Don't Let These 3 Social Security Surprises Ruin Your Retirement

To make the most of your monthly checks in retirement, make sure you're not caught off guard by these three factors. Unfortunately, even after a lifetime of paying into the Social Security program, you may still face both federal and state taxes on your benefits in retirement. Whether you owe federal taxes will depend on your "combined income," which is half your annual benefit amount plus other sources of retirement income (excluding Roth IRA withdrawals).