Many people think that claiming Social Security is a simple process–that is, until they do it.

Ken Sokol is living proof of this. He retired from his engineering career at Hallmark in the early 2000s at the age of 54. Soon, he found himself digging deep into how Social Security claims actually worked, became a traveling lecturer on the topic, and joined the National Academy of Social Insurance–a think tank based in Washington, D.C. working to help retirees understand the choices they make and what’s really at stake when it comes to Social Security.

In today’s episode, we discuss strategies you can do, and mistakes to avoid, when claiming Social Security. We’ll cover why your retirement distribution strategy could be the difference between bringing in, or losing, more retirement income. Additionally, we’ll review some financial questions you should be asking yourself as you prepare for retirement.

In this podcast interview, you’ll learn:

• How provisional income limits work–and why you stand to lose more money than you think you do by making mistakes in your claims.
• Why boomers are going to blow away life expectancy tables–and how to build a financial plan that takes this into account.
• Why choosing to withdraw from a Roth IRA or a traditional IRA first is not an either-or question.
• Why the Social Security office will never help answer your questions–and who can.

Get Today's Show Notes

To get a full recap of today's conversation, including the biggest takeaways, transcripts, and links to all the resources mentioned, visit GuidedRetirementShow.com/63

Learn More about Retirement Planning

Find out more about retirement planning and Barber Financial Group, by visiting BarberFinancialGroup.com