Author: Jane Burigsay, Social Security Public Affairs Specialist in Hawai‘i

  • Your Sweet Recipe for Retirement

    Steaming gravy, savory stuffing and sweet potatoes — four types of pie for dessert: pumpkin, apple, sweet potato, and pecan. Every family has its Thanksgiving dinner traditions and recipes to create a perfect holiday meal. If you fail to plan or measure your ingredients, your pie could be a real flop. Planning for your future…

  • Women and Social Security

    Social Security values and appreciates women. Men and women with identical earnings histories receive the same benefits, yet women should know about certain trends, differences in lifestyle and patterns of earnings that may affect their benefits. For example, some women may be caregivers for many people: spouses, children and parents. Taking time away from the…

  • Social Security Turns 80

    Eighty years ago, on Aug. 14, 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law. The new law guaranteed a basic income for retirees and, at the time, the unemployed. Over the years, Social Security has expanded its safety net beyond retirees to provide benefits for people with disabilities and the chronically…

  • Helping as a Representative Payee

    If you handle the finances for a Social Security beneficiary or know someone who may need help managing benefits, you may consider applying to become a representative payee. A representative payee is someone who receives Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments on behalf of a person not capable of managing the funds on…

  • Social Security Brain Teasers

    Test your knowledge or learn a few things today — with this in mind, tease your brain with these bits of Social Security trivia: When was the Social Security Act signed into law, and who signed it? When did Social Security begin paying disability benefits? Is there any significance to the digits in your Social…

  • Social Security Fights Against Fraud

    If you’re like most people, you protect what’s valuable to you. To protect your family financially, you buy health and life insurance. To protect your home, you get homeowner’s insurance, a security alarm, or perhaps a large dog. You hide your jewelry in a safe place or buy insurance in case you need to replace…

  • Your Spouse May Be Covered

    If your spouse does not earn income or earns less than you do, he/she (including a samesex spouse) may be entitled to Social Security spouse’s benefits, based on your record. Perhaps one spouse earned significantly more or worked longer than the other. Maybe one spouse stayed home to raise children, care for elders or manage…

  • Social Security Helps Veterans

    November 11, Veterans Day, is a time to honor the men and women who risk their lives to protect our freedom. Join us in saluting the men and women of the armed forces. Be sure to say “thank you” to all veterans on this important day. At Social Security’s Wounded Warriors website: www.socialsecurity.gov/woundedwarriors, we answer…

  • Medicare and The Working Individual

    Take your family for ice cream and you’ll find a variety of flavors. Same with Social Security, most people think of retirement, but that’s like limiting yourself to vanilla. Social Security has a variety of benefits. Know them all online at www.socialsecurity.gov. Retirement — by far is our most popular flavor. Most people need about…

  • Don’t Stress Over Fraud

    April is Stress Awareness Month, but one thing that should never cause stress is doing business with Social Security. However, if you fall victim to fraud, it can really stress you out, not to mention damage your credit score and wallet. We encourage you to be cautious of suspicious email, letters, and phone calls or…