Home Sweet Home Chicago with David Hochberg
Oct 17, 2026 · 8 min · 6 segments
Featured on WGN Radio’s “Home Sweet Home Chicago” on Oct. 17, 2026: Tim Stearns, president and founder of TJ Stearns Financial Planning & Benefits, joins…
Wendy SnyderHost
Honestly, you need to start thinking about your retirement when you get to retirement age, although aren't less people retiring now?
Even my dad, when he retired the first time in 1989, he still went and did something else just to keep himself busy, which I think is healthy, by the way.
But people are still, especially if they're retiring at the age of 60, people want to get benefits, health benefits, especially to get to age 65 for Medicare and that type of thing.
But, you know, we're seeing more and more people are wanting to work just because they're, you know, mentally want to stay, you know, engaged.
You know, I love to sit on the couch and watch TV and you think, oh, if I retire, I'll just do that all the time.
And what is the age where if you take Social Security and then you keep working, is there an age where you don't have to pay it back or whatever?
What they do is when you take Social Security early, like prior to your full retirement age, which in my case is 67, you actually, for every $3 you make, if you make over a certain amount, for every $3 you're giving back $1.
And in that book, and my mentor always told us, you know, don't take your, you know, wait to your full retirement age to take your Social Security.
And that's one of the things is pick your social security strategy and stick with it.
Honestly, you need to start thinking about your retirement when you get to retirement age, although aren't less people retiring now?
Even my dad, when he retired the first time in 1989, he still went and did something else just to keep himself busy, which I think is healthy, by the way.
But people are still, especially if they're retiring at the age of 60, people want to get benefits, health benefits, especially to get to age 65 for Medicare and that type of thing.
But, you know, we're seeing more and more people are wanting to work just because they're, you know, mentally want to stay, you know, engaged.
You know, I love to sit on the couch and watch TV and you think, oh, if I retire, I'll just do that all the time.
And what is the age where if you take Social Security and then you keep working, is there an age where you don't have to pay it back or whatever?
What they do is when you take Social Security early, like prior to your full retirement age, which in my case is 67, you actually, for every $3 you make, if you make over a certain amount, for every $3 you're giving back $1.
And in that book, and my mentor always told us, you know, don't take your, you know, wait to your full retirement age to take your Social Security.
And that's one of the things is pick your social security strategy and stick with it.
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