Real Answers for Life’s Money Challenges
I had a good run in sales in my chosen field.
I was in that bunch.
To make a long story short, it has been a struggle since 1993 to pay the bills.
I made less and less in salary until I was down to making minimum wage in retail.
By 2011, I was burned out and quit.
I took Social Security early at age 62.
I thought Id earned enough to live on.
Social Security doesnt pay the bills.
After trying it for one year I had to go back to work part time.
Ive been doing this ever since and really am tired of it all.
My question: Is there any REAL way to increase my benefit I took at age 62?
My full retirement age was 67.
I am now 70 years old.
I am on many blogs looking to make income.
It is all BS to be quite blunt.
They dont really tell me anything new: invest in good dividend-paying stocks, start your own business.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
I really dont want to work anymore.
All I need is about $1,000 a month and I can quit my lousy part-time job in retail.
Its not bad advice for people who still havedecades left until retirement.
Or ask Social Security to suspend your benefits if youre at least full retirement age but under 70.
But obviously, neither is an option in your case.
That said, you may qualify for assistance beyond your retirement income.
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If youre looking to boost your income this month, weve got just the thing for you.
The National Council on Aging maintains a database of more than 2,500 assistance programs atbenefitscheckup.org.
If you own a home, one option to consider is areverse mortgage.
Enough to move somewhere with a lower cost of living?
Or is there a way you could earn money thats not as lousy than your part-time retail job?
I get it: Youre 70 and exhausted from working.
But if thats truly your only option, consider some alternatives for making money.
For example, could driving for Uber or doing a work-from-home customer service job be a little less taxing?
There are no easy solutions here.
You do have options, though none of them are perfect.
Robin Hartill is a senior editor at The Penny Hoarder and the voice behind Dear Penny.
Send your questions about retirement to[email protected].
