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Ask Rusty: When Should My Wife Claim SS Benefits?
Dear Rusty: I turned 64 in July and my wife turned 62 in August. My wife has not worked for about 15 years but does qualify for Social Security (SS) on her prior work record. My wife is having some physical issues and would like to not return to work. Since she is eligible to […]
VIEWPOINT: IRS Clarifies 403(b) Plans’ Obligations to Part-Timers
On Oct. 3, 2024, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released important guidance on the obligations of 403(b) plan sponsors to their part-time employees. Under recently passed legislation that is effective Jan. 1, 2025, a long-term, part-time (LTPT) employee — one who works 500 or more hours in each of two consecutive years — must be
VIEWPOINT: Strategies for Success: Top 5 Audit & Compliance Challenges
For financial institutions The regulatory compliance environment is becoming increasingly complex for financial institutions. A multitude of challenges — ranging from representment fees and fair-lending practices to AI privacy concerns, adjustable-rate mortgage compliance, and interest-rate risk management — demand meticulous attention from internal audit and compliance teams. Here are several strategies that financial institutions can
VIEWPOINT: Revamping Your Cybersecurity Policies & Procedures
Tips and Tricks As each year passes and technology advances, businesses face an increasingly difficult task to maintain adequate security measures to protect their organizations’ assets and data. With this in mind, it is important to review your cybersecurity policies and procedures at least annually to ensure they are up to date and reflect advancements
VIEWPOINT: Manufacturing Growth Needs Realistic Energy Approaches
Manufacturing is under-appreciated in New York state. Why is this? One of the main reasons is that there is a negative perception of manufacturing as an industry that is dirty, polluting, and low-skilled. This perception is blatantly false. Manufacturers are real innovators in protecting our environment and building sustainable facilities and they make meaningful progress
Ask Rusty: About Disability Benefits While Still Working
Dear Rusty: I retired at my full retirement age, am now 79, and will be 80 in December. I have been working consistently since. I get a meager Social Security (SS) benefit, only about $800 [per month] due to my federal retirement offset. Most jobs I have held since filing and collecting SS have involved
VIEWPOINT: The Business of Fundraising: Top Marketing Trends for 2025
Digital and mail continue to co-exist Development, foundation, and marketing-communications offices pivoting from mail to digital need to think hard about brand awareness and the long multi-media game. Using just one without the other makes prospective donors less informed and leaves potential revenue on the table. For a recent and familiar example, while we don’t
VIEWPOINT: Navigating the PR Landscape: Small-Business Strategies for Success
Running a small business is demanding. Fifty-six percent of owners have less than an hour a day for marketing, and 73 percent lack confidence in their efforts’ effectiveness. With so much focus on operations, customer service, and growth, marketing and communications often get sidelined. Budget limitations, lack of formal training, and the pressure to manage
VIEWPOINT: ROI Begins With Creativity
Maintaining creative independence in a world of marketing shortcuts The best digital marketers can never have too much information. The ability to harness the quantitative insights relevant to any campaign, and use them to create actionable strategies, is essential to every successful marketing enterprise in 2024. At the same time, it’s easy to get lost
Ask Rusty: About Special Credits for Military Service
Dear Rusty: I just learned that if I served in the military during an active-duty period, I could get extra earnings for Social Security and that these benefits would be automatically added to my record, but I was never asked by the Social Security Administration (SSA) employee who calculated my benefits if I was in
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