Happy Thanksgiving Day! If you drink, don't drive Please! :Tantrum: It's this Thursday the 24th! Now on to the subject matter:

If you are 65 or older and not registered for Medicare yet...Then between now and January is the time to get it done without missing out on the scheduled raise in January 2012. I know, I know many folks want be eligible to draw their FULL social security until they reach 66 or later. When you turn 65 it's time to register for Medicare!

http://www.medicare.gov/default.aspx

Above is the medicare site to check things out. If you are already on Medicare then you know there hasn't been a raise in two years based on the CPI for cost of living increase so don't miss out. Medicare is your insurance and we need insurance for sure!

Now if you take your social security at 62 like I did instead of waiting until you are fully eligible they will dock you a certain percentage. Mine was 13% eight years ago. The longer you wait to draw social security the more you'll draw each month from all the years you been paying into it. For me it was since I was 17 years old.

On the other hand some of you may be eligible based on your spouses death and that could be more than drawing your own. I suggest calling social security to be sure in each case. We are disabled survivors or care givers needing every dollar available to us to help pay the bills and keep our homes.

That's the only reason I had to draw mine as soon as I turned 62. The stroke hit me, I had to sell my business and there wasn't enough income to pay for everything. I pray you don't miss out it's hard if you just don't know and no one to ask about social security. Yes you can draw it at 62 but case by case it may be better to wait ubtil you reach the age for your birth year or later if you can wait!

Up until last year 2010, they had a deal you pay back all you drew early, every penny all at once, then you could start drawing the full amount based on your normal retire year if you had reached it by then. I called and asked about it only to be told that program had ended last year! Oh well that's my luck but then I couldn't have come up with the money I was paid early to give back to them to start drawing the higher rate at my later age.

If this applies to any of you, please don't miss out, money is too hard to come by these days!

Fred!