Podcasts about social security office

Lori Daybell Trial: She Called It an Accident Lori Vallow called the life insurance company just one week after Charles Vallow was shot to death, calmly reporting his death and trying to file a claim on his $2 million policy. When asked the cause of death, Lori paused, then said, “Well, he was shot. I don't know if I want to put that,” before quickly clarifying, “It was an accident.” In that moment, she wasn't calling as a grieving widow. She sounded like someone handling paperwork for a delayed flight. Robin Scott, a claims processor for Banner Life, testified that Lori believed she was still the primary beneficiary. But Charles had changed that months before, making Kay Woodcock—the grandmother of JJ Vallow—the sole recipient. Banner sent Lori a letter informing her she wasn't the beneficiary. It didn't say who was, just that she wasn't. After receiving the email, Lori left a voicemail, then finally got Scott on the phone. In that recorded call played in court, Lori gave her name, spelled out the policy number, and made a point of noting that she and Charles had five kids and had been married fifteen years. She also brought up their adopted 7-year-old son, JJ, who had autism, expressing shock that Charles would make a beneficiary change without telling her. But none of that changed the facts—she was no longer entitled to the money. Scott explained in her testimony that changing a beneficiary is a straightforward but secure process. If a policy is valued over $500,000, the form must be notarized. That's exactly what Charles did in February 2019, five months before his death. Lori may have suspected it, but hearing the confirmation seemed to catch her off guard. Back in the courtroom, forensic evidence added grim clarity to what really happened to Charles Vallow. Dr. Derek Baumgarner, the medical examiner who performed the autopsy, described two fatal gunshot wounds. One to the chest and one to the abdomen. The first bullet traveled through the chest, perforating the heart, and exited out the back. The second shot entered the abdomen, tore through tissue and a lung, then exited out the shoulder. The exit wound bore a telltale “shored” pattern—meaning Charles was lying against a hard surface when the bullet exited his body. He was likely shot again while already on the ground. There was stippling near one wound—tiny abrasions caused by gunpowder particles—indicating the gun was fired from close range, likely just two to four feet away. No drugs or alcohol were found in Charles' system. The official cause of death: multiple gunshot wounds. And according to the ME, neither wound was instantly fatal—Charles may have lived for a few seconds, maybe a few minutes. Enough time, perhaps, to reach toward his injuries or collapse to his knees, as abrasions on his knees and hands suggested a fall. Firearms expert Jeff Moberg from the Department of Public Safety testified about the gun used in the shooting. A semi-automatic handgun, found in Alex Cox's bag, had fired the rounds recovered from the scene. When a bullet travels through the barrel, it picks up microscopic markings—essentially a ballistic fingerprint. That fingerprint matched casings found at the scene to Alex's gun. Moberg explained how casings from semi-automatic firearms are ejected after firing. One trigger pull, one shot, and then it cycles another round. It's not just the projectile that carries evidence—the casing left behind holds telltale markings too. Moberg, trained in forensic firearm analysis, verified that the casings from the scene were consistent with rounds fired from Alex Cox's gun. The kind of evidence that doesn't lie, doesn't bend to emotion, and doesn't forget. Then came the financials. The Social Security Office's Mark Saari testified that Lori Vallow received survivor benefits not just for JJ Vallow, but for herself as well. After Charles' death, she received $1,951 per month for JJ, with backpay of nearly $4,000. She also received her own benefits, totaling around the same amount. Combined, Lori was pulling in almost $4,000 a month. But there was a catch. If she remarried, her eligibility for the spousal portion of the benefit would end. Which is exactly what happened when she married Chad Daybell in November 2019. The payments stopped—at least the ones meant for her. Saari also revealed that Lori had previously been receiving benefits as the representative payee for Tylee Ryan, from the death of Tylee's father. It wasn't just one financial pipeline—Lori had several. But Social Security benefits require recipients to follow the rules, and when Saari investigated, he found discrepancies. For instance, Lori never told the agency she had remarried. She continued to receive spousal benefits until investigators discovered the change. That's not a clerical error. That's fraud. On the stand, Lori attempted to suggest that Social Security employees might have made mistakes during her application process, that maybe someone entered the wrong code or clicked the wrong box. But Saari stood firm. He had reviewed all the documentation. The forms Lori filled out were correct—for the benefits she applied for. And she applied for them. In the end, all the legal wrangling, insurance claims, and benefit paperwork come back to one day: July 11, 2019. That's when Charles Vallow was shot. Two bullets. No drugs. One witness—Alex Cox—who claimed it was self-defense. But the physical evidence, the phone calls, the policy forms, and the forensic reports all speak louder than words. #LoriVallow #CharlesVallow #TrueCrimePodcast #AutopsyEvidence Want to listen to ALL our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com The latest on The Downfall of Diddy, The Trial of Karen Read, The Murder Of Maddie Soto, Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK's Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, The Menendez Brothers: Quest For Justice, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, The Murder Of Sandra Birchmore, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com

Lori Vallow called the life insurance company just one week after Charles Vallow was shot to death, calmly reporting his death and trying to file a claim on his $2 million policy. When asked the cause of death, Lori paused, then said, “Well, he was shot. I don't know if I want to put that,” before quickly clarifying, “It was an accident.” In that moment, she wasn't calling as a grieving widow. She sounded like someone handling paperwork for a delayed flight. Robin Scott, a claims processor for Banner Life, testified that Lori believed she was still the primary beneficiary. But Charles had changed that months before, making Kay Woodcock—the grandmother of JJ Vallow—the sole recipient. Banner sent Lori a letter informing her she wasn't the beneficiary. It didn't say who was, just that she wasn't. After receiving the email, Lori left a voicemail, then finally got Scott on the phone. In that recorded call played in court, Lori gave her name, spelled out the policy number, and made a point of noting that she and Charles had five kids and had been married fifteen years. She also brought up their adopted 7-year-old son, JJ, who had autism, expressing shock that Charles would make a beneficiary change without telling her. But none of that changed the facts—she was no longer entitled to the money. Scott explained in her testimony that changing a beneficiary is a straightforward but secure process. If a policy is valued over $500,000, the form must be notarized. That's exactly what Charles did in February 2019, five months before his death. Lori may have suspected it, but hearing the confirmation seemed to catch her off guard. Back in the courtroom, forensic evidence added grim clarity to what really happened to Charles Vallow. Dr. Derek Baumgarner, the medical examiner who performed the autopsy, described two fatal gunshot wounds. One to the chest and one to the abdomen. The first bullet traveled through the chest, perforating the heart, and exited out the back. The second shot entered the abdomen, tore through tissue and a lung, then exited out the shoulder. The exit wound bore a telltale “shored” pattern—meaning Charles was lying against a hard surface when the bullet exited his body. He was likely shot again while already on the ground. There was stippling near one wound—tiny abrasions caused by gunpowder particles—indicating the gun was fired from close range, likely just two to four feet away. No drugs or alcohol were found in Charles' system. The official cause of death: multiple gunshot wounds. And according to the ME, neither wound was instantly fatal—Charles may have lived for a few seconds, maybe a few minutes. Enough time, perhaps, to reach toward his injuries or collapse to his knees, as abrasions on his knees and hands suggested a fall. Firearms expert Jeff Moberg from the Department of Public Safety testified about the gun used in the shooting. A semi-automatic handgun, found in Alex Cox's bag, had fired the rounds recovered from the scene. When a bullet travels through the barrel, it picks up microscopic markings—essentially a ballistic fingerprint. That fingerprint matched casings found at the scene to Alex's gun. Moberg explained how casings from semi-automatic firearms are ejected after firing. One trigger pull, one shot, and then it cycles another round. It's not just the projectile that carries evidence—the casing left behind holds telltale markings too. Moberg, trained in forensic firearm analysis, verified that the casings from the scene were consistent with rounds fired from Alex Cox's gun. The kind of evidence that doesn't lie, doesn't bend to emotion, and doesn't forget. Then came the financials. The Social Security Office's Mark Saari testified that Lori Vallow received survivor benefits not just for JJ Vallow, but for herself as well. After Charles' death, she received $1,951 per month for JJ, with backpay of nearly $4,000. She also received her own benefits, totaling around the same amount. Combined, Lori was pulling in almost $4,000 a month. But there was a catch. If she remarried, her eligibility for the spousal portion of the benefit would end. Which is exactly what happened when she married Chad Daybell in November 2019. The payments stopped—at least the ones meant for her. Saari also revealed that Lori had previously been receiving benefits as the representative payee for Tylee Ryan, from the death of Tylee's father. It wasn't just one financial pipeline—Lori had several. But Social Security benefits require recipients to follow the rules, and when Saari investigated, he found discrepancies. For instance, Lori never told the agency she had remarried. She continued to receive spousal benefits until investigators discovered the change. That's not a clerical error. That's fraud. On the stand, Lori attempted to suggest that Social Security employees might have made mistakes during her application process, that maybe someone entered the wrong code or clicked the wrong box. But Saari stood firm. He had reviewed all the documentation. The forms Lori filled out were correct—for the benefits she applied for. And she applied for them. In the end, all the legal wrangling, insurance claims, and benefit paperwork come back to one day: July 11, 2019. That's when Charles Vallow was shot. Two bullets. No drugs. One witness—Alex Cox—who claimed it was self-defense. But the physical evidence, the phone calls, the policy forms, and the forensic reports all speak louder than words. #LoriVallow #CharlesVallow #TrueCrimePodcast #AutopsyEvidence Want to listen to ALL our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com The latest on The Downfall of Diddy, The Trial of Karen Read, The Murder Of Maddie Soto, Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK's Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, The Menendez Brothers: Quest For Justice, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, The Murder Of Sandra Birchmore, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com

Lori Vallow called the life insurance company just one week after Charles Vallow was shot to death, calmly reporting his death and trying to file a claim on his $2 million policy. When asked the cause of death, Lori paused, then said, “Well, he was shot. I don't know if I want to put that,” before quickly clarifying, “It was an accident.” In that moment, she wasn't calling as a grieving widow. She sounded like someone handling paperwork for a delayed flight. Robin Scott, a claims processor for Banner Life, testified that Lori believed she was still the primary beneficiary. But Charles had changed that months before, making Kay Woodcock—the grandmother of JJ Vallow—the sole recipient. Banner sent Lori a letter informing her she wasn't the beneficiary. It didn't say who was, just that she wasn't. After receiving the email, Lori left a voicemail, then finally got Scott on the phone. In that recorded call played in court, Lori gave her name, spelled out the policy number, and made a point of noting that she and Charles had five kids and had been married fifteen years. She also brought up their adopted 7-year-old son, JJ, who had autism, expressing shock that Charles would make a beneficiary change without telling her. But none of that changed the facts—she was no longer entitled to the money. Scott explained in her testimony that changing a beneficiary is a straightforward but secure process. If a policy is valued over $500,000, the form must be notarized. That's exactly what Charles did in February 2019, five months before his death. Lori may have suspected it, but hearing the confirmation seemed to catch her off guard. Back in the courtroom, forensic evidence added grim clarity to what really happened to Charles Vallow. Dr. Derek Baumgarner, the medical examiner who performed the autopsy, described two fatal gunshot wounds. One to the chest and one to the abdomen. The first bullet traveled through the chest, perforating the heart, and exited out the back. The second shot entered the abdomen, tore through tissue and a lung, then exited out the shoulder. The exit wound bore a telltale “shored” pattern—meaning Charles was lying against a hard surface when the bullet exited his body. He was likely shot again while already on the ground. There was stippling near one wound—tiny abrasions caused by gunpowder particles—indicating the gun was fired from close range, likely just two to four feet away. No drugs or alcohol were found in Charles' system. The official cause of death: multiple gunshot wounds. And according to the ME, neither wound was instantly fatal—Charles may have lived for a few seconds, maybe a few minutes. Enough time, perhaps, to reach toward his injuries or collapse to his knees, as abrasions on his knees and hands suggested a fall. Firearms expert Jeff Moberg from the Department of Public Safety testified about the gun used in the shooting. A semi-automatic handgun, found in Alex Cox's bag, had fired the rounds recovered from the scene. When a bullet travels through the barrel, it picks up microscopic markings—essentially a ballistic fingerprint. That fingerprint matched casings found at the scene to Alex's gun. Moberg explained how casings from semi-automatic firearms are ejected after firing. One trigger pull, one shot, and then it cycles another round. It's not just the projectile that carries evidence—the casing left behind holds telltale markings too. Moberg, trained in forensic firearm analysis, verified that the casings from the scene were consistent with rounds fired from Alex Cox's gun. The kind of evidence that doesn't lie, doesn't bend to emotion, and doesn't forget. Then came the financials. The Social Security Office's Mark Saari testified that Lori Vallow received survivor benefits not just for JJ Vallow, but for herself as well. After Charles' death, she received $1,951 per month for JJ, with backpay of nearly $4,000. She also received her own benefits, totaling around the same amount. Combined, Lori was pulling in almost $4,000 a month. But there was a catch. If she remarried, her eligibility for the spousal portion of the benefit would end. Which is exactly what happened when she married Chad Daybell in November 2019. The payments stopped—at least the ones meant for her. Saari also revealed that Lori had previously been receiving benefits as the representative payee for Tylee Ryan, from the death of Tylee's father. It wasn't just one financial pipeline—Lori had several. But Social Security benefits require recipients to follow the rules, and when Saari investigated, he found discrepancies. For instance, Lori never told the agency she had remarried. She continued to receive spousal benefits until investigators discovered the change. That's not a clerical error. That's fraud. On the stand, Lori attempted to suggest that Social Security employees might have made mistakes during her application process, that maybe someone entered the wrong code or clicked the wrong box. But Saari stood firm. He had reviewed all the documentation. The forms Lori filled out were correct—for the benefits she applied for. And she applied for them. In the end, all the legal wrangling, insurance claims, and benefit paperwork come back to one day: July 11, 2019. That's when Charles Vallow was shot. Two bullets. No drugs. One witness—Alex Cox—who claimed it was self-defense. But the physical evidence, the phone calls, the policy forms, and the forensic reports all speak louder than words. #LoriVallow #CharlesVallow #TrueCrimePodcast #AutopsyEvidence Want to listen to ALL our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com The latest on The Downfall of Diddy, The Trial of Karen Read, The Murder Of Maddie Soto, Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK's Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, The Menendez Brothers: Quest For Justice, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, The Murder Of Sandra Birchmore, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com

Lori Daybell Trial: She Called It an Accident Lori Vallow called the life insurance company just one week after Charles Vallow was shot to death, calmly reporting his death and trying to file a claim on his $2 million policy. When asked the cause of death, Lori paused, then said, “Well, he was shot. I don't know if I want to put that,” before quickly clarifying, “It was an accident.” In that moment, she wasn't calling as a grieving widow. She sounded like someone handling paperwork for a delayed flight. Robin Scott, a claims processor for Banner Life, testified that Lori believed she was still the primary beneficiary. But Charles had changed that months before, making Kay Woodcock—the grandmother of JJ Vallow—the sole recipient. Banner sent Lori a letter informing her she wasn't the beneficiary. It didn't say who was, just that she wasn't. After receiving the email, Lori left a voicemail, then finally got Scott on the phone. In that recorded call played in court, Lori gave her name, spelled out the policy number, and made a point of noting that she and Charles had five kids and had been married fifteen years. She also brought up their adopted 7-year-old son, JJ, who had autism, expressing shock that Charles would make a beneficiary change without telling her. But none of that changed the facts—she was no longer entitled to the money. Scott explained in her testimony that changing a beneficiary is a straightforward but secure process. If a policy is valued over $500,000, the form must be notarized. That's exactly what Charles did in February 2019, five months before his death. Lori may have suspected it, but hearing the confirmation seemed to catch her off guard. Back in the courtroom, forensic evidence added grim clarity to what really happened to Charles Vallow. Dr. Derek Baumgarner, the medical examiner who performed the autopsy, described two fatal gunshot wounds. One to the chest and one to the abdomen. The first bullet traveled through the chest, perforating the heart, and exited out the back. The second shot entered the abdomen, tore through tissue and a lung, then exited out the shoulder. The exit wound bore a telltale “shored” pattern—meaning Charles was lying against a hard surface when the bullet exited his body. He was likely shot again while already on the ground. There was stippling near one wound—tiny abrasions caused by gunpowder particles—indicating the gun was fired from close range, likely just two to four feet away. No drugs or alcohol were found in Charles' system. The official cause of death: multiple gunshot wounds. And according to the ME, neither wound was instantly fatal—Charles may have lived for a few seconds, maybe a few minutes. Enough time, perhaps, to reach toward his injuries or collapse to his knees, as abrasions on his knees and hands suggested a fall. Firearms expert Jeff Moberg from the Department of Public Safety testified about the gun used in the shooting. A semi-automatic handgun, found in Alex Cox's bag, had fired the rounds recovered from the scene. When a bullet travels through the barrel, it picks up microscopic markings—essentially a ballistic fingerprint. That fingerprint matched casings found at the scene to Alex's gun. Moberg explained how casings from semi-automatic firearms are ejected after firing. One trigger pull, one shot, and then it cycles another round. It's not just the projectile that carries evidence—the casing left behind holds telltale markings too. Moberg, trained in forensic firearm analysis, verified that the casings from the scene were consistent with rounds fired from Alex Cox's gun. The kind of evidence that doesn't lie, doesn't bend to emotion, and doesn't forget. Then came the financials. The Social Security Office's Mark Saari testified that Lori Vallow received survivor benefits not just for JJ Vallow, but for herself as well. After Charles' death, she received $1,951 per month for JJ, with backpay of nearly $4,000. She also received her own benefits, totaling around the same amount. Combined, Lori was pulling in almost $4,000 a month. But there was a catch. If she remarried, her eligibility for the spousal portion of the benefit would end. Which is exactly what happened when she married Chad Daybell in November 2019. The payments stopped—at least the ones meant for her. Saari also revealed that Lori had previously been receiving benefits as the representative payee for Tylee Ryan, from the death of Tylee's father. It wasn't just one financial pipeline—Lori had several. But Social Security benefits require recipients to follow the rules, and when Saari investigated, he found discrepancies. For instance, Lori never told the agency she had remarried. She continued to receive spousal benefits until investigators discovered the change. That's not a clerical error. That's fraud. On the stand, Lori attempted to suggest that Social Security employees might have made mistakes during her application process, that maybe someone entered the wrong code or clicked the wrong box. But Saari stood firm. He had reviewed all the documentation. The forms Lori filled out were correct—for the benefits she applied for. And she applied for them. In the end, all the legal wrangling, insurance claims, and benefit paperwork come back to one day: July 11, 2019. That's when Charles Vallow was shot. Two bullets. No drugs. One witness—Alex Cox—who claimed it was self-defense. But the physical evidence, the phone calls, the policy forms, and the forensic reports all speak louder than words. #LoriVallow #CharlesVallow #TrueCrimePodcast #AutopsyEvidence Want to listen to ALL our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com The latest on The Downfall of Diddy, The Trial of Karen Read, The Murder Of Maddie Soto, Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK's Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, The Menendez Brothers: Quest For Justice, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, The Murder Of Sandra Birchmore, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com

Protest at Social Security spread to offices near Katy, Texas. Steve Rattner explained all the intricacies of Trump's tariffs.Subscribe to our Newsletter:https://politicsdoneright.com/newsletterPurchase our Books: As I See It: https://amzn.to/3XpvW5o How To Make AmericaUtopia: https://amzn.to/3VKVFnG It's Worth It: https://amzn.to/3VFByXP Lose Weight And BeFit Now: https://amzn.to/3xiQK3K Tribulations of anAfro-Latino Caribbean man: https://amzn.to/4c09rbE

Thank you Egberto Willies, Floral, Judith Fenley, janrcook.artisan@gmail.com, Marty Rose, and many others for tuning into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app.* Protest at Social Security spread to offices near Katy, Texas. Protesters explain why: Neil Aquino visited with Social Security office protesters near Katy, TX. They explain the importance of the program and why all must engage. Neil Aquino is th… To hear more, visit egberto.substack.com

The Effect Elon Musk's Social Security Office Closures - Senator Raphael Warnock

On the Monday, March 3 edition of Georgia Today: Demonstrators gather in Decatur to protest the closing of five Georgia Social Security offices; the city of Atlanta appoints a new interim inspector general; and as the USDA reconsiders food date labeling, experts offer solutions to prevent food waste. 

