A Heritage Foundation study shows three cases where a low, middle and high income worker would have a much higher monthy retirement benefit by investing in a personal savings account versus a Social Security retirement benefit.

Noted financial adviser Suze Orman says most folks should begin Social Security retirement benefits at age 70.

However, this is poor advice if you're in poor health or if you're a notably lower-earning spouse relative to your husband or wife. Ideally, the spouse with the substantially higher lifetime earnings will let their benefit accrue at 8% per year until age 70.

Noted personal finance advisor Suze Orman recommends that people claim Social Security retirement benefits at age 70.

Orman seems to base much of this advice on the fact that currently, Social Security will add a guaranteed 8 percent to your eventual monthly benefit for each year you defer benefits.

In today's low-interest rate environment, a guaranteed 8-percent increase in monthly benefits is notable.

Attorney Kenneth Hiller joins Linda to talk about social security hearings and the importance of having an attorney.

A recent presidential executive order changes the way federal "administrative law judges" are appointed.

According to Social Security statistics, judges who adjudicate Social Security cases conducted 605,483 hearings in 2017.

Administrative law judges (ALJs), the arbiters of many Social Security issues including disability claims, may face a new contract which is imposed upon them.

Interesting article which looks at how Social Security may fare in the year 2035.

Highlights :

* The worker-to-beneficiary ratio will drop from 2018's 2.8 to 2.2-to-1.

* Workers will have to wait longer to receive "full" benefits

* Social Security's "trust fund" will be exhausted

* Substantial benefit cuts may be needed

* Payroll taxes will be critical to pay for benefits

* Social Security benefits will continue to decline due to inflation

Your Social Security retirement benefit largely depends on the following four factors :

* Your work history => Longer yields a higher benefit

* Your earnings history => Higher earnings yields higher benefit (at decreasing rate)

* Your birth year => Born earlier means higher relative benefit

* Your claiming age => Starting benefits later means higher benefit

You can't receive "full" Social Security benefits until you reach your "Full Retirement Age" (FRA). FRA is increasing for those who were born later.

Good story on ABLE (Achieve a Better Living Experience) accounts which were created in 2014 to help disabled folks grow living funds on a tax-free basis.