Social Security
Social Security: 5 Factors that Impact Your Benefit Amount
1. Social Security benefits are calculated based on your highest 35 earning years. For years that income is not earned, a zero is used in
About Our Programs
Women's Financial Challenges:
Highlights
RESOURCES FOR WIDOWS: For many women, widowhood means taking on and making important decisions about current and future financial, legal, and personal matters at a particularly difficult
time.
WISER’s Going it Alone – A Guide for Widows can help with navigating the immediate financial challenges and making long-term plans for your future financial security. Other resources include:
• Widows and Widowhood • Managing the Financial Impact of Widowhood • Am I Eligible to Receive a Social Security Widow’s Benefit? • Widowhood: Why Women Need to Talk About this Issue • Rights of Surviving Spouse
What is the Savers Match?
The Saver’s Match was created by the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 and goes into effect in 2027. It offers what will be a fully refundable credit, and the contribution is granted as a pre-tax contribution to the retirement account.
The recent
Congressional Research Service report notes: “Savers with modified Adjusted Gross Income below $20,500 ($41,000 for married filing jointly) will qualify for a 50% federal match on up to $2,000 in retirement savings—that is, a maximum match of $1,000. This income threshold will be adjusted for the cost of living for years after 2027.”
It is estimated that the Match will cost taxpayers $9.3 billion from 2027 to 2032.
News from WISER
NEW RESOURCE: The
Society of Actuaries Research Institute announced a series of guides designed to assist Solo Agers with key financial and retirement decisions, along with survey findings on the growing phenomenon of “Solo Aging” in the U.S. Solo Agers are individuals who, as they grow older, navigate life and retirement without the traditional support network of close family members or partners. WISER is a co-sponsor of the guides.
WISER’s Annual Women’s Retirement Symposium, Fraud and Retirement: What to Watch for & Safeguarding your Savings
October 29, 2025
Thank you to all the speakers, sponsors and participants for a great event! See WISER’s Events page for links to speaker presentations and a recording of the event.
Credit unions in Maine
are working to combat the alarming rise in fraud, especially those targeting older adults, with a new video that addresses both the financial and emotional toll and clear, practical steps to spot and stop financial scams.
News from Social Security:
COLA Update – The Social Security Administration announced that monthly Social Security benefits and Supplemental Security Income payments will increase by 2.8 percent in 2026. This Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) is adjusted annually and goes into effect in January.
Top 5 Retirement Challenges for Women
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Women usually live longer than men but tend to save less for retirement
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Women make 82 cents to every dollar a man earns.
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Women are more likely to work part-time jobs without access to workplace savings plans.
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Women are still the primary caregivers, often leaving jobs to care for family members.
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Older women rely on Social Security; for many it is their only source of income.
WISER’s goal is to help women make the best financial decisions they can by providing the information and resources needed to take action and create a secure financial future.
* WISER’S PUBLICATIONS AND FACT SHEETS ARE AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD AND PRINT FOR PERSONAL AND INDIVIDUAL USE ONLY.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE MULTIPLE COPIES FOR DISTRIBUTION, PLEASE CONTACT WISER. *
Featured Resources
Featured
Older Women and Poverty
Every day more than 10,000 people in the United States turn 65. From 1969 to 2020, the portion of people over age 65 who were
Featured
I-Bonds Paying Interest Rate of 3.98%
Savings Bonds are often considered a safe and trustworthy investment because the U.S. government backs them. There are different types of savings bonds, the most recent and one of the most popular types being the I Bond. A key feature of the I Bond is that it is inflation-protected.
Media Highlights
The Broadcast Retirement Network features an interview with Cindy Hounsell of WISER and Ramsey Alwin of NCOA discussing the results from the recent “What Women Say” survey. Watch the video here.
Her Two Cents Podcast is hosted by Laura Webb and Faith Doyle. Somebody to Lean On: The Cost of Caregiving features Guest Cindy Hounsell of WISER, the Women’s Institute for a Secure Retirement and a discussion of the cost of Caregiving and how you can protect yourself both financially and emotionally as you navigate this journey with your loved one.
Corporate gerontologist and caregiving expert, Sherri Snelling interviews Cindy Hounsell of WISER (Women’s Institute for a Secure Retirement) on the Caregiving Club. Cindy talks about a new tool from WISER for caregivers called the Caregiver Financial Hub.
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