In episode 93, you will Join Camile in the world of scams and scammers on Slam the Scam Day!You're listening to the remote work retirement show. I'm your host, Camille Attell. And this is the only show that helps semi retirees figure out the remote work options.   I believe the remote work is the new retirement plan and that many retirees have both the ability and desire to work, how they want so they can live how they want. Let's dig into today's episode....  In episode 93, Camille addresses the numerous types of scams out there, including those that sound like official government agencies or representatives. The Social Security office posts information about these scams every March 7th of every year. So, it doesn't matter when you are listening to this podcast, the information always applies. Camille has extensive experience teaching about scams and scammers within her on-line coaching program, Remote Work School. Unfortunately, there have been members of that community who have experienced a scam of one sort or another personally. Camille gives a glimpse at how angry this makes her. Unfortunately, the retired and semi-retired job seeking sectors of people are particularly vulnerable to these unethical and unscrupulous individuals. And it is not always easy to distinguish the source. If your radar goes up, leave it, hang up, delete it, and then report it if possible. Join Camille now for more information not only from the Social Security office but her own personal experience and how she deals with and has dealt with scams and scammers. This is information all of us need, regardless of age or status.Here is the link for the Social Security Office scam information. https://www.ssa.gov/scam If you want to learn more about how to leverage your digital products or service visit: www.camilleattell.com/remoteworkschool You can also take her FREE training at: www.camilleattell.com/remote-training  If you have suggestions for the show, you can contact Camille via Instagram: @camille.attell  **DISCLAIMER: This podcast is not a substitute for professional consultation. For any retirement or income-related matters, it is best to work with a professional advisor.**    Welcome to The Remote Work Retirement Show, the only show that is dedicated to remote work for semi-retirees, people leaving the workforce, and people working in retirement to help them have the peace of mind that they can live how they want without the fear of running out of money.  ·         Instagram: @camille.attell·         Linkedin: Camille Attell, MA·         Check out the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaeS5wa0iAdD3C_cDLyj-Pg·         RV Blog:  

A Financial Penalty for your Medicare Life can happen if you do not apply for Medicare within the allotted time frame! Learn about Medicare's Annual Enrollment Period, Special Enrollment Period, How to properly mark your application at the Social Security Office and more!  Want more information? Take advantage of Toni's brand new video series now a available at  www.tonisays.com Remember - with Medicare it's what you don't know that will hurt you!  There's so much good information in this podcast, please be sure to share this podcast with your friends! Recognized by feedspot.com as one of the best Medicare Podcasts in the nation! Write Toni - info@tonisays.com. Toni's book is available at www.seniorresource.com and www.tonisays.com You can call Toni at 832-519-8664 Toni welcomes all Medicare questions. Toni now offers informative Medicare Webinars for all of your Medicare needs at www.Tonisays.com You can find Medicare Moments wherever you find your favorite podcasts, such as: Apple: https://apple.co/44MoguGSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7c82BS4hb145GiVYfnIRsoAmazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/884c1f46-9905-4b29-a97a-1a164c97546b/medicare-moments?refMarker=null Toni's new book: Maze of Medicare is now available at www.tonisays.com Combining Scripture with Medicare, it is the only book of its kind.  Toni's columns appear weekly in about 100 newspapers across America. If you would like Toni's column to appear in your local paper, or if you would like Toni to speak at an event - contact Toni King at 832-519-8664 Thank you for listening and be sure to tell your friends about Medicare Moments!  Blessings! Toni King See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NEW DEAL GENIUS: 6/8: Roosevelt Sweeps Nation: FDR's 1936 Landslide and the Triumph of the Liberal Ideal by  David Pietrusza  (Author) https://www.amazon.com/Roosevelt-Sweeps-Nation-Landslide-Triumph/dp/1635767776 Award-winning historian David Pietrusza boldly steers clear of the pat narrative regarding Franklin Roosevelt's unprecedented 1936 re-election landslide, weaving an enormously more intricate, ever more surprising tale of a polarized nation; of America's most complex, calculating, and politically successful president, Franklin D. Roosevelt, at the very top of his Machiavellian game; and the unlocking of the puzzle of how our society, our politics, and our parties fitfully reinvented themselves. 1936 SOCIAL SECURITY OFFICE

สิทธิอันชอบธรรมของเหล่าแรงงาน ไม่ว่าจะเป็นเรื่องของค่าแรงขั้นต่ำ จำนวนชั่วโมงการทำงานและค่าล่วงเวลา ไปจนถึงจำนวนวันลา-วันหยุด ล้วนแต่เป็นองค์ประกอบสำคัญที่ช่วยส่งเสริม "คุณภาพชีวิต" พวกเราทุกคนที่เรียกตัวเองว่าเป็น “แรงงาน” ไม่ว่าจะเป็นคนทำงานในรูปแบบไหนก็ตาม . ซึ่งมันถึงเวลาแล้วที่เหล่าแรงงานทุกคนจะได้ลุกขึ้นมายืนหยัดเพื่อสิทธิของตัวเองเสียที . วันนี้ Mission To The Moon ได้รับเกียรติจาก “คุณช่อ พรรณิการ์ วานิช” นักเคลื่อนไหวเพื่อประชาธิปไตย อดีตสมาชิกพรรคก้าวไกลและสมาชิกคนสำคัญ ณ ปัจจุบันของคณะก้าวหน้า นอกจากนี้ยังเป็นหนึ่งในผู้ที่ผลักดันด้านสิทธิแรงงานอยู่เสมอ มาพูดคุยกันเกี่ยวกับสถานการณ์ปัจจุบันของสิทธิแรงงานในประเทศไทย รวมถึงการ “เลือกตั้ง” ที่ใหญ่ที่สุดเป็นอันดับสองของประเทศไทยที่กำลังจะถึงนี้ . เพราะในวันที่ 24 ธันวาคม 2566 นี้เป็นกำหนดวันเลือกตั้งคณะกรรมการประกันสังคมทั้งฝ่ายนายจ้าง และฝ่ายผู้ประกันตัว (ลูกจ้าง) ซึ่งจะเป็นการเลือกตั้งตัวแทนเข้าไปตัดสินใจด้านนโยบายการประกันสังคมครั้งแรกของประเทศไทย หลังมีกฎหมายมาตั้งแต่ปี 2558 และการเลือกตั้งครั้งนี้เป็นการเลือกตั้งที่มีผู้มีสิทธิเลือกตั้งมากเป็นอันดับสองของประเทศรองจากการเลือกตั้งส.ส. โดยผู้มีสิทธิเลือกตั้ง คือ สมาชิกในระบบประกันสังคมกว่า 24 ล้านคน ทั้งนายจ้างและลูกจ้าง . กว่าจะมาถึงวันนี้ได้ ต้องผ่านการรอคอยที่ยาวนานและการเรียกร้องอย่างต่อเนื่อง จนผู้ประกันตนในระบบประกันสังคมกำลังจะได้มีสิทธิออกเสียงเลือกตัวแทนร่วมกำหนดนโยบาย แต่การเลือกตั้งที่กำลังจะเกิดขึ้นก็ยังมีความท้าทายอยู่มาก อุปสรรคสำคัญ คือ ผู้มีสิทธิเลือกตั้งส่วนใหญ่ยังไม่รู้ว่าตัวเองมีสิทธิ และยังไม่เข้าใจระบบและวิธีการออกเสียงเลือกตั้ง ซึ่งประเด็นที่สำคัญ คือ คนที่จะออกเสียงได้ต้องลงทะเบียนล่วงหน้าภายในวันที่ 31 ตุลาคม 2566  . . ดังนั้นนายจ้างและผู้ประกันตน อย่าลืม! ลงทะเบียนใช้สิทธิเลือกตั้ง โดยสามารถลงทะเบียนเพื่อใช้สิทธิเลือกตั้งได้ทาง (ประกาศรายชื่อผู้มีสิทธิเลือกตั้งทางเว็บไซต์ ในวันที่ 10 พฤศจิกายน 2566) [ ] ระบบออนไลน์ทางเว็บไซต์ Social Security Office ( www.sso.go.th ) [ ] สำนักงานประกันสังคมกรุงเทพมหานครพื้นที่/จังหวัด/สาขา  . คุณสมบัตินายจ้างและผู้ประกันคนที่มีสิทธิเลือกตั้ง ดังนี้ . นายจ้าง [ ] สัญชาติไทย [ ] ขึ้นทะเบียนเป็นผู้ประกันตนติดต่อกันไม่น้อยกว่า 6 เดือน ก่อนเดือนที่มีประกาศให้มีการเลือกตั้ง (มีนาคม-สิงหาคม 2566) จ่ายเงินสมทบเข้ากองทุนประกันสังคมไม่น้อยกว่า 3 เดือน (ภายใน 6 เดือนก่อนเดือนที่ประกาศเลือกตั้ง) [ ] กรณีนายจ้างเป็นนิติบุคคล ผู้จะใช้สิทธิต้องอยู่ในฐานะผู้มีอำนาจ/กรณีเป็นผู้มีอำนาจในนิติบุคคลมากกว่า 1 นิติบุคคลต้องเลือกใช้สิทธิแห่งเดียว . ผู้ประกันตน  [ ] สัญชาติไทย [ ] ขึ้นทะเบียนเป็นผู้ประกันตนติดต่อกันไม่น้อยกว่า 6 เดือน ก่อนเดือนที่มีการประกาศให้เลือกตั้ง (มีนาคม-สิงหาคม 2566) [ ] จ่ายเงินสมทบเข้ากองทุนประกันสังคมไม่น้อยกว่า 3 เดือน (ภายใน 6 เดือนก่อนเดือนที่ประกาศเลือกตั้ง) นายจ้างและผู้ประกันตนที่มีสิทธิรีบมาลงทะเบียนกันเลย . สอบถามข้อมูลเพิ่มเติมเกี่ยวกับประกันสังคมได้ที่ www.sso.go.th หรือโทรสายด่วน 1506 ให้บริการทุกวัน ตลอด 24 ชั่วโมง . . #เลือกตั้งบอร์ดประกันสังคม #missiontothemoon #missiontothemoonpodcast

สิทธิอันชอบธรรมของเหล่าแรงงาน ไม่ว่าจะเป็นเรื่องของค่าแรงขั้นต่ำ จำนวนชั่วโมงการทำงานและค่าล่วงเวลา ไปจนถึงจำนวนวันลา-วันหยุด ล้วนแต่เป็นองค์ประกอบสำคัญที่ช่วยส่งเสริม "คุณภาพชีวิต" พวกเราทุกคนที่เรียกตัวเองว่าเป็น “แรงงาน” ไม่ว่าจะเป็นคนทำงานในรูปแบบไหนก็ตาม . ซึ่งมันถึงเวลาแล้วที่เหล่าแรงงานทุกคนจะได้ลุกขึ้นมายืนหยัดเพื่อสิทธิของตัวเองเสียที . วันนี้ Mission To The Moon ได้รับเกียรติจาก “คุณช่อ พรรณิการ์ วานิช” นักเคลื่อนไหวเพื่อประชาธิปไตย อดีตสมาชิกพรรคก้าวไกลและสมาชิกคนสำคัญ ณ ปัจจุบันของคณะก้าวหน้า นอกจากนี้ยังเป็นหนึ่งในผู้ที่ผลักดันด้านสิทธิแรงงานอยู่เสมอ มาพูดคุยกันเกี่ยวกับสถานการณ์ปัจจุบันของสิทธิแรงงานในประเทศไทย รวมถึงการ “เลือกตั้ง” ที่ใหญ่ที่สุดเป็นอันดับสองของประเทศไทยที่กำลังจะถึงนี้ . เพราะในวันที่ 24 ธันวาคม 2566 นี้เป็นกำหนดวันเลือกตั้งคณะกรรมการประกันสังคมทั้งฝ่ายนายจ้าง และฝ่ายผู้ประกันตัว (ลูกจ้าง) ซึ่งจะเป็นการเลือกตั้งตัวแทนเข้าไปตัดสินใจด้านนโยบายการประกันสังคมครั้งแรกของประเทศไทย หลังมีกฎหมายมาตั้งแต่ปี 2558 และการเลือกตั้งครั้งนี้เป็นการเลือกตั้งที่มีผู้มีสิทธิเลือกตั้งมากเป็นอันดับสองของประเทศรองจากการเลือกตั้งส.ส. โดยผู้มีสิทธิเลือกตั้ง คือ สมาชิกในระบบประกันสังคมกว่า 24 ล้านคน ทั้งนายจ้างและลูกจ้าง . กว่าจะมาถึงวันนี้ได้ ต้องผ่านการรอคอยที่ยาวนานและการเรียกร้องอย่างต่อเนื่อง จนผู้ประกันตนในระบบประกันสังคมกำลังจะได้มีสิทธิออกเสียงเลือกตัวแทนร่วมกำหนดนโยบาย แต่การเลือกตั้งที่กำลังจะเกิดขึ้นก็ยังมีความท้าทายอยู่มาก อุปสรรคสำคัญ คือ ผู้มีสิทธิเลือกตั้งส่วนใหญ่ยังไม่รู้ว่าตัวเองมีสิทธิ และยังไม่เข้าใจระบบและวิธีการออกเสียงเลือกตั้ง ซึ่งประเด็นที่สำคัญ คือ คนที่จะออกเสียงได้ต้องลงทะเบียนล่วงหน้าภายในวันที่ 31 ตุลาคม 2566  . . ดังนั้นนายจ้างและผู้ประกันตน อย่าลืม! ลงทะเบียนใช้สิทธิเลือกตั้ง โดยสามารถลงทะเบียนเพื่อใช้สิทธิเลือกตั้งได้ทาง (ประกาศรายชื่อผู้มีสิทธิเลือกตั้งทางเว็บไซต์ ในวันที่ 10 พฤศจิกายน 2566) [ ] ระบบออนไลน์ทางเว็บไซต์ Social Security Office ( www.sso.go.th ) [ ] สำนักงานประกันสังคมกรุงเทพมหานครพื้นที่/จังหวัด/สาขา  . คุณสมบัตินายจ้างและผู้ประกันคนที่มีสิทธิเลือกตั้ง ดังนี้ . นายจ้าง [ ] สัญชาติไทย [ ] ขึ้นทะเบียนเป็นผู้ประกันตนติดต่อกันไม่น้อยกว่า 6 เดือน ก่อนเดือนที่มีประกาศให้มีการเลือกตั้ง (มีนาคม-สิงหาคม 2566) จ่ายเงินสมทบเข้ากองทุนประกันสังคมไม่น้อยกว่า 3 เดือน (ภายใน 6 เดือนก่อนเดือนที่ประกาศเลือกตั้ง) [ ] กรณีนายจ้างเป็นนิติบุคคล ผู้จะใช้สิทธิต้องอยู่ในฐานะผู้มีอำนาจ/กรณีเป็นผู้มีอำนาจในนิติบุคคลมากกว่า 1 นิติบุคคลต้องเลือกใช้สิทธิแห่งเดียว . ผู้ประกันตน  [ ] สัญชาติไทย [ ] ขึ้นทะเบียนเป็นผู้ประกันตนติดต่อกันไม่น้อยกว่า 6 เดือน ก่อนเดือนที่มีการประกาศให้เลือกตั้ง (มีนาคม-สิงหาคม 2566) [ ] จ่ายเงินสมทบเข้ากองทุนประกันสังคมไม่น้อยกว่า 3 เดือน (ภายใน 6 เดือนก่อนเดือนที่ประกาศเลือกตั้ง) นายจ้างและผู้ประกันตนที่มีสิทธิรีบมาลงทะเบียนกันเลย . สอบถามข้อมูลเพิ่มเติมเกี่ยวกับประกันสังคมได้ที่ www.sso.go.th หรือโทรสายด่วน 1506 ให้บริการทุกวัน ตลอด 24 ชั่วโมง . . #เลือกตั้งบอร์ดประกันสังคม #missiontothemoon #missiontothemoonpodcast

A practitioner in Jiangxi Province, after having been illegally sent to prison for distributing truth clarification materials, is ordered to return 120,000 yuan in pension funds received while she was imprisoned. She and her brother use the opportunity to prove that her prison sentence, and the order to return pension funds, are both outside the […]

Let's talk podcasts. Should you get married JUST to drink underage? The pineapple cake beer lie, EXPOSED. Wishing there was a new Social Security Office. Were all core IPAs accounted for? So. Many. Cups! How food poisoning is like running a website, and why are we talking about YouTube shows?! This episode covers the following podcasts : Craft Parenting Podcast - Ep 101 - Exploring the Untitled Art Non-Alcoholic Mixed Pack GoBeercats Podcast - S3 #74 - Cincy Core IPAs with Kat Finn Blake The Brewery Explorer - Ep3 - Kelly Montgomery and Tom Argo, Brewers of Third Eye Brewing Company Cincy Brewcast - S9 E4 - NEW Ales has a New Location The Weekly Pint - E169 - It's Always A Work In Progress, Isn't It Brew Skies - Bar Stool Perspective(YouTube) - 5/1/2023 and 5/15/2023 ----- What we drank :  Fretboard - Trey - Amber Sonder - Root Beer Float - Ale Rhinegeist - Truth - IPA West Side Brewing - IPA....it's an IPA Rhinegeist - Morelos - Mexican Lager ----- Episode recorded on 5/16/2023 at our amazing podcast host, Higher Gravity Summit Park! https://highergravitycrafthaus.com/ Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by Truth, Beer, and Podsequences are those of the participants alone and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of any entities they may represent. ------  Find us on all the social medias @ TruthBeerPod Email us at TruthBeerPod@gmail.com Subscribe, like, review, and share! Find all of our episodes on your favorite Podcast platform or https://www.youtube.com/@TruthBeerPod ! Buy us a pint!  If you'd like to support the show, you can do by clicking the "One-Time Donation" link at http://truthbeerpod.com ! If you want exclusive content, check out our Patreon!  https://www.patreon.com/TruthBeerPod If you'd like to be a show sponsor or even just a segment sponsor, let us know via email or hit us up on social media! ----- We want you to continue to be around to listen to all of our episodes.  If you're struggling, please reach out to a friend, family member, co-worker, or mental health professional.  If you don't feel comfortable talking to someone you know, please use one of the below resources to talk to someone who wants you around just as much as we do.   Call or Text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Chat with someone at 988lifeline.org http://www.988lifeline.org ----- Our Intro, Outro, and most of the "within the episode" music was provided by Gnome Creative. Check out www.GnomeCreative.com for all your audio, video, and imagery needs! @gnome__creative on Instagram @TheGnarlyGnome on Twitter https://thegnarlygnome.com/support http://gnomecreative.com http://instagram.com/gnome__creative http://www.twitter.com/TheGnarlyGnome

Navigating the chaos at the Social Security Office - with Jim Robeson, www.TheMedicareAnswerGuy.comListener's submitted questions - with Gary Quackenbush www.GQLAW.comSupport the show: https://www.gqlaw.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Even though you pay into the Social Security system, it's not designed to benefit you. Especially if you want disability benefits. Attorney and Social Security Disability Expert Spencer Bishins shares his experience with the Social Security Disability Insurance benefits application process. Spencer is one of the many attorneys hired by the Social Security Office to help them determine who qualifies for benefits under (SSDI) from a legal standpoint.Has your application for SSDI been rejected? If you believe you do qualify but you're confused about the process this episode is for you.What is SSDI? (2:40)Who pays for SSDI? (2:52)What qualifies as a disability (7:00)How is disability determined (by age) by the Social Security Administration? (9:40)What does the application for SSDI look like?Bio: Spencer Bishins has a master's degree from the London School of Economics, and a law degree from Florida State University. After law school, he worked in the private sector for two years prior to joining the Social Security Administration (SSA) in 2010. He worked at the Appeals Council for almost four years, reviewing thousands of disability decisions for compliance with SSA's complex rules and procedures. (cont'd).Grab a copy of Spencer's book, Social Security Disability Revealed.Connect with Spencer: Instagram - @snihsibs | website: www.bishinspublishing.com This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

I talk about my zany trip to the Social Security office in New Jersey --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/shandabambam/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/shandabambam/support

Kevin Killeen goes in depth with the woman at the heart of the shooting outside the Social Security office late last week. 

