Social Security Benefits for Widows in Michigan

When Anne’s husband passed, her social security benefit was the last of her concerns. Finding the right cemetery, breaking the news to friends and family, and grief dominated her thoughts. Who can blame her? The man that she had been…

Qualifying For U.S. Social Security, Canada CPP and OAS (Totalization Agreement)

In 1984, the U.S. and Canada finalized an agreement that allows a person to qualify for both U.S. Social Security and Canadian retirement benefits. This made it easier for people who worked in both countries to qualify for retirement benefits…

Social Security Strategies When You Also Have a Canadian Pension

If you worked in both the U.S. and Canada, there is a good chance that you will have both U.S. social security and a Canadian pension. Unfortunately, this brings an added wrinkle regarding when you should turn on each benefit.…

How Your Canada Pension Plan (CPP) Impacts Your U.S. Social Security Benefit

Retirement planning is hard enough if you have always lived and worked in the United States.  If you have worked in both Canada and the U.S., retirement planning may seem impossible.  You have to deal with a moving exchange rate,…