Retirement

A Defined benefit plan is a pension plan in which the sponsor agrees to make specified dollar payments to qualifying employees.
The pension obligations are effectively the debt obligation of the plan sponsor.

The website is http://www.socialsecurity.gov/pgm/survivors.htm.
To apply for your Survivor's Social Security benefits or Retirement benefits, call 1-800-772-1213. The hours of use are between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., Monday through Friday.
After answering some questions, a completed application will be mailed to the applicant for their signature and possible copies of additional required documents, such as marriage certificate or divorce papers.

On traditional IRA's, the gains realized over the years in the form of capital gains, dividends, and interest are deferred and not taxable until you take IRA distributions. When you do take the IRA distribution, the amount is considered ordinary income and taxed as such, and not taxed as capital gains.

You need to fill out Form SS-5-FS, which can be obtained either from your local CPA or from the Social Security Administration.
The SSA website is http://www.ssa.gov/ssnumber/ In addition to using the SSA website, you can call SSA toll-free at 1-800-772-1213.

You should contact the Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration of the Department of Labor (PWBA). To find out the location of your local office, call 202-219-8776 or write to the US Department of Labor, PWBA, Division of Technical Assistance and Inquires, Room N-5625, 200 Constitution Ave., N.W. , Washington, D.C. 20210.

There was be no COLA in 2011. Monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for more than 60 million Americans will increase 3.6 percent in 2012.
The 3.6 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will begin with benefits that nearly 55 million Social Security beneficiaries receive in January 2012.
Increased payments to more than 8 million SSI beneficiaries will begin on December 30, 2011.
According to officials, the average monthly check for the elderly will increase $43 to $1,229. For the disabled, it will rise $39 to $1,111.

A pension rollover must be completed by the 60th day following the day on which you received the pension distribution.

Retirement plan distributions eligible for rollover are subject to a mandatory 20% minimum withholding tax if you do not notify your employer to make a "direct rollover" transfer into another qualified employer plan. Do not have the funds issued directly to you, with the thought that you will then roll it over into another qualified employer plan. This will lead to the 20% withholding.

A SIMPLE IRA, or "Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees Individual Retirement Account", is a type of tax-deferred employer-provided retirement plan in the United States that allows employees to set aside money and invest it to grow for later use.
Specifically, it is a type of Individual Retirement Account (IRA) that is set up to be an employer-provided plan. It is an employer sponsored plan, like more well-known plans such as the 401(k) (profit-sharing plans) and 403(b) (Tax Sheltered Annuity plans), but offers simpler and less costly administration rules.
Like a 401(k) plan, the SIMPLE IRA is funded by a pretax salary reduction. Like other salary reduction contributions, these deductions are subject to social security, medicare, and Federal Unemployment Tax Act taxes. Contribution limits for SIMPLE plans are lower than for most other types of employer-provided retirement plans: $12,000 for the current year with a $2,500 catch up contribution, as compared to $17,500 and a $5,500 catch up contribution for convention defined contribution plans (Section 402(g) limit) like 401(k), 401(a), and 403(b) plans.
In 2014 the limitation remains unchanged at $12,000.