Before discussing the honeymoon in great detail, it's essential to develop an understanding of our relationship. It's amazing how perspectives change after fifty birthdays. Our main goal this year after Lynette moved in over the summer was to be debt free going into the new year (except for the house.) We had a plan because, well, we're planners. And like any good plan, it all fell apart by fall. Unexpected circumstances never fail to pop up, and our water heater went out just like that. Even with the odds against us, we're still going to accomplish the number one goal by the end of December. Prayer and persistence go a long way, so the debt never stood a chance. Now that you know our priorities, we can discuss the juicy stuff; the honeymoon. The following few paragraphs aren't for everyone, and it may be a good idea to stop reading now. I tend to write with a lot of detail, which may be more than most of you are ready to hear. Heck, the majority of you probably won't believe most of it anyway.The day's main goal was to get married around noon, so we'd have the rest of the day too, well, you know, do stuff. Everything went as planned, and the handful of attendees was gone by 1:45. Lynette and I were definitely on track to experience a new level of ecstasy that would last all afternoon and possibly into the evening. We even went as far as to place a checklist on the fridge to ensure we hit every spot and didn't miss a single opportunity. We gave ourselves two days to make the magic happen, knowing we'd soak up every second. Naturally, we threw our coats on and headed to the County Clerk's Office. We both had fanny packs full of snacks and HBO max on the phone, prepared for a long wait. Getting this stop off our list would give us a head start tomorrow because we'd attempt to knock out two more government offices in one swoop. That's a total of three government offices in two days. Unheard of, right? We strolled in, still high off of newlywed bliss, took a number, and took a seat. We sat for a minute giggling like two school girls because even a long wait at the County Clerks couldn't spoil our day. Then they called our number. Wait, what? We weren't even sitting long enough to gaze into one another's eyeballs. And the lady at window 13 was charming. I know none of this makes sense, but it happened, I swear. We were in and out in ten minutes and a day ahead of schedule, so we decided to press our luck and go to the next painful location, the Social Security Office. We knew this would be a long wait, and we didn't mind because we were ready for it anyway. And with it barely being a few minutes after 2:00, we felt optimistic that we could get it done and only have one stop tomorrow at the dreaded DMV.We moseyed in, took a seat, and BAM! Our number echoed over the speaker, and we sat in the agent's cubicle longer than we hung out in the lobby. We were back on the road by about 2:40. This was unheard of because we knocked out two places we both had dreaded in less than one hour. You won't believe it, but the lady who helped us was super nice. Yeah, I know, but I swear this isn't fiction. I'm telling the truth. We wondered if this was God's plan and not ours. That's the only explanation we have. Since we were already a day ahead of schedule, we decided to go ahead and take a trip to the DMV. If we could pull this off, we'd have the entire day on Wednesday to sleep in and do whatever we wanted. We knew it would be impossible, but we had to try. We punched in the information at the kiosk, and before we could even have a seat, Lynette got a text saying our number was next. Okay, this had to be a glitch. No way we would get out of here that quick without at least a bribe. As soon as we sat down, we stood up and headed to the lady at window three. And guess what? She was delightful. Just like that, we were out the door by 3:05. We swung by the bank, Farm Bureau, and the dry cleaners and returned home before dark. Now you know the story of how we knocked out three government offices in less than an hour and thirty minutes. You can believe it or not, I don't believe it myself, but it happened. The experience gave us the best honeymoon we could have wished for in our lifetime. Things may have gotten better, but that's none of your business.

