OK, class. You’ve been reading my column for a number of years now. It’s time to see how much you’ve learned. So put on your thinking caps, get out your No. 2 pencils, and good luck with this short pop quiz. Question 1: How many years of earnings are used to compute a Social Security…

I suppose it’s normal for husbands to give some extra thought to getting something for their wives around Valentine’s Day. And if my emails are any indication, these guys weren’t just thinking of getting them some flowers or candy. They were thinking about giving them spousal benefits from Social Security. (And before I go on,…

Sometimes I think my wife and I are the last middle-class couple in the country who haven’t hired a maid to clean the house. I know we’re the last couple in our neighborhood who are “maidless.” Every week, up and down our block, I see maids pulling up to houses, getting out their vacuums and…

If I had a million dollars, I’d buy commercial time at the upcoming Super Bowl and run an ad that would say, in big bold letters, “SSI is not Social Security.” I have written dozens of past columns about this topic. But I’ve just got to do so again. It seems to me that just…