AMAC Foundation Newsletter - April

Your April 2021 AMAC Foundation Newsletter

April 2021 Forward  |  View in Browser

Advisory Service's Concierge Program Set for Launch!     We've been working toward this goal for a few months now, and we've finally arrived. The initial launch of our Social Security Advisory Service's Concierge Program is set to launch Tuesday, May 11, 2021 at SECO Energy. Our plan is to conduct two focused briefings on Social Security's key elements, followed by on-site question and answer sessions for individual attendees needing to discuss their personal situation with an Advisor. The content for these initial briefings will address the basics that everyone should know, from benefit eligibility to how benefits are calculated, as well as the critical issues that face folks approaching the filing decision point. For example, like how early or late filing affect benefit amounts, and working after claiming and before full retirement age, just to name a few. We'll also cover the issue of how benefits are taxed at the federal level, something important for filers to be aware of, as well as issues related to spousal benefits, disability, and the intersection of Social Security and Medicare. Our plan is to conduct a second pilot session on Thursday, May 13, and then evaluate the effectiveness of the concierge approach, and make any necessary adjustments before moving forward with additional sessions. The first two sessions at SECO will cover about 50 employees, and will give us a good base to assess how well the program works. SECO Energy is a not-for-profit electric cooperative serving more than 200,000 consumers across seven counties in Florida. They presently employ more than 400, giving us an excellent evaluation base for our Concierge Program. Stay tuned for updates on how we're moving forward after the May pilot ventures!

"A ship is always safe at shore, but that is not what it's built for." -Albert Einstein- (1879-1955)

We're Back in the Live Seminar Business!     And, it went pretty well. We returned to the Lady Lake Library for our first live seminar venture in over a year, with the entire Foundation Social Security Advisory Staff taking the opportunity to showcase their talents in a detailed review of this important subject. We of course followed the host's COVID-19 restrictions on social distancing, masks, and snack precautions, but that didn't present any concerns for us. Our on-site audience was light, indicating that many Seniors are not quite ready for group events, but we expected that so we live-streamed the seminar to a virtual audience. In addition, we recorded the event for on-demand viewing and it's now available on our Foundation website, under the Social Security tab on the Videos page. Here's a direct link to the recording. In the photo below, Advisor Sharon Kleczka explains a facet of Social Security's intricate rule structure, the Restricted Application and it's gradual disappearance form the scene.   Elder Fraud Issues Take Center Stage on Foundation Website     At the urging of one of our constituents, and recognizing that Elder Fraud is a growing problem in America (and globally), we elected to populate the blog page on our Foundation's website with a serious of articles highlighting the scam situation and its impact on Seniors. Specifically, we posted the following editorials: Monday, March 22: Elder Fraud Takes On a New Dimension as Stimulus Checks Arrive Tuesday, March 23: FBI: Internet Crime up Almost 70% in 2020 Wednesday, March 24: Internet Crime - Who's Affected? Thursday, March 25: Focus on Elder Fraud Friday, March 26: Identity Theft The AMAC Foundation, along with AMAC, Inc., takes the subject of Elder Fraud and the perpetration of cybercrimes against Seniors very, very seriously, and both media outlets have published a variety of alerts and informative bulletins in the past. Because of the growing threat against our constituency, though, we elected to package a series of related items together to draw more attention to the problem and to help our readers navigate the hazards. In the future, watch for announcements on additional information on this subject, including potentially a formal program involving a major partner to address this problem in greater detail.

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