INTRODUCTION: Spencer Bishins has a master's degree from the London School of Economics, and a law degree from Florida State University. Working for SSA for more than 10 years, he drafted or reviewed thousands of disability decisions. After leaving SSA, he wanted to help demystify the complicated disability system. His first book, Social Security Disability Revealed: Why it's so hard to access benefits and what you can do about it, explores the obstacles that disability claimants face as they try to access benefits. INCLUDED IN THIS EPISODE (But not limited to): ·      SSA System Demystified ·      Veteran's Concerns ·      The Impact On The LGBTQIA+ Community·      Are Drugs & Alcohol A Factor?·      SSI Vs. SSDI·      Medicaid & State Level Implications·      Acceptable Income Levels·      The Way Claims Are Handled ·      Treatment Record Hassles·      HIV Rules ·      How Approvals & Denials Are Decided·      The Impact Of Politics·      Interesting Info On The Kinds Of Judges That Decide Cases CONNECT WITH SPENCER: Website: https://www.bishinspublishing.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/BishinsPublishingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bishinspublishing/Twitter: https://twitter.com/bishinspub  CONNECT WITH DE'VANNON: Website: https://www.SexDrugsAndJesus.comWebsite: https://www.DownUnderApparel.comYouTube: https://bit.ly/3daTqCMFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/SexDrugsAndJesus/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sexdrugsandjesuspodcast/Twitter: https://twitter.com/TabooTopixLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devannonPinterest: https://www.pinterest.es/SexDrugsAndJesus/_saved/Email: DeVannon@SexDrugsAndJesus.com  DE'VANNON'S RECOMMENDATIONS: ·      Pray Away Documentary (NETFLIX)o  https://www.netflix.com/title/81040370o  TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tk_CqGVfxEs ·      OverviewBible (Jeffrey Kranz)o  https://overviewbible.como  https://www.youtube.com/c/OverviewBible ·      Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed (Documentary)o  https://press.discoveryplus.com/lifestyle/discovery-announces-key-participants-featured-in-upcoming-expose-of-the-hillsong-church-controversy-hillsong-a-megachurch-exposed/ ·      Leaving Hillsong Podcast With Tanya Levino  https://leavinghillsong.podbean.com  ·      Upwork: https://www.upwork.com·      FreeUp: https://freeup.net VETERAN'S SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS ·      Disabled American Veterans (DAV): https://www.dav.org·      American Legion: https://www.legion.org ·      What The World Needs Now (Dionne Warwick): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfHAs9cdTqg  INTERESTED IN PODCASTING OR BEING A GUEST?: ·      PodMatch is awesome! This application streamlines the process of finding guests for your show and also helps you find shows to be a guest on. The PodMatch Community is a part of this and that is where you can ask questions and get help from an entire network of people so that you save both money and time on your podcasting journey.https://podmatch.com/signup/devannon  TRANSCRIPT:Spencer Bishins[00:00:00]You're listening to the sex drugs and Jesus podcast, where we discuss whatever the fuck we want to! And yes, we can put sex and drugs and Jesus all in the same bed and still be all right at the end of the day. My name is De'Vannon and I'll be interviewing guests from every corner of this world as we dig into topics that are too risqué for the morning show, as we strive to help you understand what's really going on in your life.There is nothing off the table and we've got a lot to talk about. So let's dive right into this episode.De'Vannon: Spencer Bishins is the author of the Eyeopening book Social Security Disability Revealed why it's so hard to access benefits and what you can do about it baby. Now in this episode, we're peeling back the pages to give you an inside look at what really goes on inside the Social Security Administration.And as you can guess, it's lots of Tom Foolery lies honey scandals in every [00:01:00] imaginary type of deception. Listen close, learn some new shit. Share this with a bitch, you know, and reach out to me and let me know what bothered you the most about what you found out about the Social Security Administration.Hello, are you beautiful and special people out there? And welcome back to the Sex Drugs in Jesus podcast. My name is Hubert and I'm your house. And I have with me the mentally stimulating, mind opening, feeling spilling. Spencer Bishops and he is an author and he has come to help us out a lot today.Spencer, how are. Spencer: I'm good. How are you? I am De'Vannon: fan fucking, Spencer: and I, I, I have to say that is the most unique intro I've had so far. No one has given me that exact same intro yet, , [00:02:00]De'Vannon: god damn it. And they never fucking will unless they steal my shit. So, I mean, that's bowing to happen. So so Spencer, he, he wrote a book, it's called Social Security Disability Revealed.Oh, there it is. Beautiful. Why it's so hard to access then to fits and what you can do about it. So, Spencer Bishop, he has a master's degree from the London School of Economics and a law degree from Florida State University. Go FSU now. He worked for the Social Security Administration for more than 10 years.Then he pieced out from them motherfuckers because he wanted to demystify the complicated disability system. This book here, Gonna help you overcome the obstacles that stand in the way of you getting your damn money. Especially after we work, they take all goddamn damn money outta our check and then when we want it, they don't wanna give it back.Ain't that some shit? [00:03:00] Fucking Spencer: bitches. You don't even need me. That's just summarize the whole book right there, . Yeah. So. De'Vannon: I'm gonna pull up the table of contents and read just a few of the chapters and then, I mean, read, read a few of the chapter titles just cause I found them to be interesting. And then, and then right after that, I'm gonna let you tell people why you wrote it and who you are, in your own words.But I thought, I just thought the, the table of contents would like, kind of spill some of the t. So some of the chapter titles from this book are called like after the hearing the Appeals Process, permanent Mental Health Conditions, drug Abuse and Alcoholism, child claimants, deceased Claimants and Widow Claimants Firing Your Representative, and fraud, waste and Abuse.You know, this, this book has 34 chapters in it. So during this podcast show here, and I don't know, we might have to have you back on for a second [00:04:00] time, but be it once or twice, we won't be able to cover all this. So, Y'all wanna get your money, gonna have to get this booked here. So we're thankful that you, after having worked there, gave us this testimony.Now tell us why you did this in your own words and who you are.Spencer: Before I do that, I just wanna say, I promise what's in those chapters is far more interesting than the titles themselves. I wanted to do some more like catchy chapter titles and my editor suggested, no, just tell people what's in the chapters.Don't get too fancy with the chapter titles themselves, but the actual content is far more interesting. So I worked for Social Security for 11 years. During the first four years, I reviewed thousands of cases on appeal decisions that had already been written. And then I went before, as you say, before I pieced out.I spent another seven years at the hearing level actually writing decisions for [00:05:00] administrative law judges. So, and I wrote almost 2000 decisions. So with a sample size that large, as you can imagine, I learned a lot about who gets paid, who doesn't, how judges make the decisions that they make, what techniques they use to deny cases, even when there's really good evidence suggesting someone is disabled.And as you said in the intro, everyone who has paid into the system, that's your. If you work, if you've paid the social security tax, whether you're an employee or have been an employee, or are, or have been self-employed, either way you've paid the social security tax. Mm-hmm. , and that's why it's called an entitlement because you are entitled to get money if you qualify.But I learned a lot of the ways that Social Security and its judges look at people and medical records that should qualify for benefits and figure out ways to deny those [00:06:00] claims. And so I wanted to present the information that I had learned about what the Social Security disability process is. Cause it, it, you know, it's the government and it's, it's social security.It's like two things that if you are not sleeping well, you know, just think about those right. And it'll be your cure for insomnia. And so most Americans don't want to think about boring things like the government or social security or government benefits until you actually need them. If you get hurt, injured, have some sort of chronic condition or something, all of a sudden it ain't so boring anymore, right?Then you realize, wow, this is something that I actually need. I really need to know how to work this system. I need to know how to play the government game, and so that I can give myself a decent chance of actually getting these benefits that I've paid for. Mm-hmm. , De'Vannon: show us the [00:07:00] money. We need our money. So how many people do you think are on disability right about now, and about how many applications do you think come in a year?Spencer: So it wasn't long ago that it was like 2 million applications a year. I think now it's somewhere between around 1 million applications a year. I don't know if we're still above that number or not. And somewhere around nine or 10 million Americans are on are receiving disability benefits. And for social security overall, I think it's like 40 million.It's a lot because that baby boomer generation is in the retirement zone and in like another 10 years as they've died out. I mean it sounds heartless, but that's just statistics and math and reality. Right. At the point where they've died out, the number of overall recipients will probably come down, but the number of disability recipients probably hold pretty steady over time.Okay, De'Vannon: [00:08:00] so, so somebody, it's a, it is a state benefit as I understand it, or is it federal? Spencer: No, it's a federal benefit. When you apply, the first place your application goes is to your state agency and someone at the State Department of Health is responsible for making that initial decision. But if you're approved, it comes out of the federal pot of money, either the Social Security Trust fund for Social Security Disability Insurance, or for supplemental security income, which is a different program.It just comes right out of that plot of general revenues in federal income tax that we all pay. But, but it's federal both ways. So at the initial level and at the reconsideration level, which is the second, second step of the process, it's a state employee making the decision, but still as to whether or not you can get federal money.Okay. So, but, but as I [00:09:00] talk about in the book, Their decisions can impact the state budget too, which is why they're not neutral decision makers. They're not disinterested parties. There's a conflict of interest because if they approve you at the, if that state employee approves you for ssi, you can then get the Medicaid.And Medicaid is a federal state partnership, right? So it's a state employee deciding whether or not you should be approved for ssi, but knowing if they approve you, it's gonna cost the state money from their Medicaid program. So what would you do if you were that state employee and you could potentially cost the state lots of money and your boss has told you, stop costing our state.It's a conflict of interest, isn't De'Vannon: it? Yeah. They do shit like that. That's why I don't work for anyone anymore because bosses are bitches. So you mentioned ssdi. I, so what is the difference between SS I versus [00:10:00]S S D Spencer: I? Yeah, so, and I, and I cover this more in depth in part one of the book. But SSDI is, so I think it, you used to work for someone then, right?Were you ever an employee, W2 employee and you got a pay stub? Yeah. Most of us have done that at some point. Right? On that pay stub, you see three federal taxes coming outta your paycheck every two weeks. Federal income tax. But then there's also the social security and Medicare tax, that social security.Goes to pay for the Social Security Trust fund. And normally we think of that as retirement. I got something I get when I'm an old bart. Right? Don't have to worry about that now. But that also pays for the disability program, which think of that like as your retirement benefits, but sooner if you become disabled and unable to work.So that tax pays for both of those programs, which are kind of really the same [00:11:00] program. That's ssdi Social Security Disability Insurance, that tax you pay. Think of that like an insurance premium that you're paying. And then you have this insurance coverage and you have to have that insurance coverage in order to file an insurance claim.So it operates like an insurance company in that regard. Separate from that is supplemental security income. And that program is really for people who either, who don't have that. Insurance that I just talked about, because they haven't paid enough into the social security system to earn enough credits.So that could be stay at home parents, it could be young workers who haven't paid in long enough. It could be recent immigrants, it could be older people who are retired and haven't worked in the last five years, and so their insurance ran out. So for whatever reason, maybe you just can't get that S S D I insurance.Well, you can go file a claim for [00:12:00] ssi and as I said, that comes out of just regular income taxes. But because that's not an earned benefit, you didn't pay that insurance premium. It's a lot more unstable of a program. First, there's asset and income limitations, so if you have even a little bit of money or you're earning even a little bit of money, you're not gonna qualify.And even if you get approved, it's like 800 bucks a month. And if you work part-time, they'll offset that 800 bucks a month. And as I talk in the book, they'll even offset it for other things. Like let's say you're homeless, so you're crashing on someone's couch. Social Security will say, well, you're getting air quotes pre-read, and they'll deduct whatever they think the value of that is from your ssi.So that SSI program, it's there. And for some people it's all they can get, but it's really not a very good or very useful program. [00:13:00] So the SS D I program is much better. It's an earned benefit. And with that you can get Medicare coverage if you're disabled, which helps with healthcare. If you're not working, you don't have private health insurance.Right. And the other great thing about the S S D I program, the insurance program is that you can actually work. And still get paid benefits at the same time. And that's totally allowed. And the reason Social Security allows that is they want people to try and go back to work. So they let you collect your benefits while you're getting back into the workforce and making sure you can do it.Oh, De'Vannon: that's so sweet of them. I Spencer: know, right? Yeah. But people get confused cuz they're like, my neighbor's disabled and I saw him out pushing a lawnmower and they think like people are gaming the system by working while collecting disability. But that's just a misunderstanding of the system. System actually wants you to go out and try and work [00:14:00] to see if you can do it.And then if you do that long enough, then you graduate from the S S D I program. And they stop your benefits and you return to the workforce. So it's actually a good thing that we let people collect benefits and work because otherwise nobody would go back to work. Right. And that's what we want. We want people who can go back to work.To go back to work if possible. De'Vannon: So if somebody's working in collecting those benefits, is there like a maximum amount of income they can work? I mean can bring in in order for that to Spencer: happen? You read the book didn't you? ? I can tell. Cause that's an excellent question. And you know the answer is yes, there isSo there's a maximum amount of money that you can be earning per month when you're an applicant and a separate number. That's a maximum that you can earn after you're already receiving S S D I benefits. And that amount is lower. And the thing is, if you work and [00:15:00] earn under that amount, You can just keep working indefinitely as long as Social Security keeps paying you your benefits.If you exceed that amount, that's fine, but you only get to exceed that amount for nine months. At the point where you've exceeded that amount for nine months, social Security decides that's what, how they decide that you can go back to work. And so that amount changes every year. But I believe it's $970 this year in 2022.So if you are getting benefits, you're allowed to work. But if you exceed $970 per month, it actually isn't a lot to think about it, right? Like if you're making 50 bucks an hour, it's 20 hours a month or five hours a week. So it doesn't take a lot to show that you can go back to work, but that's what social Security wants to see.They don't need to see that you're working 60 hours a week. They just need to see enough to know that they can cut you loose. [00:16:00] And that you'll be okay on your own. Mm-hmm. and, and that number is a little higher when you're an applicant. It's $1,350 per month that you can work and earn and still claim, Ben still file an application for benefits because that amount indicates that even though you can work, you're probably not doing full-time work.If you exceed that amount, social Security decides that's, that means you can probably show that you can do full-time work and you're not disabled. Mm-hmm. . De'Vannon: So why thank you for that breakdown. Why, why or so many people not at the beginning of the process? Well, we talked about Spencer: one reason already, right?Which is that when you go to the state agency, you, when you first file your application, someone at your state government, usually it's the State Department of Health. Some like $40,000 a year bureaucrat is gonna look at your disability claim and basically like, Make a decision on your life. They'll look [00:17:00] at your medical records and your work history and they'll make a decision as to whether you're disabled.But as I talked about a few minutes ago, they're a state employee and they work for people who wanna keep the state Medicare costs down. So one reason is there's a conflict of interest and they just wanna save the state money. But another reason is, I mean, just think about your own medical records, like they're probably, you probably, if you went to try and get all your medical records for the last couple of years today, you'd have a hard time doing it.And if you have physical impairments, that mean you can't leave your home. So when your doctor says, just come pick 'em up at our office, maybe that's hard to do. Or if you have mental health impairments, Agoraphobia or anxiety, depression, you can't deal with other people. It might be hard to talk to people in, in your doctor's offices.I, not too long ago, a doctor literally told me, we'll [00:18:00] fax you the records. What's your fax number? Like it was 1987. So it's often just really hard for people to get their medical records, to get them organized, to make sure they're complete, to get records from all the different places they've been getting treatment.So I guess they even back up from that. The first thing is sometimes it's hard for people to just get medical treatment. In the United States, 80% of people get their health insurance from work. So if you can't work, cause that's why you're filing a disability claim, right? You can't work, you lose your health insurance, well then you can't go get medical treatment.So the first obstacle is, I can't even get treatment. So how am I supposed to get records? Even if you can get treatment, it's sometimes hard to literally get the actual pieces of paper from your doctor. And then you've gotta get it all organized and give us a social security. You've also gotta fill out their application, their other endless paperwork, like functional reports rely on them probably losing [00:19:00] something along the way and making you fill it out again.Or like, oh, sorry, we lost some of your medical records. Can you like go get those a second time for us? Thank you. It's just barrier after barrier after barrier. The social security puts in your way, a lot of it with very specific intent to keep you from getting through the process and getting a favorable decision on your claim.They know it's hard for Americans without a job and insurance to get treatment. They know it's hard for Americans to gather medical records. Our medical record keeping system in the United States is. In France, everyone has a card. It's kinda like your driver's license and it's like it's got a barcode on it and that card you can take to any medical facility in the entire country and they scan it and they can immediately pull up your entire medical history.In the UK they have something similar with their National health Service and [00:20:00] during the pandemic, within one week, they knew every single British citizen who was a high risk for Covid and they were able to deliver food boxes to those people's homes because they knew where they lived and they did it within one week because they had that information.It was well organized. They knew exactly where to find it, and they knew how to keep people safe. And in the United States, we still have doctors saying, we'll fax you your records. It's ridiculous. But Social Security knows that this is happening. So they know that the records that they're gonna get when you first file your application are gonna be kind of a mess.So is it any surprise that they're denying over 70% of people at that initial application? Somewhere along the line, someone gets tripped up. They don't fill out a form, right? They don't get certain medical records in they can complete, they miss a meeting with someone with the Social Security Office.They can't [00:21:00] go see. Social Security will send you to see this doctor that they basically pay to give you an opinion that you're not disabled. They literally tell you you have to go see a doctor. And we're paying that doctor, and those doctors know to send Social Security and opinion saying that you can work.Otherwise they're not gonna keep getting referrals. And so if you cooperate, you'll probably get an opinion saying you can work. And if you don't cooperate, social says, security says you're not cooperating. So like at some point, one of everything that I've just said will trip up most people and that's why most claims get denied at the initial level.I do know someone who got approved at the initial level, but he was like, he was in the hospital for several months and like, you know, you can imagine how many thousands of pages of medical records that was and they all came from one source. That's the kind of case that social security probably [00:22:00] approves at the initial level, but that's a very rare situ.De'Vannon: Mm. Well y'all of, y'all wanna find out how to circumnavigate that sort of issue. You better grab a copy of this book now. Talk to me about any kind of implications related to, hum. Human immuno efficiency virus, hiv. Spencer: Yeah, so Social Security has a listing for, I it's in the immune disorders section and let's see if I can get it right.I think it's listing 14.08. I haven't been with Social Security in a year, so we'll see if how close I came to that. But the thing is, the social Security listing requirements, they're really strict. And so while every. I was wrong. It's 1407, so I was close though. And [00:23:00] the requirements are super strict for every impairment listing and HIV is no exception.So if you meet the requirements, you can be found disabled without social security considering your work history or whether you could work. That's to talk about in section two of the book, how that's just a medical determination. But you have to have not only the infection diagnosed, but you have to have something else that is either resistant to treatment or requires hospitalization.And that has to happen three or more times in a 12 month period. And there's a list of what these other diagnoses have to be, or you have to have something else for a full 12 month period. Or you have to have repeated manifest manifestations of your disorder. At least two. So there's so many requirements is my point.And that's the case with all the social security [00:24:00] listings. It's not just like an HIV diagnosis. It'll say, you know, an HIV diagnosis with this, this, this, this, and this. And the last thing will have like three elements under that. And that's only like the most severe case is end up meeting these listings.And so for most people, the way that they're found disabled is based on their functioning. So if you don't meet this very specific list of requirements, what social security does is they say, okay, you didn't, you're not disabled medically, but how does your impairment now impact your functioning? What are your functional limitations?And is there a job you can do in the national economy? And so I think with I probably a lot of it is fatigue. And, and there and there may also be difficulty standing and walking or lifting because of fatigue. Do I have that right? As far as like, those are kind of typical functional [00:25:00] limitations someone might have.De'Vannon: I don't really feel like there's like a limit to limitations with someone with HIV man because hiv. Lowers, you know, the immune system and it depends on that person's body. Spencer: That's a great point. Yeah. So you could have gastrointestinal issues, you could have breathing issues, and then of course, it's really common when people have any kind of physical impairments.It's really, really, really common to then have mental health impairments as well. Actually, I, I would say most cases that I saw that had anxiety, depression, PTSD, listed as impairments, they were secondary to some sort of physical condition, be it musculoskeletal or respiratory or an immune system disorder, like hiv.And so, yeah, when you take into account all of this person's impairments and all the ways that it impacts the mind and body, what happens is social security [00:26:00] comes up with a list of functional limitations and then they go to a, a vocational expert, a jobs expert, and they say, Here's a hypothetical person with a bunch of limitations.Are there any jobs in the national economy that person can do? And as I talk about in the book, the thing is when they ask that question, when the judge asks that question, they already know the answer. And here's, I'll give you an example. If I say, I have a hypothetical person who can only work six hours of an eight hour workday, are there any full time eight hour jobs that person can do?We already know the answer is no. Right? Cause the person can only work six hours out of an eight hour workday. So there are certain limitations that SSA judges and attorneys, there are certain limitations that they know will result in a finding of disability. And certain limitations that they know will not result in a finding of disability because there are jobs out there that someone can do with [00:27:00] those limitations.So that's where it becomes a really. Personalized review of your situation where the judge and the attorney looking at the case, have to look at your very specific medical records. Look at what you're telling doctors, look at your overall functioning, look at your attempts at work and see if you couldn't work, why you couldn't work, and try and figure out for this one specific person what that specific person's individualized limitations are based on their personal medical situation.Because as you said, something like HIV and other impairments as well impact people on such an individualized basis at that point. It really, it is about getting into the fine details of that person's medical record to understand what it is that person can or could not do on a 40 hour per week basis.[00:28:00]I'm De'Vannon: gonna get a little bit ahead of myself here since you're, since we're talking about the individualization of it all. Before we had, before, before this recording here, we had talked about a remand rate, a remanding, and you were telling me how not necessarily each and every last review is individualized.Yeah. So can you talk to us about that? Cause I don't want people thinking that they're necessarily going to get special attention, . Spencer: Well, it's, the thing is, it's kind of a mix because the judge who's deciding the case and the attorney who's their staff attorney, who's actually writing the decision, and that was my job, to write the actual decisions for the judges.They do look at every individual's medical records and they do conduct an individualized review of every case at the same time. You are both an individual person but also a statistic because while you're being looked at as an individual case, [00:29:00] that judge has 50 cases that they're doing every month, which means they're doing about 600 case, five to 600 cases a year.And then that hearing office is doing a few thousand cases a year. And then your region is doing 10,000 cases a year or 20,000 cases a year. And then that means nationally it's, you know, over a hundred thousand cases a year. And at each level of the process, you have people looking at the big picture.What is our pay rate? How many cases are we paying? How many are we denying? Is that pay rate too high? Are we getting too much pressure for members of Congress? Cause we're paying too many cases. Maybe we need to bring down the number of cases we're paying. And then if that happens, that filters all the way down to your individual judge who starts thinking.Maybe I'm paying too many cases, maybe out of my 600 cases this year, instead of paying 200, maybe I should pay 1 75 or one 50. And so now they're thinking about which cases [00:30:00] that they may have paid. Now they're gonna deny instead. And that's where you become both the statistic at an individualized person.Because yeah, they're looking at your individualized situation, but they're sitting there thinking, headquarters is telling us to pay fewer cases this year. Maybe this is one that I should be denying. Maybe a week ago I would've paid it. And maybe today, after getting that email from headquarters, maybe today, I think about denying this case.And so it's both and every case is both. You're constantly being evaluated as an individual and a statistic. And that can be really hard on the person writing the decision because. My job was to write the decision the judge wanted. So I don't actually get to decide whether the person's disabled or not.I just have to justify whatever their decision is. And so I would often see cases that I thought there was [00:31:00] really good evidence to approve the person, solid evidence, showing their diagnoses. Say it's something like hiv. I saw a lot of HIV cases. I see their diagnosis. I see their, their test results with cdr CD four, sorry, CD four levels over 200.And I see white count levels that were, were low. And I see other limitations. Difficulty walking long distances. Or someone would say, you know, I tried to go back to work and I just got too tired and I had to quit that job after a week. And the judge would be telling me, we're denying this case. I'd be like, why this?This is really good evidence for I making an individualized analysis saying, I think this is good evidence. I think we should approve this. But then that judge has these external factors that they're thinking about that [00:32:00] in addition to looking at you as an individual, they're also thinking about this case as a statistic.And sometimes when those things, you know, come into conflict, sometimes I then have to write a decision that I don't wanna write or that I don't think the evidence. De'Vannon: Well, I'm so happy you have a soul. You know, I, I know not everybody in the Social Security Administration does, but and you have filled that soul out onto these pages, so I appreciate the, the love that I feel reverberating from you, man.Now there is this book, cuz this little book called The dsm and y'all, that stands with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. And I think now we're on like the DSM five, it's gone through a few changes over the years. Yeah. So there's a word in there called gender dysphoria. Spencer, and I don't care for that word, dysphoria.However, [00:33:00] that is what is in that book. And so talk to me about what that means and then what it means for dis for the, for these disability claims. Spencer: Yeah. It doesn't mean much. Well, we'll just boil it down to that. So, after the revisions to the DSM happened in 2013 We did start to see diagnoses of gender dysphoria.Andhere's the thing, I'm not a doctor, I'm not a medical professional. The medical training that the lawyers at Social Security who make the legal decisions, the medical training they're given isn't how to look at a person and make a decision. It's really more how to read medical records. Cause that's what we need to do.We need to read medical records and know how to find, know how that evidence translates into the legal aspects of disability. Right? And so if I'm reading a psychologist or psychiatrist's [00:34:00]report and I see a diagnosis of gender dysphoria, I'm not making a decision on whether or not that's accurate. Cause I don't have medical training.All I know is, okay, this one individual medical. Offered that diagnosis. And so what happens then is if the judge, the, the, the definition of a medical impairment for social security is any medical condition that causes even the most minimal impact on any kind of functioning. And so if you were diagnosed with gender, if a person is diagnosed with gender dysphoria and there's even like the slightest amount of a lack of functioning in some kind of area, so like a lack of concentration or I have difficulty getting along with other people because they don't understand my, my choices or my body or what's happening with me, [00:35:00] that's enough.And so the good thing is judges are, they're not rejecting that completely. The judges will di will take that diagnosis of gender dysphoria. And they'll put it in the decision and they'll call that a medically determinable impairment. The problem is having a medical impairment isn't enough because what we talked about is you ha then have to have work related limitations in order to find someone disabled.And there, I, I just, I had my experience from working with the agency and through mid 2021 judges, in my experience, were just not able to find much in the way of specific work related limitations due to that diagnosis. And maybe that's actually a good thing. Maybe that's kind of progressive in saying like, we don't, we, we understand that this diagnosis is there, but like whatever gender you identify with doesn't impact your ability to [00:36:00] do a job.So on the one hand, if it's, if someone's really struggling with that and they're having anxiety or depression, Or PTSD or personality disorder or suicidal ideations, that could be a separate diagnosis alongside gender dysphoria and that could have work related limitations. But my experience is the gender dysphoria itself doesn't really result in, in and of itself work related limitations.And so that's really not gonna be a basis for finding someone disabled and unable to work. De'Vannon: I hope. I hope not. And because people should be able to identify sexually as they want, be non-binary, whatever the case may be, without any sort of negative implications. Spencer: Yeah. And can I say, can I say one other thing?I also saw a lot of medical reports where the person [00:37:00] identified as a member of the LGBTQ community and there was no diagnosis of gender dysphoria. And that was probably a more. Maybe a younger doctor or more progressive doctor who is like, I I the pa, there's nothing wrong with the patient. They're telling me they're lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual.It's not a diagnosis. And so I'm just gonna focus on their anxiety or depression or these other things they're telling me about. I don't need to focus on how they identify. That's not a diagnosis. In the same way that if someone is a cis I'm not gonna diagnose them with something either. So I saw a lot of medical reports where the medical professional, it just, it didn't matter.It wasn't a thing. It wasn't important. It wasn't, they were what they were focusing on in their medical evaluation. And then other doctors who I could tell just by the [00:38:00] language that they were using were probably baby boomer generation, and maybe they just didn't understand that 25 year old who was coming in and, and talking to them.De'Vannon: Right. And then, and then you, you mentioned that you wrote the decision. The judge, judge did not write the decision, so I wanna be sure that, that, that we're super clear on on that. So the judges don't actually write the decisions. What, what was your exact job title again? Tell us so that we can know. Sure.Spencer: So my job title is Attorney Advisor, and here's the way it works. Social Security is a massive system with over a million applications a year. Several hundred thousand cases are going to the hearing level. There's about a thousand judges Nation. Several thousand other support staff and they're seeing several hundred thousand cases.The numbers are absolutely massive and that means you really need an assembly line in order to keep things moving efficiently. [00:39:00] Cause as it is, people have to wait like a year to get a hearing with a judge. So if you're waiting that long and you're thinking like, why is it taking so long? That's ridiculous.It's just because of the enormous scope of the system. So the judges are doing about 50 hearings per month, so that's about 12 hearings per week. So in a 40 hour week, they're doing about 12 cases. So that's like three to four hours per case. And during that three to four hours, they're doing a, a pre-hearing review of all your records so that when you come into your hearing, they know what's going on with you.They have some idea of your medical history and your work history before they even see you. Then they're doing about a one hour hearing, and then they may have to look at some evidence again after your hearing. And then they write this list of instructions and agency shorthand and I talk about this process in the book, they write this list of instructions and they give it to an attorney, [00:40:00] staff, attorney like me, and then the attorney takes 4, 8, 10, 12 hours to actually write the decision.That's where we're looking at every single one of your medical reports, looking at all the doctors you saw, any medical opinions that are in there from your medical sources, thoroughly, completely evaluating all of that in complete sentences so that, you know, we looked at everything and then that decision gets handed back to the judge, and most of them honestly just sign it.They don't even read it, they don't edit it. They just. They've already spent three and a half hours on the case. They don't have time to do anything else, so they just sign it. Other judges will read through it, make some changes here and there, and tinker with it, and then sign it. But they're really spending very little time in the actual decision.Their job is to just big picture, like approve it or deny it. That's my decision. [00:41:00] My, my staff goes and, and breaks that decision down and, and does the full analysis, and then the judge signs it. So when you get it, it looks like Judge John Smith wrote the decision, you know, wrote this comprehensive 15 page decision.But in reality, they're just taking credit for someone else's work. De'Vannon: Okay, now let's talk about drugs, man. Drugs. Let's talk Spencer: about drugs. . De'Vannon: This is the sex drugs and Jesus podcast. So, you know, the marriage Iana is like super useful and shit. And so like, and, and then we have all these hallucinogenics starting to come up, you know, lsd, celly, masculine and all of that.What are the implications of that? Can since somebody having like medical treatment like that hurt their chances to get approved? Spencer: Yes and no. I was a government attorney, so I'm gonna give you the government answer. So there is a chapter in the book that com [00:42:00] thoroughly discusses how drugs and alcohol work.It. Chapter 26, it's called Drug Abuse and Alcoholism. I don't like those terms, by the way. Those terms come directly from a law passed by Congress in 1996, and that's the law that social security still uses. To decide if drugs or alcohol should be a factor in your case. And there's guidance from 2013 as to about how they apply that.But here's the basics. If you're using any kind of drugs or alcohol, and that's the what causes you to be disabled and unable to work. Social Security can deny you benefits, but if it's secondary, in other words, if they remove the drugs and alcohol from consideration and consider everything else, if you would still be found disabled, then they still find you disabled.So it really has to be the drugs or alcohol use that tips you over the line, right? That that puts you [00:43:00] from, maybe you had limitations, but you could still work full-time and you were not disabled. And then if you're using drugs or alcohol and now you're disabled, that's the point where Social Security says We're applying that law.We're finding that Congress says, if that's the reason that you can't work and you're disabled, then we're gonna find you not disabled. But it has some interesting implications because a lot of people do use drugs for, or alcohol, I guess not alcohol, but a lot of people use different substances for treatment.Right. And there's a lot of states where it's legal. I worked in the state of Washington where cannabis has been legal and you could walk into a store and buy it for eight years now, and the stores are everywhere. Anyone who's been to Washington or Colorado, I think they've got a lot now in California, knows that you just go into cannabis or you show your id, they scan your id and you can buy things to [00:44:00] smoke, chew.They have drinks, they have gummies they have like bath salts. Not bad baths, just like fizzies that you put in a bath to soak in for mu to like help your muscles relax. And so a lot of people use these to help reduce their symptoms so that they can try and go back to work. Luckily the judges do understand this and you have different judges, right?You have some judges that are on one end of the political spectrum and other judges that are more conservative and more hard, harder to deal with when it comes to drugs or alcohol. But even those judges understand that in certain states, cannabis is illegal and people can just go to sore and buy it, and that a lot of people are using it in order to try and improve their medical situation, not to make it worse.So my experience, the judges are actually really good at doing that analysis and [00:45:00] not just looking at what you're using, but why you're using it and how it impacts you. And some of it is self. People ask me like, well, how do they know you're using substances? Some of it is self-declared because they're gonna make you fill out function reports and that's all under penalty of perjury and they're gonna ask you if you are using any drugs or alcohol.And so if you lie, that's really, that's a bad thing. So most people will just declare it, and as I talk about in the book, it really is best to just be honest with Social security and just tell them if you've been using something and why? Because it's not that difficult for a qualified, knowledgeable social security representative to explain to the judge why you were using that substance and why that's not the reason you're disabled, that there's some other reason that you're disabled.That use of that substance was in some way a brand of [00:46:00] self-treatment. And in a lot of cases it is. . And then there are some cases where it's not, and you can tell that the person has a substance addiction and maybe that's their only impairment or their other impairments only surface when they're using substances.And and, and so that's, that's what that analysis is. It's trying to figure out what the core reason is for you being unable to work full time. De'Vannon: Okay. Thank you for that. And I wanna lean more into exactly what type of people these judges are. When we were, before getting ready for this interview, you were telling me, you know, these bitches make like 180 k a year.I don't remember if there's bonuses and stuff like that, but what, what was Spencer: the Probably, I don't know. I'm not a judge, but they probably have some kind of bonus. De'Vannon: But what was important to you? You told me that you said a lot of them were JAG officers and [00:47:00] and that stands for Judge Advocate General.These are people who were in the military, military officers. And so talk to me about the incompatibility, the incongruence the incongruency that you found in between how the health level and the age level of these judges versus the people who they're Spencer: judging. Yeah, so it's not everybody, but a lot of new newly hired judges, a lot of them are from the military because the whole federal government gives a, a preference, a hiring preference to veterans.I think it's the only group where when you're filling out an application for a federal job, your federal employment from the USA Jobs website, it's the only identified group that gets a hiring preference. And that's across the whole federal government. And so, of course, a job with social security, it's a federal agency, is no different.So there tend to be a lot of people who [00:48:00] were lawyers in the military or their lawyers and then maybe they were separately in the military and maybe they had another job in the military. But there are a lot of lawyers who have military service, either past service where they're veterans or maybe past plus current service where they're still in the reserves.And those people will apply to be ALJs, administrative law judges and social security. They'll hire people in their fifties, but they'd rather hire people in their forties so that they can train those people and then have those people working for them for 20 years instead of 10. So I noticed when I was working for Social Security, a lot of judges in their early to mid forties, a lot of judges with military service and if whatever branch of the military they're in, that means they're probably.Going to be fairly physically fit, probably they're not gonna have substantial health conditions because substantial health conditions usually keep you [00:49:00] out of the military. And so you get these young fit judges who like to get up at 5:00 AM who have multiple jobs because they might be judges, but they're also in the reserves and maybe they like, you know, go volunteer somewhere and they go to the gym for two hours a day.So they're physically fit, they're mentally fit, they're really active people. And then they have people coming in front of them who don't have a college degree, who have been working a really hard job where, you know, like construction work, working in a warehouse or nurses' assistants. Or like delivery people.I mean, sometimes we're at a gas station and we see like the pre, the people unloading drinks into the cooler and we don't think about how much they have to lift on a daily basis. Cause they're constantly lifting these [00:50:00] cases of beverages onto these carts. Mm-hmm. and people who have jobs like this, you know, where you're doing that 50 hours a week after 5, 10, 15 years, at some point you're either gonna have some kind of acute injury or your body's just gonna totally break down over time.And people come in and they're, they're in pain. Maybe that means they're on narcotic medications so they're not able to fully concentrate. They maybe have mental health impairments as well cause they can't work. So they're anxious and depressed. And these like, you know, super, the fittest people on the planet are standing up there.Sitting up there cuz they also have a sedentary sit down air conditioned job. Right. And they're literally passing judgment. Over people who have had a life that is totally different from theirs as far as education, upbringing, where they live, what kind of childhood they had, what kind of job training they've had, what kind of job opportunities they've [00:51:00] had, what kind of medical situations they're in, their lack of ability to get treatment.They have no health insurance. The judges have federal employee health plans. And so you get people, these judges who they're just, they're looking at people who they, a lot of times they can't identify with at all. And they're saying things like, well, I can work. Why can't that guy, I can't tell you how many times I heard that.When I would go and let's say the judge says it's the denial. And I look through the medical records and I go to the judge and I try and convince them that they should change that to an approval. Cause I can do that. The person writing the decision talks to the judge all the time. Talk through the evidence, talk about what they're seeing.Hey, maybe we should change this decision until it's signed. It's changeable. And I would go to talk to the judges all the time about like, look, there's this medical evidence and I, I think this guy has these opinions and I think that maybe we should consider paying this case. [00:52:00] And I would hear things like, well, I can work.Why can't he? Or, you know, I, I, I come to work, I, I I commute an hour a day each way that guy could do it. He's fine. And these aine statements that are detached from reality. And that's where I think the, the personalities and the upbringing and the medical situation of the judges comes into play. And I have observed that as judges get older, as they themselves experience certain medical conditions that come with age, like.Oh my, I threw out my back. I need to have back surgery. Or, you know, maybe now I, I, I hit 50, now I need glasses and I didn't use to before. Or something happens medically in their lives as they age. And you do, I, I would see that the judges start to get more sympathetic over time. They start to understand [00:53:00] pain, frustration, lack of mental acuity and they start to be able to sympathize more with the stories that they're being told and to say, yeah, you know, actually now I do believe this person, this person is 55 and, and they worked in a warehouse for 25 years and they threw their back out.And I can see on an MRI that their back is totally destroyed, and they're telling me they're in too much pain to work. I now have back pain myself. So now I get what they're saying. And so that does cause this disconnect between these like young fit judges who kind of come in swinging with denials and older, more seasoned judges who I think tend to be more sympathetic to people and have higher pay rates raise.Their pay rate tends to go up over time. De'Vannon: Okay. Okay. I'm gonna [00:54:00] ask you Spencer: So can I, can I just say one thing? Who your judge is, is something that you can't choose. You as I talk about in the book, there's certain things you can control and certain things you can't control and you can't control who your judge is.And the reason that's important is I wrote the book because I want people to understand. How to get through this process, regardless of who your judge is, regardless of how much of you know, how, how mu, how much difficulty the agency is gonna put you through everything that I've talked about so far.Let's assume you get every single one of these barriers put in your way. I want you to know what all of these barriers are so that you can navigate them. Even a low paying judge, that young fit military judge, maybe they're a 20% payer, but if they're paying 20% of their cases and they have five hearings today, that means statistically they're still gonna approve one of those five people today, right?And so I want you to [00:55:00] know how you can gather the right medical records and present the right case and h and have the right representative sitting with you and work together so that you can present to that judge a situation, a story. Where even the most hardcore, low paying fit military judge says, yeah, that's a pretty good presentation.I think we'll approve that one. I'll use my discretion to deny the next floor, but I don't feel like I have any discretion here. And that's what you wanna do, is you wanna take away that discretion. You wanna make those judges feel like There's nothing I can do about this. This is a solid case. I'm gonna approve this one, and I wanna give you the tools to be able to do that.And that's why I wrote the book. De'Vannon: So, so you mentioned it um, a 20% or so. Talk to us then about the like the approval rates and kind of like how these [00:56:00] judges are rated. And then I want you to tell that story about that one judge who they you know, I think they took like her telework away and they gave her like extra training or whatever.Spencer: Yeah, so the, there is, as we talked about earlier, you're not only a person, you're also a statistic, right? And so headquarters, cuz they're getting pressure for members of Congress and to testify, testify in front of congressional committees. And then that pressure just makes its way down the system to the individual judges.And so if the agency wants to pay fewer cases, if they're getting pressure, Hey, we're paying too many cases, let's pay fewer cases. And that pressure makes its way down to the judges. They're also pressured to pay fewer cases and they're, the judge will tell you, I'm an independent decision maker and I can make whatever decision I want and I'm not bound by any prior denials.And all of that is true and every judge has the authority to [00:57:00] approve any specific case. But they also are looking at the 50 cases for that month and thinking about how many. Do I wanna approve this month? Because I know if I approve too many, I might get hassled. And I knew a judge and I worked for a judge that had a fairly high pay rate and he kept getting hassled by, by his superiors, by the, the higher ups within the agency who basic, they didn't tell him you're paying too many cases because like they don't want that on the front page in the New York Times, right?But they would say things like, we think maybe you need extra training. Maybe you don't fully understand how our agency works. Maybe you don't fully understand the definition of disability, so we're gonna give you extra training. And they would like make him sit through hours and hours and hours of extra training that he didn't wanna do.That's annoying. And that's a pressure point, right? That's a way of [00:58:00] saying like, you know, we're gonna make you an offer. You can't refuse. You, you start denying more cases or there's gonna be consequences, but they don't use the word consequences. And yeah, as you said, I wrote for another judge and they took away her telework.People like working at home, we found that during the pandemic, right, and the judges can work from home, especially during the pandemic, when all the hearings, with telephone hearings, there's no reason why they can't work from home. And that my job, just writing and reviewing your medical records, which are all on the computer, we can all work from home.And so the pressure point for that judge, they knew she liked working from home. So that pressure point was, you do what we need you to do, where we're gonna take away your telework. And so while the judge tells you they're an independent decision maker, you have to understand that they're looking at your specific records, but they're also thinking about themselves.The judges are human. They're thinking about their, [00:59:00] their salary, their health insurance benefits. They don't wanna get fired. They also don't wanna get transferred. They don't wanna be hassled. And so, you know, they're public servants, but of course, even public servants are thinking about their own wellbeing and their own job and their own families.And so when that pressure comes down on them from above, they're gonna, they're gonna react to it and and a fairly reasonable way and in the way that the management wants them to. So that does also happen. I wrote a lot of favorable decisions when I worked for Social Security. I, I just wanna make sure as we get near the end here, and as we conclude, I want people to understand I did write a lot of favorable decisions.But I noticed certain things about those cases. I noticed how well those medical records were put together, how those medical opinions were worded, how those representatives that represented those people presented that case. And so I know with this large [01:00:00] sample size of cases, I have some idea of the things that work, even with low paying judges, the things that can work to get an approval and the things that don't work or the things that people don't do that they should do when they're presenting their case.And so, and that's, that's what really made me say, I need to write a book. I need to get all this knowledge that I have on paper and out to the general public. Because some of this isn't necessarily publicly known information, but it's not necessarily trade secrets either. Right? The law is a certain way and the law defines disability a certain way.And a lot of this is just education that social security doesn't provide you. They're not telling you how to present your disability case, but over time, I've seen the things that work. And so I wanted to present this educational guide to let people know, here are the things that you can do to [01:01:00] present your case in a way to give yourself the best possible chance of success.De'Vannon: And I think you've done quite well, you know, a very good job at doing that. Talk a little bit about like, especially for veterans, you know, since I'm a veteran, just to kind of like talk about that a little bit, you know.Spencer: So just we can cover that real quick. The, the way the VA decides if someone's disabled is different from Social Security because the VA is not only looking at whether your medical conditions are connected to your service, whereas social security doesn't care why your impairments occurred. They are.But the VA also then asks about whether what your fitness is to return to some kind of military duty. And so there are a lot of veterans that will get a hundred percent service connected rating because their impairments are connected to their service and they're found to not be able to return to whatever their military duty was.Asks, can you [01:02:00] do any job in the national economy? And so there are a lot of judges who will see a hundred percent service connected disability for a veteran and just say, okay, that's enough for me. I'm gonna find them disabled. But I wrote a lot of denials for people who at 80, 90, a hundred percent service connected ratings.And it's because even though they couldn't do military duty, they could do other work in the national economy like being a cashier and. There is somewhat of a disconnect between the definitions and the two systems, and that's why it's really important for veterans or military families to also understand how social securities rules operate.Because you can't assume that just because you're a veteran and that maybe your judge is a veteran, you can't assume that's gonna help you out. Actually, again, I wrote decisions for judges who are veterans who looked at a veteran claimant with a hundred percent rating and said, well, I'm a veteran and I can work, so why can't he [01:03:00] and denied those claims.So you have to know the system, you have to know the rules, and you have to know how things work within the Social Security disability system. You can't just assume because you're a veteran or because you have a hundred percent rating that things are gonna work out well for you when you get in front of the social security.De'Vannon: Okay, well there you have it. Y'all's website is visions publishing.com. The social medias of Facebook, Twitter, , Instagram. Of course, all of this is going to go in the show notes, as it always does. So as always with my guests, I'd like to let you have the last word. I thank you so much for your time today, Spencer.Are there any final closing remarks you'd like to say? Spencer: I just wanna say we, we've gone over like the first part of the subtitle today, right? A lot of why it's so hard to access benefits. But I just wanna conclude on a more positive note with the second half of the subtitle, which is what you can do about it.There are specific strategies, there are ways you can get around things. At the [01:04:00] beginning I talked about how Social security will send you to see this doctor who's being paid to say you're not disabled. Well, there are strategies that you can use to counter. That you have to go to that exam. But there are ways that you can get evidence to counteract that medical opinion that do work.There are things that you can present in your medical record or ways that you can testify at the hearing. There are strategies that you can use to try and convince even the lower paying judges that you're not disabled, that you can't work full-time, but they're not things that you would necessarily think.For example, people think like, oh, if I try and work part-time, that might hurt my disability claim. It actually helps your disability claim. So if someone's a disability claimant and you see them working, they might be working because they're representative has told them, this will help your disability claim.And I explain why that is in the book. So don't make assumptions and don't take anything. Social [01:05:00] Security tells you at face value. They're not there to help you. They're not on your side, they're not on your team. They're. They're really there. The Social Security disability system is trying to keep people out and trying to deny as many people as they can so that they can have those benefits for people who are collecting retirement later on.So be your own advocate. Get your own information, educate yourself, hire a good representative, and use the strategies that I'm teaching you about and they will. I can't guarantee you'll be approved, but I can say that these strategies are what you need to give yourself the best possible chance of being approved, even if you get a lower paying judge.De'Vannon: All right, there y'all have it. The name of the book is Social Security Disability Revealed, why it's so Hard to Access Benefits and What You Can Do about It. Thank you [01:06:00] so much, Spencer. Spencer: Thank you for having me.De'Vannon: Thank you all so much for taking time to listen to the Sex Drugs and Jesus podcast. It really means everything to me. Look, if you love the show, you can find more information and resources at SexDrugsAndJesus.com or wherever you listen to your podcast. Feel free to reach out to me directly at DeVannon@SexDrugsAndJesus.com and on Twitter and Facebook as well.My name is De'Vannon, and it's been wonderful being your host today. And just remember that everything is gonna be all right.  

