My Book

Following is a list of relatively current resources (published or revised editions within the last few years) I have studied and continue to use in understanding how Social Security benefits are determined for the purpose of developing optimal claiming strategies.  I have put them in several groups based primarily on the kind of audience they are directed to:

First, my book:

  • Retire in Luxury on Your Social Security: The Best Claims Strategy for a Better Longer, Freer Retirement, Copyright 2016, by Steve Garfink, published by International Living.  202 pages.

I wrote this book to best serve the audience of my publisher, International Living: people who are interested in living overseas, whether in retirement or before, full time or part time.  The first two sections are for a general audiences: one is a thorough analysis and explanation of why the Social Security program is likely to be there in full for us (like a sure bet..) and the other section covers the nuts an bolts of Social Security claiming strategy.  The third section is particularly targeted towards the International Living community in that it covers numerous cases that illustrate how to use your claiming strategy to best support relocating overseas. Currently my book is only available to new subscribers to International Living Magazine – it’s included free (small shipping and handling fee required) in the first year subscription.  If you are interested, send me a message through the Contact tab and I’ll get you a link for more information.

The following four books will also help you get a better understanding of a particular rule or regulation.  The first two are broader, covering all Social Security programs including Disability and Medicare; these two will be more readable for the general public as well.  The third book is chock full of examples that illustrate most situations imaginable, yet the cases are written in a highly readable and enjoyable style.  The fourth book focuses on Social Security retirement benefits and will probably find a more welcoming audience with financial professionals for use in advising their clients – somewhat more technical, analytical and methodical than the first two.

  • Social Security: The Inside Story: 2016 Edition, Copyright 2016, by Andy Landis.  Recent Amazon price: $19.79.  308 pages.
  • Social Security for Dummies, Copyright 2012, by Jonathan Peterson, AARP, published by John Wiley & Sons.  Recent Amazon price: $13.98.  314 pages.
  • Get What’s Yours: The Secrets to Maxing Out Your Social Security, Copyright 2015, by Laurence Kotlikoff, Philip Moeller, and Paul Solmon. recent Amazon price: $12.00. 324 pages.
  • Social Security Strategies, Copyright 2011, by William Reichenstein and William Meyer.  Recent Amazon price: $20.69.  116 pages

These next three books are all quick reads, highly accessible to the general public, and provide a good entry point for gaining a deeper understanding of Social Security.

  • Social Security Made Simple, Copyright 2012, by Mike Piper, CPA.  Recent Amazon price: $10.45.  107 pages.
  • A Social Security Owner’s Manual, Copyright 2011, by Jim Blankenship, CFP.  Recent Amazon price: $12.80.  142 pages.
  • Social Security Inside Out (Plus: 46 Retirement Pitfalls), Copyright 2009 (with updates in 2011), by Robert Bruce.  Available from the author’s website for $19.95.  38 pages.

True, this next book won’t help you develop a claiming strategy.  However, if you want to know how the Social Security program came to be the program it is today, this is a terrific history and discussion by someone who spent decades in and around the system.  His analysis is thoroughly documented and will provide a deeper understanding of the issues that are the basis for much of the debate today regarding actuarial security of the program, which generations have benefited most and why.

  • The Predictable Surprise: The Unraveling of the U.S. Retirement System, Copyright 2012, by Sylvester J. Schieber, published by Oxford University Press.  Recent Amazon price: $26.21.  452 pages.

Finally, you can always consider going to the source, the Social Security Administration itself.  This is the reference source for the rules and regulations that determine who qualifies for what and when.  Unless you are committed to devoting an enormous amount of time and effort in order to get up to speed with this document set, you are unlikely to find it very useful.  I mostly use it to find a reference regulation that I can provide to a client for when they go in for a meeting with a Social Security representative in a field office: they can reference this source and often get a speedier and favorable resolution.

After reviewing some of these resources some people conclude that they don’t have the time to research this further, or they worry that they will make a mistake in conducting the full analysis necessary to get the most from their benefits.  In that case, consider letting me crunch the numbers for you: contact me through the “Contact” tab and we can arrange to review your options.

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