026 — and $1,179.73 for children of deceased workers.

Divorced spouse Social Security comes with a common promise: your ex will never know. If they haven’t filed yet, SSA’s own manual says otherwise.

Survivor benefits can exceed 100% of a late spouse’s benefit — if they delayed past their own full retirement age. Most pages say 100% is the ceiling.

Social Security spousal benefits can’t start until your spouse files — a rule the agency’s own eligibility page no longer states.

How to apply for Social Security online carries one gap: SSA’s own manual says the form cannot capture your intent to file for a spouse or child.