DR. LARRY F. WALDMAN, a semi-retired certified school psychologist and licensed clinical, forensic psychologist from Phoenix, Arizona, will join us to discuss his work as a Psychologist, Author, and Speaker, including his books, "Who's Raising Whom?"; "Coping with Your Adolescent"; "How Come I Love Him But Can't Live with Him?"; "The Graduate Course You Never Had"; "Too Busy Earning a Living to Make Your Fortune?"; and "Overcoming Your Negotiaphobia: Negotiating Through Your Life". From His Website:  "Dr. Waldman is a recently semi-retired certified school psychologist and licensed clinical, forensic psychologist in Phoenix, Arizona. He conducted a highly successful private practice of 45 years working with children, teens, parents, couples, and adults in a solution-focused manner. He also consulted with family, personal injury, immigration and estate planning attorneys. His BS in Education/Psychology was from the University of Wisconsin; his MS in School Psychology was from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; his Ph.D. in Educational/School Psychology was earned at Arizona State University; and his Diplomate (ABPP) was received in 2003. Waldman was the past president of the Maricopa Psychological Society, the Director of Psychological Services for Charter Psychiatric Hospital of Glendale and was an “Official Guide” (top expert) on Parenting for SelfGrowth.com. He continues as a Medical Consultant for the Social Security Office in Phoenix, an adjunct graduate professor in the Counseling and Educational Psychology Departments for Ottawa University, and serves on the professional advisory board of Stepping Stones of Hope, a charitable organization serving children whom have lost a parent. Waldman is the co-chair of the Early Career Psychologists Committee with the Arizona Psychological Association (AzPA).  He is also certified by the American Council on Exercise (ACE) as a (senior) fitness specialist. In addition to numerous articles which have been published in the local Phoenix media and in the national press, Waldman has (thus far) written six books: Who's Raising Whom? Coping with Your Adolescent; How Come I Love Him But Can't Live with Him? The Graduate Course You Never Had; Too Busy Earning a Living to Make Your Fortune? and Overcoming Your Negotiaphobia: Negotiating Through Your Life. He currently is writing Love your Kid More than You Hate your Ex. Dr. Waldman trained as a public speaker. His signature presentations are: The Business of Private Practice—The Graduate Course You Never Had and Teaching Parents to Parent.  He has made over 150 paid presentations in his career to attorneys, chiropractors, psychologists, family therapists, counselors, social workers, school psychologists and school counselors. To the community Waldman speaks on parenting, marriage, stress, depression and anxiety, wellness, grandparenting and psychotherapy. His seminars are organized, practical and entertaining—offering “edutainment." topphoenixpsychologist.com

DR. LARRY F. WALDMAN, a semi-retired certified school psychologist and licensed clinical, forensic psychologist from Phoenix, Arizona, will join us to discuss his work as a Psychologist, Author, and Speaker, including his books, "Who's Raising Whom?"; "Coping with Your Adolescent"; "How Come I Love Him But Can't Live with Him?"; "The Graduate Course You Never Had"; "Too Busy Earning a Living to Make Your Fortune?"; and "Overcoming Your Negotiaphobia: Negotiating Through Your Life". From His Website:  "Dr. Waldman is a recently semi-retired certified school psychologist and licensed clinical, forensic psychologist in Phoenix, Arizona. He conducted a highly successful private practice of 45 years working with children, teens, parents, couples, and adults in a solution-focused manner. He also consulted with family, personal injury, immigration and estate planning attorneys. His BS in Education/Psychology was from the University of Wisconsin; his MS in School Psychology was from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; his Ph.D. in Educational/School Psychology was earned at Arizona State University; and his Diplomate (ABPP) was received in 2003. Waldman was the past president of the Maricopa Psychological Society, the Director of Psychological Services for Charter Psychiatric Hospital of Glendale and was an “Official Guide” (top expert) on Parenting for SelfGrowth.com. He continues as a Medical Consultant for the Social Security Office in Phoenix, an adjunct graduate professor in the Counseling and Educational Psychology Departments for Ottawa University, and serves on the professional advisory board of Stepping Stones of Hope, a charitable organization serving children whom have lost a parent. Waldman is the co-chair of the Early Career Psychologists Committee with the Arizona Psychological Association (AzPA).  He is also certified by the American Council on Exercise (ACE) as a (senior) fitness specialist. In addition to numerous articles which have been published in the local Phoenix media and in the national press, Waldman has (thus far) written six books: Who's Raising Whom? Coping with Your Adolescent; How Come I Love Him But Can't Live with Him? The Graduate Course You Never Had; Too Busy Earning a Living to Make Your Fortune? and Overcoming Your Negotiaphobia: Negotiating Through Your Life. He currently is writing Love your Kid More than You Hate your Ex. Dr. Waldman trained as a public speaker. His signature presentations are: The Business of Private Practice—The Graduate Course You Never Had and Teaching Parents to Parent.  He has made over 150 paid presentations in his career to attorneys, chiropractors, psychologists, family therapists, counselors, social workers, school psychologists and school counselors. To the community Waldman speaks on parenting, marriage, stress, depression and anxiety, wellness, grandparenting and psychotherapy. His seminars are organized, practical and entertaining—offering “edutainment." topphoenixpsychologist.com

In this episode of The Private Practice Elevation Podcast, we're going to talk about non-traditional ways to market a private practice.    Living in these modern times, I think we sometimes forget about the tried and true methods that can be used to build a business.   Often we turn to our computers and social media feeds and think “this is how I'm supposed to market my private practice.”   The problem is that in order to build a successful private practice, you may need to think outside of the box.   Clients won't just show up unless you go out and look for them. They need to know you exist!   So what are some creative ways to increase your visibility, share your expertise, and attract more of your ideal clients?   Our guest, Dr. Larry Waldman is on the show today to share some of the creative ways he marketed a successful private practice - one he had for over 45 years!   Dr. Larry is a psychologist, professor, speaker, and author who is passionate about helping private practice owners think outside the box and market their practices in creative and exciting ways. In This Episode, You'll Learn: Questions to ask yourself before you begin marketing your practice The difference between a niche and your ideal client How to look for opportunities to get in front of your ideal clients The importance of relationship building and the impact it can have on your referrals How to use current events and media to reach more clients Creative ways to get in front of your audience Other ideas for non-traditional marketing for your private practice Links mentioned in this episode:  Dr. Larry's Website   Huge Sale On My Favorite WordPress Theme You may already know this, but Divi is my favorite WordPress theme for building beautiful therapy websites. Every year, Elegant Themes, the makers of the Divi WordPress theme do a huge Black Friday sale. And this is year is no different. If you're looking for a great theme to build a new website for your private practice, one that comes with easy-to-use templates and features right out of the box, definitely check out Divi. (affiliate link) About Larry F. Waldman, Ph.D., ABPP   Dr. Waldman is a recently semi-retired licensed clinical, forensic psychologist in Phoenix, Arizona.  He conducted a highly successful private practice of 45 years working with children, teens, parents, couples, and adults in a solution-focused manner.  He also consulted with family, personal injury, immigration and estate planning attorneys.  His BS in Education/Psychology was from the University of Wisconsin; his MS in School Psychology was at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; his Ph.D. in Educational/School Psychology was earned at Arizona State University; and his Diplomate (ABPP) was received in 2003.   Waldman was the past president of the Maricopa Psychological Society, the Director of Psychological Services for Charter Psychiatric Hospital of Glendale, an “Official Guide” (top expert) on Parenting for SelfGrowth.com and was a Medical Consultant for the Social Security Office in Phoenix. He continues as an adjunct graduate professor in counseling and serves on the professional advisory board of Stepping Stones of Hope, a charitable organization serving children who have lost a parent.  Waldman also was the co-chair of the Early Career Psychologists Committee with the Arizona Psychological Association (AzPA) for five years.   He is certified by the American Council on Exercise (ACE) as a (senior) fitness specialist and is a yoga instructor.     In addition to numerous articles which have been published in the local Phoenix media and in the national press, Waldman has (thus far) written seven books:  Who's Raising Whom?  Coping with Your Adolescent; How Come I Love Him But Can't Live with Him? The Graduate Course You Never Had, 2nd Edition; Too Busy Earning a Living to Make Your Fortune? Overcoming Your Negotiaphobia: Negotiating Through Your Life; and Love Your Child More Than You Hate your Ex.   Dr. Waldman trained as a public speaker and presents for PESI.  His signature presentations are: The Business of Private Practice—The Graduate Course You Never Had and Teaching Parents to Parent.  He has made over 150 paid presentations in his career to attorneys, chiropractors, psychologists, family therapists, counselors, social workers, school psychologists and school counselors. To the community Waldman speaks on parenting, marriage, stress, depression and anxiety, wellness, grand parenting and psychotherapy.  He also is a seasoned podcast guest.  His seminars are organized, practical and entertaining—offering “edutainment.”   Subscribe & Review in Apple Podcasts If you're not yet subscribed to the podcast I want to encourage you to do that today. This is the best way to make sure you don't miss an episode! Click here to subscribe on iTunes.   And if you're feeling extra generous, I'd love to hear what you think about the podcast. Reviews help others find the podcast plus I'd really love to hear what you think! Click here to leave a review. Just click on “Ratings & Reviews” then “Write a review.” Let me know what you like best about the podcast. Thank you!

Chances are, if you live in the United States, chances are you'll interact with the Social Security Office. It's can be simple if you're applying for retirement benefits. But should you be the one of millions who are petitioning for assistance regarding a physical or mental disability, good luck. Your work is cut out for you.Spencer Bishins was a lawyer for the Social Security Administration for over a decade, and was frustrated by the volume of consumers he couldn't help. Today, he's authored Social Security Disability Benefits Revealed: Why It's So Hard to Access Benefits and What You Can Do About It.While this episode is specifically about dealing with social security disability benefits in the States, there are some general takeaways to navigating other government agencies you may need for yourself or a loved one.You will learn:·        Solid record-keeping and learning as much about the system you're seeking aid from can save on time and disappointment.·        Hopeful applicants may benefit from having an attorney or advocate but must remain engaged and involved and avoid abdicating their authority to find success.·        The formula for who gets support shifts with mandates, funding, and the staff and sometimes courts who administer the benefits. Bio:Spencer Bishins is a lawyer who worked for the Social Security Administration for 11 years. This is his first book.To learn more about his work and get his book, find him at https://www.bishinspublishing.com/ or connect with him on LinkedIn HERE.Lizbeth's linksBuy Lizbeth a Coffeehttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/LizbethMeredithLizbeth's memoir, now a movie! Pieces of Me: Rescuing My Kidnapped Daughters Lizbeth's memoir, now a movie! Pieces of Me: Rescuing My Kidnapped Daughters  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01JW0COTI Author Facebook pagehttps://www.facebook.com/lizbethmeredithfan/https://lameredith.com/    

Chaos to the left! Chaos to the right! Ra Ra Ra - chaos all night! Join the ladies for a very special/chaotic episodeWe cover everything from lines, to mascots, to weird 80s hoard games! Jamie presents a very special cringe adjacent true crime story. Trust us, you're not going to want to miss this one! (Trigger warning for this part)

Richard Gaudiosi, Public Affairs Specialist with the Social Security Administration announces that their offices are once again open for in-person business!  While he encourages everyone to continue using their My Social Security accounts and conducting their transiactions and quetions online, they are taking appointments – and walk-ins as time allows – at their branches.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2021, 34% of adults aged 15 and older had never been married. And nearly one-third of single adult men live with a parent. In fact, if you read this article in TIME magazine, you'll discover that “marriage is becoming an increasingly elite institution – people get married for economic advantages.” Married? It's very rare for a married couple to die on the same day, meaning, one of them will be single later in life managing day-to-day finances alone. Join us today as we switch the conversation from couples to singles. Our guest, Bob Simpson from the Social Security Office, will share some valuable information for those making decisions about Social Security alone.

Fawzya Khosti and Dr. Sarah Bald have invited Dr. Larry Waldman to join this in this weeks Parenting Pulse. Dr. Larry Waldman is an expert in Behavioral Theory and how it is Applied to Parenting. Dr. Waldman is a recently semi-retired certified school psychologist and licensed clinical, forensic psychologist in Phoenix, Arizona. He conducted a highly successful private practice of 45 years working with children, teens, parents, couples, and adults in a solution-focused manner. He also consulted with family, personal injury, immigration and estate planning attorneys. His BS in Education/Psychology was from the University of Wisconsin; his MS in School Psychology was from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; his Ph.D. in Educational/School Psychology was earned at Arizona State University; and his Diplomate (ABPP) was received in 2003. Dr. Waldman was the past president of the Maricopa Psychological Society, the Director of Psychological Services for Charter Psychiatric Hospital of Glendale and was an “Official Guide” (top expert) on Parenting for SelfGrowth.com. He continues as a Medical Consultant for the Social Security Office in Phoenix, an adjunct graduate professor in the Counseling and Educational Psychology Departments for Ottawa University, and serves on the professional advisory board of Stepping Stones of Hope, a charitable organization serving children whom have lost a parent. Waldman is the co-chair of the Early Career Psychologists Committee with the Arizona Psychological Association (AzPA). He is also certified by the American Council on Exercise (ACE) as a(senior) fitness specialist. In addition to numerous articles which have been published in the local Phoenix media and in the national press, Waldman has (thus far) written six books: Who's Raising Whom? Coping with Your Adolescent; How Come I Love Him But Can't Live with Him? The Graduate Course You Never Had; Too Busy Earning a Living to Make Your Fortune? and Overcoming Your Negotiaphobia: Negotiating Through Your Life. He currently is writing Love your Kid More than You Hate your Ex. Dr. Waldman trained as a public speaker. His signature presentations are: The Business of Private Practice—The Graduate Course You Never Had and Teaching Parents to Parent. He has made over 150 paid presentations in his career to attorneys, chiropractors, psychologists, family therapists, counselors, social workers, school psychologists and school counselors. To the community Waldman speaks on parenting, marriage, stress, depression and anxiety, wellness, grandparenting and psychotherapy. His seminars are organized, practical and entertaining—offering “edutainment.”

Fawzya Khosti and Dr. Sarah Bald have invited Dr. Larry Waldman to join this in this weeks Parenting Pulse. Dr. Larry Waldman is an expert in Behavioral Theory and how it is Applied to Parenting. Dr. Waldman is a recently semi-retired certified school psychologist and licensed clinical, forensic psychologist in Phoenix, Arizona. He conducted a highly successful private practice of 45 years working with children, teens, parents, couples, and adults in a solution-focused manner. He also consulted with family, personal injury, immigration and estate planning attorneys. His BS in Education/Psychology was from the University of Wisconsin; his MS in School Psychology was from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; his Ph.D. in Educational/School Psychology was earned at Arizona State University; and his Diplomate (ABPP) was received in 2003. Dr. Waldman was the past president of the Maricopa Psychological Society, the Director of Psychological Services for Charter Psychiatric Hospital of Glendale and was an “Official Guide” (top expert) on Parenting for SelfGrowth.com. He continues as a Medical Consultant for the Social Security Office in Phoenix, an adjunct graduate professor in the Counseling and Educational Psychology Departments for Ottawa University, and serves on the professional advisory board of Stepping Stones of Hope, a charitable organization serving children whom have lost a parent. Waldman is the co-chair of the Early Career Psychologists Committee with the Arizona Psychological Association (AzPA). He is also certified by the American Council on Exercise (ACE) as a(senior) fitness specialist. In addition to numerous articles which have been published in the local Phoenix media and in the national press, Waldman has (thus far) written six books: Who's Raising Whom? Coping with Your Adolescent; How Come I Love Him But Can't Live with Him? The Graduate Course You Never Had; Too Busy Earning a Living to Make Your Fortune? and Overcoming Your Negotiaphobia: Negotiating Through Your Life. He currently is writing Love your Kid More than You Hate your Ex. Dr. Waldman trained as a public speaker. His signature presentations are: The Business of Private Practice—The Graduate Course You Never Had and Teaching Parents to Parent. He has made over 150 paid presentations in his career to attorneys, chiropractors, psychologists, family therapists, counselors, social workers, school psychologists and school counselors. To the community Waldman speaks on parenting, marriage, stress, depression and anxiety, wellness, grandparenting and psychotherapy. His seminars are organized, practical and entertaining—offering “edutainment.”

Freddie Bell discusses Social Security Benefits with Rhonda Whitenak for the Social Security Office. A Minneapolis Public School official stops to share career information as Joe McKenzie talks about the challenges of changing careers. Freddie shares this week’s Words to the Wise. You can order his new book, Words to the Wise here and at…

No one is 100% safe when it comes to identity theft. It can happen to anyone, individuals and businesses.    Do your best to protect yourself, but the most important thing you can do is to understand what you need to do if you become (or think you are) a victim of identity theft.    I recently experienced an identity theft situation. In this episode, I'm sharing what happened to me, my next steps, and what you can do if this happens to you.    Check out this identity theft repair kit I received from my bank: https://bit.ly/3hM8itG   00:00 - Nothing is 100% safe or protected 00:24 - Intro  00:04 - Managing identity theft  01:13 - It can happen to anyone (individuals and businesses)  03:08 - Someone stole my identity  07:04 - Daily money habits text community  08:14 - My bank took action immediately 11:45 - What to do if you're a victim of identity theft 13:00 - Contact your bank ASAP 14:14 - Money Yoga Class 14:52 - Fraud alerts and credit freezes 15:52 - Monitoring credit reports often 16:50 - Check banking history 18:14 - Contact creditors and utilities 19:22 - File police report  20:58 - File report with FTC (Federal Trade Commission) 21:32 - Check with the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) 22:23 - Check with IRS (Internal Revenue Service) 22:50 - Check with USPS (United States Post Office) 23:02 - Check with Social Security Office  23:19 - Check with the US Department of State  23:38 - Continue to monitor everything 25:10 - Them scammers, hackers and thieves need to cut it out  26:16 - Wrap up 27:41 - Outro __ The Financially Free with Cleo Podcast is available on YouTube and all podcasting platforms (Apple, Spotify, Google, iHeart, Amazon, PodBean) https://www.cleoyogafinance.com/podcast   If you enjoy the show and want to support it, please subscribe on Youtube, or subscribe, rate and leave a review on Apple or Spotify . We appreciate it!   Text MONEY HABITS to 615-813-4827 to join the Daily Money Habits Text Community https://www.cleoyogafinance.com/offers/daily-money-habits-text-community   Join me on the first Sunday of every month at 11:00am CST for a Money Yoga Session https://www.cleoyogafinance.com/money-yoga   Grab Your Financial Affirmation Cards  https://www.cleoyogafinance.com/offers/financial-affirmations   Let's Stay Connected:    Instagram  https://www.instagram.com/cleoyogafinance/   YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/CleoYogaFinance   TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/   LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/cleochildress/   Twitter https://twitter.com/cleoyogafinance   Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CleoYogaFinance   Website https://www.cleoyogafinance.com/

Occasionally, we'll get Bob Simpson from the Social Security Office to join us LIVE! It's a real treat to hear directly from the man who has worked over 30 years doing what he loves … helping people make the most of their Social Security benefits. There is never a dull moment with Bob on the mic! We will be talking about six major Social Security changes in 2022, year-end planning and answering all our listeners' questions. Go beyond getting advice from friends, hear directly from the source today.

It's Mindset Monday, and that means the start of our show is focused on our mindset and mental health. Join us in the discussion Today, we'll be interviewing our special guest, Larry Waldman. Dr. Waldman is a recently semi-retired licensed clinical, forensic psychologist in Phoenix, Arizona. He conducted a highly successful private practice of 45 years working with children, teens, parents, couples, and adults in a solution-focused manner. He also consulted with family, personal injury, immigration, and estate planning attorneys. His BS in Education/Psychology was from the University of Wisconsin; his MS in School Psychology was at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; his Ph.D. in Educational/School Psychology was earned at Arizona State University, and his Diplomate (ABPP) was received in 2003. Waldman was the past president of the Maricopa Psychological Society, the Director of Psychological Services for Charter Psychiatric Hospital of Glendale and was an “Official Guide” (top expert) on Parenting for SelfGrowth.com. He continues as a Medical Consultant for the Social Security Office in Phoenix, an adjunct graduate professor in counseling, and serves on the professional advisory board of Stepping Stones of Hope, a charitable organization serving children whom have lost a parent. Waldman is the co- chair of the Early Career Psychologists Committee with the Arizona Psychological Association (AzPA). He is also certified by the American Council on Exercise (ACE) as a (senior) fitness specialist. #delightsdigitalcafe #delightcafe #delightcafecbd #javadelight #mindsetmonday #goodmorning #morningshow #talkshow #podcast #positivity #morningmotivation #talk #delight

Welcome back to Powering Your Retirement Radio. This week we are going to talk about when to claim Social Security. This is basically your claiming decision. We discussed this before, but I still get many questions about the best time to collect. Like most things, the correct answer is it depends. It is a simple math problem if you happen to know what your investments will do and when you will pass away. Thankfully, nobody knows when their end will come, but we can make some assumptions. The Guidelines I will use the calculations for someone born in 1960 or later. The numbers work similarly, but they are slightly different for people born before 1960. A table shows notes to see the options at other ages. I will also use a Primary Insurance Amount of $1,000 to try and keep the numbers more straightforward. Claim Social Security at 62 Claiming Social Security at age 62. The reduction in the payment would be 30%, and you would get $700 a month instead of $1,000. So if you claim at age 62 or 67, you would have received $42,000. At 67, you could start claiming $1,000 a month, which would be $300 a month more. It would take 140 months or 11 years and eight months, which means that by your 79 birthday, waiting would result in more money over your lifetime. Disclaimer Now, I have to give you a disclaimer that payments don't remain unchanged because of Cost-of-Living-Adjustments. They do grow at the same rate, though. So please consult with your local Social Security Office or an advisor to discuss your specific situation. Claim Social Security at 63 Claiming Social Security at age 63, your payment would only be reduced by 25%, and you would receive $750 monthly. At your full retirement age, you would have received $36,000. The $250 difference a month would take you 12 full years to break even. So at age 79, the total dollars received would be equal. All other early ages Claiming Social Security at age 64, your reduction is 20%; at age 65, the reduction is 13 ⅓%. At age 66, the reduction is 6.5%. The breakeven would be 12 years at age 64 or breakeven at age 79. The breakeven would be 13 years for age 65 or breakeven at age 80. The breakeven would be 12 years for age 66 or breakeven between age 81 & 82. So if you are looking for the most significant lifetime payment from Social Security, waiting tends to make sense if you believe you will live into your mid-80s. In today's world, that is not that big of a stretch.  Emotions vs. Facts I often say most decisions like this are emotional, not financial. You can look at the numbers, but if claiming at age 62 or 63 allows you to retire and reclaim your life, do you care if you might have more money later? Based on the number of people who claim early, it is clearly an emotional choice because waiting generally results in more money. Yet many people claim early because they fear Social Security will go away. I am not concerned about that, and I will tackle that in another show. Early vs. Late Claiming If you start claiming Social Security at age 62 or wait until age 70, you would have a $67,200 head start. In 10 years and one month, the person who waited until age 70 would have broken even and would be making more every month.  The problem for most people is they can't afford to retire without their Social Security income. The dilemma is Social Security is many people's only source of lifetime income that will grow. Although these people claim Social Security early, lowering the lifetime benefit they will receive. It is a real-life marshmallow test. If you don't know what that means, watch the video link in the last sentence. So I want to keep this week short because there are a lot of numbers. Again remember, if you want the most money possible, generally waiting leads to more money, provide you live into your mid-80s. So if you're going to retire early or don't expect to live into your 80s, it makes sense to consider claiming early. College Planning That is what I wanted to discuss this week. First, however, I would like to mention an upcoming episode on college planning. I have a lifelong friend with whom I've been friends with for so long. My parents and his mother all went to high school together. As it turns out, my friend Bryon has impacted my life significantly. After we graduated, we went our own way in college. I was accepted to every school I applied to, which wasn't helpful. I was hoping only to have one or two schools to pick from. I made a wrong choice and knew I didn't want to return to the school I picked for my Sophomore year. Bryon encouraged me to transfer to Moravian, where he was going. Fast forward many years, and I was back at Moravian for the inauguration of the school's new President, you guessed it, my friend Bryon. He made Bryon one of the few to be the President of the school he graduated from. Admissions Season As we head into college application/admission season, I will share this with you. I plan to have Bryon on as my first guess on the school to answer questions the parents and students might want to know more about. So if this is a topic of interest to you, please visit the Powering Your Retirement Radio website and use the ask a questions tab. For more information, you can visit my website: https://poweringyourretirement.com/2021/10/08/what-is-the-best-age-to-claim-social-security  

8-24-21 AJ DailyMarket CloseoutAdapted from an article by Troy Marshall, American Angus Association Save Yourself a Trip to the Social Security Office with a ‘my Social Security Account' Adapted from a release by the American Farm Bureau Federation USCA: USDA Issues New FAQ Document on Enforcement of Packers & Stockyards Act Adapted from a release by the U.S. Cattlemen's AssociationCompiled by Paige Nelson, field editor, Angus Journal. For more Angus news, visit angusjournal.net. 

Over the next two weeks, we'll be taking a closer look at the state of retirement security in the United States, and we'll be featuring two very different perspectives on the topic. We're kicking things off with labor economist and retirement expert Teresa Ghilarducci, who will offer a progressive perspective. Ghilarducci joined The New School for Social Research as a professor of economics in 2008 after teaching at Notre Dame for 25 years. At The New School, she also directs the Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis, which focuses on economic policy research and outreach. Ghilarducci has frequently testified before U.S. Congress on matters of retirement planning. She has also published numerous research pieces in economics journals and has authored several books. Her most recent book, Rescuing Retirement, is co-authored by Tony James, executive vice chairman of the Blackstone Group. She received her bachelor's and doctorate degrees in economics from the University of California at Berkeley.Background BioThe New School for Social ResearchSchwartz Center for Economic Policy AnalysisBooks The Retirement Crisis"The Retirement Crisis," by Teresa Ghilarducci, The New School."Whose Retirement Crisis? Household Savings or Public Financing?" by Teresa Ghilarducci, Forbes, Feb. 20, 2018."America's Unusual High Rates of Old-Age Poverty and Old-Age Work," by Teresa Ghilarducci, Forbes, March 2, 2018."Working Longer Cannot Solve the Retirement Crisis," by Teresa Ghildarducci, Michael Papadopoulos, Bridget Fisher, and Anthony Webb, Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis, Feb. 3, 2021.The Defined-Contribution System"How Defined Contribution Plans and 401(k)s Affect Employer Pension Costs," by Teresa Ghilarducci, ResearchGate, July 2006."Americans Haven't Saved Enough for Retirement. What Are We Going to Do About It?" by Teresa Ghilarducci and Tony James, Harvard Business Review, March 28, 2018."America's Retirement Savings Crisis Is Now. Here's How to Fix It," by Teresa Ghilarducci and Tony James, CNN Business, Sept. 15, 2020."Fixing the U.S. Retirement System," Written Testimony by Teresa Ghilarducci; Committee on Finance, Subcommittee on Social Security, Pensions, and Family Policy, U.S. Senate, May 21, 2014."Laying the Groundwork for More Efficient Retirement Savings Incentives," by Teresa Ghilarducci and Christian Weller, Center for American Progress, Nov. 18, 2015."Retirement Savings Inequality: Different Effects of Earnings Shocks, Portfolio Selections, and Employer Contributions by Worker Earnings Level," by Teresa Ghilarducci, Joelle Saad-Lessler, and Gayle Reznik, Social Security Office of Retirement and Disability Policy, 2018."The Inequitable Effects of Raising the Retirement Age on Blacks and Low-Wage Workers," by Teresa Ghilarducci, Kyle Moore, and Anthony Webb, The Review of Black Political Economy, April 26, 2019."Everyone Should Have the Retirement Plan Federal Employees Enjoy," by Teresa Ghilarducci and Kevin Hassett, The Washington Post, March 29, 2021."What if Low-Income American Workers Had Access to Wealth-Building Vehicles Like the Federal Employees' Thrift Savings Plan?" by Teresa Ghilarducci and Kevin Hassett, Economic Innovation Group, March 25, 2021.Social Security"A Nobel Laureate's Plan to Use Social Security to Fix the Retirement Crisis--and Why it Won't Work," by Teresa Ghilarducci, The New School's Retirement Equity Lab, April 19, 2019."Teresa Ghilarducci on Social Security Fixes to Protect the Poorest," by Teresa Ghilarducci, Bloomberg Businessweek, March 27, 2020.Income Inequality and Women in Economics"The Unique Disadvantage Older Women Face in the Workforce," by Teresa Ghilarducci, PBS News Hour, March 25, 2016."Women's History Month: Gender Pay Gap Contributes to Elderly Poverty Gap," by Teresa Ghilarducci, The New School's Retirement Equity Lab, May 1, 2017."Labor Market Discrimination: A Bleak Outlook for Older Women," by Teresa Ghilarducci and Kyle Moore, Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis, 2017."How Big Firms Keep Wages Low," by Teresa Ghilarducci, Forbes, Jan. 21, 2019."Barring Women From Economics," by Teresa Ghilarducci, Forbes, March 31, 2019."Economists Weigh In on Covid-19 and Inequality," by Teresa Ghilarducci, Forbes, March 4, 2021.Behavioral Finance"Financial Literacy: Just Another Word for Financial Shaming," by Teresa Ghilarducci, Psychology Today, May 7, 2018."Go Ahead and Spend Your Children's Inheritance," by Teresa Ghilarducci, Advisor Perspectives, Dec. 17, 2020.

A Nigerian national, Abidemi Rufai has been caught by the operatives of the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) in New York on the allegations of wire fraud in the United States.According to a report on the US Department of Justice website, Rufai was arrested Friday evening at JFK Airport in New York on a criminal complaint charging him with wire fraud for his scheme to steal over $350,000 in unemployment benefits from the Washington State Employment Security Department.Mr. Rufai is popularly known as Sandy Tang, 42, is a Senior Special Adviser to the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, and the reports said that he made his first appearance Saturday, May 15, 2021 in New York. “Since the first fraud reports to our office in April 2020, we have worked diligently with a federal law enforcement team to track down the criminals who stole funds designated for pandemic relief,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gorman. “This is the first, but will not be the last, significant arrest in our ongoing investigation of ESD fraud.”​The criminal complaint alleges that Rufai used the stolen identities of more than 100 Washington residents to file fraudulent claims with ESD for pandemic-related unemployment benefits. Rufai also filed fraudulent unemployment claims with Hawaii, Wyoming, Massachusetts, Montana, New York, and Pennsylvania. Rufai used variations of a single e-mail address in a manner intended to evade automatic detection by fraud systems. By using this practice, Rufai made it appear that each claim was connected with a different email account.Rufai caused the fraud proceeds to be paid out to online payment accounts such as ‘Green Dot' accounts, or wired to bank accounts controlled by “money mules.” Some of the proceeds were then mailed to the Jamaica, New York address of Rufai's relative. Law enforcement determined more than $288,000 was deposited into an American bank account controlled by Rufai between March and August 2020.“Greed is a powerful motivator. Unfortunately, the greed alleged to this defendant affects all taxpayers,” said Donald Voiret, Special Agent in Charge FBI Seattle. “The FBI and our partners will not stand idly by while individuals attempt to defraud programs meant to assist American workers and families suffering the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic.”Wire fraud is punishable by up to thirty years in prison when it relates to benefits paid in connection with a presidentially-declared disaster or emergency, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.The charges contained in the complaint are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.This case was investigated by the FBI, with assistance from the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG). The fraud on ESD is being investigated cooperatively by the FBI, DOL-OIG, Social Security Office of Inspector General, U.S. Secret Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations. The Washington Employment Security Department is cooperating in the investigation.The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Seth Wilkinson, Cindy Chang, and Benjamin Diggs of the Western District of Washington, and Trial Attorney Jane Lee of DOJ's Cyber Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS).”

Updated info.so my ex doesn't get what's rightfully mine.

In this episode we're with the Social Security Administration, specifically Brandon Smith, Public Affairs Specialist in in downtown Cleveland and Robert Fenn, the Public Affairs Specialist in downtown Akron. For this episode, we're taking about fraud and what it means to have your social security information stolen. We get into what you really shouldn't do with your social security number, what CPAs should tell their clients when it comes to protecting their identity, how accountants can best use the Social Security Office as a resource and much more.    And hear more from Robert and Brandon in our episode on March 10th on what accountants should know about social security. Listen here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-accountants-should-know-about-social-security/id1377649472?i=1000512405443

The more questions we ask the more we learn about Social Security to help us with our Retirement Projections. My Dad and myself got talking about what happens when once spouse dies how much the other spouse gets then from Social Security for monthly payments if they are both retired. We hope we never will need Social Security to get by on but it looks like for our situation that it will be part of the money we will need to keep our current lifestyle. We hope to live long healthy lives so we will be able to keep golfing and traveling when we both are retired. My Dad thought the living spouse got the whole Social Security amount each month of the spouse that died and I was thinking it was half of what the spouse was getting. So, I called Social Security Office and was put on hold for over 30 minutes. Ughhhh Once someone came on the line, I asked them what happens when one spouse dies and you both are retired. She said the living spouse gets what ever spouses monthly check amount was the highest. So that confirmed with me that we were making the right decision for us to wait till I am age 70 to start Social Security. We still are deciding on what age Darlene will take hers. We will keep reviewing our Retirement Projection each year to decide what is best for our situation. As always, I am not giving you any Financial Advice and you should seek advice from your Professional Advisors to see what is best for your situation. See my Disclaimer at MillsWay.com. This is for entertainment only. Let’s also review how Social Security is figured before talking more about why we like waiting till age 70 to start my Social Security. Listen to the whole Podcast for the whole episode. We teach the boys to live debt free and especially at Retirement time. We want them to work with a Financial Planner if they don’t feel they have the education to take care of their Retirement Funds. We really hope they will consistently keep educating themselves on Personal Finances and Investing. We want to give our boys the best chance to have their money last them thru their retirement years and have them reach their Financial Freedom goals.. What age did you start taking Social Security? If you haven’t started yet then what age do you plan on starting at? Why did you choose that age? Don’t give up on your dreams; don’t let others talk you out of your dreams. Make your dreams happen. Make it happen today. Support me at Anchor.fm/Live4, Patreon.com/Millsway or Paypal.me/Millsway Thanks, and Have a great night. Please Support or Follow me at https://www.patreon.com/millsway for access to all my blogs. Click here for some Side Income and Part-time Business Ideas Millsway.com and Live4.Club Sources and Resources from Podcast (Available in Show Notes) 1. Social Security Stats from https://www.ssa.gov/planners/retire/1943-delay.html 2. Social Security Break-even Points https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/13/those-social-security-break-even-calculations-can-be-misleading.html 3. Here is a link to go see your Social Security Statement - https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/statement.html --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/live4/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/live4/support

H1, S2 - Calling the Social Security Office 01/22/2021

In this episode of The Healers Café, Dr. Manon Bolliger, ND, chats with Dr Larry Waldman  who is passionate about teaching mental health practitioners how to develop a successful practice and become an effective clinician.  I am also very interested in teaching parents to parent and instructing therapists to help parents raise responsible resilient kids.   Listen to the full story today! https://www.drmanonbolliger.com/dr-larry-waldman   Highlights from today's episode include:   Dr. Larry Waldman (09:00): So hypothetically let's say this child grew up in a home, which was chaotic. Let let's say the, the parents argued frequently. Maybe mother perhaps was depressed herself and so on. And so therefore this child grew up in an environment where at any moment at any time something could happen, you know a pot could be thrown across the room. Somebody could have a temper tantrum, a door might slam or, and so on. And so the child then came to view their world as a dangerous place. And as a place that that could change on a dime where they have no control at that they're insignificant and so on. Well, you can see if that's what this child learned, and by the way, given their life at that moment, that's not unrealistic. They have, an accurate view of what it was, what was going on, but what happens you see, as the child develops this life view and then carries it on into their adulthood.   Dr. Larry Waldman (16:28): II've had many individuals who that I work with and so on. And, you know, and often I'll say that, you know, you're doing a good job of depression. you're staying up late, you're sleeping through the days. So you're mixing your days and nights up around, you're eating junk, You're not answering the phone. You're not socializing. When, you go out, you don't smile. You don't even brush your teeth. You know, you wear old clothes and so forth. You know, you look and act like you're depressed. So you're doing depression. I use behavioural psychology, particularly when I work with parents, because it's, it's the easiest, if you will, to comprehend and to implement.   Dr. Manon (23:21): So, in a sense what I'm hearing you say is that it's good for the patient or the client to somehow be informed about the type of therapist that they're going to go to. It's like, you know, You're not going to ask a butcher what the right vegetables are to eat. It's not going to be the same thing. So you have to align with the type of therapy that makes that you feel resonates with you on some level, you really make a good point.         About Dr Larry Waldman   Dr. Waldman is a recently semi-retired licensed clinical, forensic psychologist in Phoenix, Arizona.  He conducted a highly successful private practice of 45 years working with children, teens, parents, couples, and adults in a solution-focused manner.  He also consulted with family, personal injury, immigration and estate planning attorneys.  His BS in Education/Psychology was from the University of Wisconsin; his MS in School Psychology was from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; his Ph.D. in Educational/School Psychology was earned at Arizona State University; and his Diplomate (ABPP) was received in 2003.   Waldman was the past president of the Maricopa Psychological Society, the Director of Psychological Services for Charter Psychiatric Hospital of Glendale and was an “Official Guide” (top expert) on Parenting for SelfGrowth.com.  He continues as a Medical Consultant for the Social Security Office in Phoenix, an adjunct graduate professor in the Counseling Department for the University of Phoenix, and serves on the professional advisory board of Stepping Stones of Hope, a charitable organization serving children whom have lost a parent.  Waldman is the co-chair of the Early Career Psychologists Committee with the Arizona Psychological Association (AzPA).  He is also certified by the American Council on Exercise (ACE) as a (senior) fitness specialist.    In addition to numerous articles which have been published in the local Phoenix media and in the national press, Waldman has (thus far) written seven books:  Who's Raising Whom?  Coping with Your Adolescent; How Come I Love Him But Can't Live with Him? The Graduate Course You Never Had; Too Busy Earning a Living to Make Your Fortune? Overcoming Your Negotiaphobia: Negotiating Through Your Life; and Love Your Child More Than You Hate your Ex.   Dr. Waldman trained as a public speaker.  His signature presentations are: The Business of Private Practice—The Graduate Course You Never Had and Teaching Parents to Parent.  He has made over 150 paid presentations in his career to attorneys, chiropractors, psychologists, family therapists, counselors, social workers, school psychologists and school counselors. To the community Waldman speaks on parenting, marriage, stress, depression and anxiety, wellness, grand parenting and psychotherapy.  His seminars are organized, practical and entertaining—offering “edutainment.”   Website | Facebook  |       About Dr. Manon Bolliger, ND:   Dr. Manon is a Naturopathic Doctor, the Founder of Bowen College, an International Speaker with a TEDx talk in September 2020, and the author of the Amazon best-selling book "What Patient's Don't Say if Doctors Don't Ask." Watch for her next book, due out in 2020.   About The Healers Café:   Dr. Manon's show is the #1 show for medical practitioners and holistic healers to have heart to heart conversations about their day to day lives.   Follow the podcast on social media! FB: https://www.facebook.com/thehealerscafe     For tips on health & healing go to: https://www.drmanonbolliger.com/tips   Dr. Manon, ND – Facebook | Instagram |  LinkedIn  |  YouTube  |  Twitter  

Divorce is difficult for children, no matter what the reasons or circumstances. When you leave a #Hijackal--a relentlessly difficult person, a narcissistic person, a toxic person--you have so much more to consider. #Hijackals like to keep you in court, give you as little as possible, and want to take as much as possible. You know that. So, how can you focus on the children while balancing all that you have to also attend to? Today's episode with Dr. Larry Waldman will help with that. Kids get in the "loyalty squeeze" between divorcing parents. It's tough. They want both of you, even if one of you treats them badly. Get this expert's insights and advice.Need my help to walk through the muddle? Start here. BeAClient.com Big hugs,RhobertaHIGHLIGHTS OF TODAY'S EPISODE:Why Dr. Waldman believes divorce is prevalentWhat second marriages are likely to failTriggering abandonment in childrenWhat children learn when parents divorceHow to reduce trauma for a child of divorceWhy you need to return your attention to the children rather than letting your ex drain all the air out of you GUEST: DR. LARRY WALDMANDr. Waldman is a recently semi-retired certified school psychologist and licensed clinical, forensic psychologist in Phoenix, Arizona. He conducted a highly successful private practice of 45 years working with children, teens, parents, couples, and adults in a solution-focused manner. He also consulted with family, personal injury, immigration and estate planning attorneys. His BS in Education/Psychology was from the University of Wisconsin; his MS in School Psychology was from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; his Ph.D. in Educational/School Psychology was earned at Arizona State University; and his Diplomate (ABPP) was received in 2003.Waldman was the past president of the Maricopa Psychological Society, the Director of Psychological Services for Charter Psychiatric Hospital of Glendale and was an “Official Guide” (top expert) on Parenting for SelfGrowth.com. He continues as a Medical Consultant for the Social Security Office in Phoenix, an adjunct graduate professor in the Counseling Department for the University of Phoenix, and serves on the professional advisory board of Stepping Stones of Hope, a charitable organization serving children whom have lost a parent. Waldman is the co-chair of the Early Career Psychologists Committee with the Arizona Psychological Association (AzPA). He is also certified by the American Council on Exercise (ACE) as a (senior) fitness specialist.Dr. Waldman trained as a public speaker. His signature presentations are: The Business of Private Practice—The Graduate Course You Never Had and Teaching Parents to Parent. He has made over 150 paid presentations in his career to attorneys, chiropractors, psychologists, family therapists, counselors, social workers, school psychologists and school counselors. To the community Waldman speaks on parenting, marriage, stress, depression and anxiety, wellness, grand parenting and psychotherapy. His seminars are organized, practical and entertaining—offering “edutainment.”GIFT FOR YOU: CONNECT WITH DR. LARRY WALDMAN: WEBSITE: https://topphoenixpsychologist.comPODCAST: FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/larrywaldmanphdYOUTUBE: INSTAGRAM: LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/larrywaldmanphdTWITTER: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Want clarity, insights, strategies, and support from me, Dr. Rhoberta Shaler? We can talk: Introductory session for new clients, $97CONNECT WITH DR. RHOBERTA SHALER! I invite you to like my pages and follow for further help with recognizing toxic relationships, realizing their impact, realigning your life, and recovering your self-confidence and ability to love and trust again.FOLLOW DR. SHALER...WEBSITE: https://www.ForRelationshipHelp.comPODCAST: http://www.SaveYourSanityPodcast.comFACEBOOK: https://www.Facebook.com/RelationshipHelpDoctorTWITTER: https://www.Twitter.com/RhobertaShalerLINKEDIN: https://www.LinkedIn.com/in/RhobertaShalerINSTAGRAM: https://www.Instagram.com/DrRhobertaShalerPINTEREST: https://www.Pinterest.com/RhobertaShaler-------------------------------------------------------------I WANT TO HELP YOU FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT!If you want to learn more, share, ask questions, and feel more powerful within yourself and your relationships. Join my Support Circles now.Off social media, safe discussion + videos + articles + webinars + personal home study program + group Ask Me Anything Calls with me.WOW! Join now. Relationship Help Support Circles ----------------------------------------------------------------------#exhaustingex #narcissisticex #leavinganarcissist #leavingahijackal #focusonthekids #divorcinganarcissist #goingtocourtwithanarcissist#relationshipadvice #tipsforrelationships #Hijackals #toxicpeople #mentalhealthmatters #MHNRNetwork #RhobertaShaler #narcissists #borderlines #antisocial #difficultpeople #emotionalabuse #verbalabuse #stoptoleratingabuse #toxicrelationships #manipulation #walkingoneggshells #mentalhealth #emotionalhealth #abuse #narcissisticabuse #boundaries #personalitydisorder #difficultpeople #journorequest #prrequest See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

☎️ The Social Security Administration took my paycheck because my father was overpaid in benefits when I was 11. Listen in because this could happen to YOU. I had to fight and I am still fighting SSA. This situation, I never saw coming and it has been a nightmare that has impacted me mentally and emotionally. I was mistreated, refused information, and all appeals denied up until recently. Check out this episode and please SHARE. . . . @socialsecurity @nbcnews @6abcactionnews @fox29philly @repdwightevans @phillylgbtgov . . . ⚠️The government should not be allowed to do what the Social Security Office at 4240 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19104 did to me. This is not okay⚠️ . . . Parents, STOP putting credit, bills, etc. in your children’s name thinking it won’t set us back when we are adults- be the responsible adult in every situation when it comes to your children, even when they are adults❗️ . . . #soundcloud #applepodcasts #spotify #stitcher #iheartradio #hunguppod #blackboyjoy #podsincolor #blackpodcast #phillypodcast #PodsbyQPOC #HUNGUp #community #nohate #dopeblackpods ‬#podcastingwhileblack #supportmebitch #hunguppodcast

You become eligible for Medicare, which is a federal health program, when you turn 65 years old. You're also eligible if you've been collecting Social Security Disability Income for 24 months or diagnosed with End-Stage Renal Disease. There are two main parts to Original Medicare. This includes Part A and Part B. Part A is your hospital coverage and Part B is your doctor and medical coverage. When it comes to signing up for Medicare. Some are automatically enrolled in others will need to actively enroll. If you've been collecting Social Security benefits for at least 4 months, you'll be automatically enrolled into both Parts A and Part B. Your effective date will be the first day of the month you turn 65 years old. If your birthday happens to fall on the 1st of the month then your effective date will be the 1st of the month before your birthday. For example, if your birthday falls on July 1st, then your effective date will be June 1st. You'll receive your Medicare card around 3 months before your birthday. If you're not collecting Social Security benefits, then you'll need to actively enroll into Part A and Part B. You'll want to enroll during your Initial Enrollment Period. Your Initial Enrollment window will be 7 months and starts 3 months before your birthday, will last the month of your birthday and will end 3 months after your birthday.There are three ways you can enroll in Medicare. The 1st way is going down to your local Social Security Office. The 2nd way is to go ahead and give the Social Security office a call to enroll. The 3rd way and probably the most easy way is to do it online.To begin the online application process you'll need to visit Social Security's web site. That's ssa.gov/benefits/Medicare. Then you'll scroll to the bottom of the page until you see the big blue button that says apply for Medicare only. If you recently have started an application and did not complete it, you can return to your saved application here also. It will bring you to the next page that talks a little bit about the online application and an option to start a new application. So go ahead and select start a new application. And then it will ask you if you're applying for yourself or someone who's not with you. So select applying for myself. Then it will ask if you have a My Social Security account. If you do not have one you will need to create one. If you do have one it will then ask you to sign in. So let's assume that I currently do not have a My Social Security account. You will need to have an address that's within the United States and US Territories to create the account. So select yes and hit next. At this point it will bring you to secure.ssa.gov to create an account. At this point it's going to ask you a few personal questions. The form will take about 15 to 20 minutes to fill out. If you would like you can save it and complete it later.You will receive a letter from Social Security Administration once they made a decision about your enrollment. Now, if you only have Part A and you delayed enrolling into Medicare Part B there are two additional forms that you'll need to complete to enroll in Part B. So if you already have Part A and you're only enrolling in Part B, then you'll need to also complete 40B form. Which is application for enrollment in Part B. Once you complete this form, you'll want to include it in your online application or mail into the Social Security office. Now, if you delayed Part B due to having group employer coverage, you'll also need to complete the L564 form. Which is request for employment information.MedicareFAQ: https://www.medicarefaq.com/faqs/applying-for-medicare/Social Security Website: https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/medicare/40B Form: https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/CMS-Forms/CMS-Forms/Downloads/CMS40B-E.pdfL564 Form: https://www.cms.gov/medicare/CMS-Forms/CMS-Forms/Downloads/CMS-L564E.pdf

Compare Medicare Supplement Plans Here: https://www.seniorhealthcaredirect.com/quote-3/ "Medicare Done Right with MedicareBob" HOW TO SIGN UP FOR MEDICARE WHEN THE SOCIAL SECURITY OFFICE IS CLOSED MedicareBob explains how you can sign up for Medicare from the comfort of your own home. Our agents have the resources available to help you get this step completed today! Find out how easy it is! For more information on your options, please call: 1-855-368-4717 or visit one of our pages: Website - https://www.seniorhealthcaredirect.com/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/MedicareBob/ Podcast - https://anchor.fm/MedicareBob Twitter - https://twitter.com/MedicareBob YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/RobertBache?_confirmation=1 #signupformedicare #howdoisignupformedicare#signupformedicarefromhome

In hour one, The Good Neighbor was joined by Tim Gierke from the Appleton Social Security Office. In hour two (36:00) Kathy had an open show.

Francene Marie interviews Lisa Wallace, Public Affairs Specialist with our local Social Security Administration in Mecklenburg County. Be advised that local Social Security offices will be closed to the public for in-person service as of Tuesday, March 17, 2020. This decision protects the population we serve—older Americans and people with underlying medical conditions—and our employees during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. However, we are still able to provide critical services. Our secure and convenient online services remain available at www.socialsecurity.gov. Local offices will also continue to provide critical services over the phone. We are working closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), state and local governments, and other experts to monitor COVID-19 and will let you know as soon as we can resume in-person service. To avoid anyone using your social security number log on to MY SSA ACCOUNT and create a profile and keep track.  How to Create and Online Account: https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10540.pdf What You Can Do Online: https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10121.pdf  

Ashley had an adventure at the Social Security Office while Obie's getting the speech from an unexpected friend

Ashley had an adventure at the Social Security Office while Obie's getting the speech from an unexpected friend

Everyone has different situations that can affect when they choose to start taking Social Security payments. Some of my friends started at age 62 and some waited till age 70. For your situation it would be good to visit with your Financial Planner and your local Social Security Office. Darlene and myself have a plan to wait till age 70 for our situation. We want to max out our monthly Social Security benefit that we possibly could get. Of course, we still have sixteen years to wait until that time but we hope our other Investments maintain us so we don’t need to touch Social Security. Social Security website said the following – “If you were born between 1943 and 1954 your full retirement age is 66. If you start receiving benefits at age 66 you get 100 percent of your monthly benefit. If you delay receiving retirement benefits until after your full retirement age, your monthly benefit continues to increase. The chart below explains how delayed retirement affects your benefit. The increase is based on your date of birth and the number of months you delay the start of your retirement benefits. If you start receiving retirement benefits at age: 67, you'll get 108 percent of the monthly benefit because you delayed getting benefits for 12 months. 70, you'll get 132 percent of the monthly benefit because you delayed getting benefits for 48 months. When you reach age 70, your monthly benefit stops increasing even if you continue to delay taking benefits.” See the link in the below show notes. We print off our Social Security statement each year to check and make sure they have our correct past years income. Plus, it is fun to see what the projected benefit amount is at different ages. Hopefully our elected officials don’t take away from Social Security and help protect it for future generations. Remember I am not giving you any financial or legal advice, this is just for entertainment purposes and see my Disclaimer Page. Here are some reasons that people I have talked with decided to start taking Social Security payments early; More covered in the Podcast Let me know your thoughts about this blog and let me know of others you would like me to do in the future. I feel we can all learn from each other. That is why I am in the helping people retire early, enjoy life more and be more successful. Also, please see my Disclaimer page. If you would like to be a guest on my Podcast drop me an email at bruce@millsway.com or Text me at 480-389-6224 Thanks, and Have a great night. Please Support or Follow me at https://www.patreon.com/millsway for access to all my blogs. Click here for some Side Income and Part-time Business Ideas Millsway.com and Live4.Club Sources and Resources from Podcast (Available in Show Notes) 1. Social Security Stats from https://www.ssa.gov/planners/retire/1943-delay.html 2. Social Security Break-even Points https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/13/those-social-security-break-even-calculations-can-be-misleading.html --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/live4/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/live4/support

In hour one, The Good Neighbor was joined by Tim Gierke from the Appleton Social Security Office. In hour two (37:00) Kathy had an open show.

Have you or your loved one gotten one (or more) phone calls from someone saying they are from Social Security? Join host Lenore Tracey and elder law attorney Cathy Sikorski to learn more about these scam calls and how to handle them.Need a concrete way to respond to this type of scam call? Consider the following:1. HANG UP - no need to say a single word!2. Try one of the following options; print it in big letters and place it by your and your loved one’s phones:“We don’t respond to telephone solicitations. Thank you.” HANG UP.“I will call the Social Security Office to verify this call. Thank you.” HANG UPSacrifice politeness to protect your social security number and other private information!About Our Guest:Cathy Sikorski has been a caregiver for the last 25 years for seven different family members and friends. A published author and humorist, Sikorski is also a practicing elder law attorney. Her legal expertise and sense of humor have made her a sought-after speaker where she tackles the legal issues that affect those who will one day be or need a caregiver (which is everyone).Cathy’s first book is a humorous memoir Showering with Nana: Confessions of a Serial (killer) Caregiver. That was followed by Who Moved My Teeth? - a humorous and informative book with practical and legal tips for caregivers and baby boomers. Cathy maintains an active blog “You just have to Laugh…where Caregiving is Comedy…”.

Have you or your loved one gotten one (or more) phone calls from someone saying they are from Social Security? Join host Lenore Tracey and elder law attorney Cathy Sikorski to learn more about these scam calls and how to handle them.Need a concrete way to respond to this type of scam call? Consider the following:1. HANG UP - no need to say a single word!2. Try one of the following options; print it in big letters and place it by your and your loved one’s phones:“We don’t respond to telephone solicitations. Thank you.” HANG UP.“I will call the Social Security Office to verify this call. Thank you.” HANG UPSacrifice politeness to protect your social security number and other private information!About Our Guest:Cathy Sikorski has been a caregiver for the last 25 years for seven different family members and friends. A published author and humorist, Sikorski is also a practicing elder law attorney. Her legal expertise and sense of humor have made her a sought-after speaker where she tackles the legal issues that affect those who will one day be or need a caregiver (which is everyone).Cathy’s first book is a humorous memoir Showering with Nana: Confessions of a Serial (killer) Caregiver. That was followed by Who Moved My Teeth? - a humorous and informative book with practical and legal tips for caregivers and baby boomers. Cathy maintains an active blog “You just have to Laugh…where Caregiving is Comedy…”.

In this episode: I talk about not seeing the Joker Movie and how I didn't see it, a nerd's review of Joker Movie and I make fun of him (the nerd) because of the review, and some other Joker Stuff. I also talk about society, THAT'S RIGHT "SOCIETY", going to the Social Security Office, CHICKS, FELLAS, Big Mouth, skateboarding, a disease, and the Great White Fire. (I also make a song about the Great White Fire.) AND I read to myself AND talk about more horrible fires in US history!

In hour one, Tim Gierke from the Social Security Office in Appleton joined Kathy Keene. In hour two (34:00) The Good Neighbor had an open show.

Social Security card...I lost that in the 90s! In this episode, Amy shares her takeaways and deep thoughts reflecting on her 3-hour experience at the Social Security office. What is it with the government? Should we be concerned? Then, Amy & Maya acknowledge the anniversary of that 1994 now-infamous white bronco low-speed chase by taking a trip down memory lane. Where were you on June 17, 1994? Spoiler alert, we may have been in a movie theater watching a movie starring none other than Keanu Reeves. This is the perfect segue to talk everything Keanu Reeves and why is he everywhere right now? --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-spirit-of-77/message

Well selected and trained scammers operating out of India were arrested for running a phony Social Security office scam. The scammers were selected and trained to have little or no foreign accents and called threatening prosecution unless you pay out up to $3,400 to fix the problem.

How you sign up for Medicare depends primarily on if you’re drawing Social Security. If you are currently drawing Social Security and you’re turning 65, you’ll automatically be enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B. You’ll receive your Medicare red, white and blue card about three months before you turn 65. Starting your birth month, Medicare with deduct $135.50 out of your check. That is Medicare’s Part B premium for most people. If you’re not drawing Social Security, there’s three ways you can sign up for Medicare: · Go to the Social Security Office and sign up. · Call the Social Security office and sign up. · You can go online to Medicare.gov and sign up online. If you are still working and have coverage through your employer, you will need a form called “Creditable Coverage” form. You will need to have that form filled out by your employer. Once that’s been filled out, you can either mail it to the Social Security office or bring it into the office. Once that’s been turned in, you can apply for Medicare.

Welcome to Episode 2, where we hope to Demystify Medicare. There are several ways to enroll, you may do so online, visiting a Social Security Office, by calling a private insurance company like United Healthcare or Blue Shield, or using a Broker. After researching online, I discovered that I was totally LOST but was immediately FOUND the minute I called a Broker! He walked me through the Medicare Maze in minutes. Medicare is a great benefit, so MAKE THE MOST OF IT!

Social Security benefits are confusing - even for those who work at the SS Office. Often, the person looking for advice is unsure of what information the SS Office needs - or how to communicate it to them. Nancy tells her story of being denied for Social Security benefits - and how Devin Carroll was able to provide her the advice and documentation to fight for her benefits. The difference was $500 a month in Nancy’s favor. Contact Devin for help with your Social Security Benefits at http://www.bigpictureretirement.net/about/devin-carroll

Devin and John answer a question from Mitch about why the Social Security Office would not recognize his Power of Attorney statement. Charlotte is asking about ABLE accounts - tax-advantaged savings accounts for individuals with disabilities and their families. If you want us to address your question on the air, send them to questions@bigpictureretirement.net  

Hey Medicare Nation! Many of you carry your Medicare ID card in your wallet or purse. If you are a Medicare Advantage beneficiary, you have a “separate” medical ID card from the insurance carrier. It is not necessary to carry your Medicare ID card, If you have a Medicare Advantage ID card. Who should carry their Medicare ID Card? If the official Medicare program is your “primary” insurance, you should be carrying your Medicare ID card. Now….. let me discuss with you how you can carry your Medicare ID card in a safer way. Currently, your Medicare ID Card has your Social Security number on it, with a letter at the end of your Social Security number.  If you have your social security number memorized, take these steps to help prevent “identity theft.” Make a copy of your Medicare ID Card Place your original Medicare ID Card in a safe place. Take a Black Permanent Marker and “black out” all of the numbers of your social security number( except the last four numbers and the letter), on the copy. Laminate the copy Put this copy of your Medicare ID card in your wallet or purse.   If you are on a Medicare Advantage Plan or a Supplement to Medicare Plan, you should be carrying the Medical ID card the insurance carrier provided you. If you have a stand-alone prescription drug plan, you will also have a separate card for your prescriptions. You will need to carry this card in your wallet or purse also.   How Do I Replace My Medicare ID Card if I Lost it or it Was Stolen? If you made a copy of your Medicare ID Card like I described above, you won’t have a problem. You can retrieve your Medicare ID Card from it’s safe place and make a new copy of the card. If you didn’t make a copy of your Medicare ID Card, you will need to ask the Social Security Administration for a replacement card. Follow these steps: You can ask for a Medicare Replacement Card : Online By phone At a local Social Security office location                                                            A.Online Go to ssa.gov You’ll see pretty pictures on the home page. On the left side is a picture, with the caption… “Learn What You Can Do Online.” “Click” on the that photo. When the next page opens, look down to about the 7th It will read….”If you get Social Security benefits or have Medicare you can….” “Click” on that line. Sign in or Register for a “My Social Security Account.” 5th line down should read….. “Get a Replacement Medicare Card” Select – “Replacement Documents” tab. Fill out the required information. If the site “accepts” your information, you are all set! You should receive your replacement Medicare Card in 30 – 60 days. If the site shows any kind of “error” or “red flags,” you will need to physically go down to a local Social Security location.             B. By Phone                      1. Call 800 - 633 - 4227                     C. Social Security Office                       1. Click on the "Social Security Location" tab and put in your                          zip code to find the nearest location to you.   Thanks so much for listening to Medicare Nation! I appreciate the time you took to listen. If you have a parent or grandparent, who is approaching Medicare age (65) or is already receiving Medicare benefits, help them “Subscribe” to Medicare Nation. Buy them a Smartphone! If you buy them an Apple phone…show them the “purple” podcast icon on the phone and how they access Medicare Nation. Once the Medicare Nation page loads….. click on “subscribe.” All current shows will load automatically once a week for them! If you buy them an Android phone, just go to Google Play and “Search” for the app – “Stitcher.” Download the Stitcher App. When you open Stitcher, they will need to sign up with an email address and password. Once the home page opens, show them how to “swipe” to the left, until they reach the “last page.” This is the “Search” page. In the “search” bar…. Type in “Medicare Nation.” Medicare Nation comes right up! “Click” on the Subscribe button…… they are set! Help your parents “search” for other types of podcasts they would have an interest in. You will be opening up a brand new world for them and they WILL thank you for it!

The gang is back and the meds are taking affect. Unheard of rice burner biker gangs. Keith's short biking phase. Doc fighting with Social Security Office. Biker Names. A call brings the guys to silly abortion talk. This is how they think I think. Old ladies breast feeding old kids. A little more Duggers. Lindsay Lohan is free. Bobby Jindal Sucks. Keith risks his life airbag-wise. Doc does The News. Call the comment line at (206) 309-7308. Thanks for listening.

DAPF #43. Dark Angels & Pretty Freaks #43. We give a Se7en and weather update, stickers, Vacation countdown, 49ers Football Meme, Neil needing Desitin, Dirty gym sweats, Social Security office, 5 favorite childhood toys, and so much more!     www.darkangelsandprettyfreaks.com

In this Ticket Talk podcast, our guest is Terri Uttermohlen, a Social Insurance Specialist in the Social Security Office of Employment Support Programs. Download audio file (mp3) |