Page 18 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2025 1. On Oct. 24, 1940, the 1938 U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act mandated what workweek hours? 2. “Broom-Stick Bunny” (1956) has the animated characters Witch Hazel and what rabbit? 3. What New England city has a Guinness World Record for “most lit jack-o’-lanterns on display”? 4. On Oct. 25, 1955, the fi rst of what type of oven want on sale? 5. Which voice assistant came fi rst, Alexa or Siri? 6. What tale did Mary Shelley devise during a ghost story competition among friends? 7. On Oct. 26, 2005, what team with a name including a plural form of a clothing item won the World Series? 8. What two men are associated with the names of famous chocolate candies? 9. Washington Irving’s short story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” is set on what river? 10. What U.S. president appeared on an episode of “Comedians in Cars Getting Coff ee”? 11. On Oct. 27, 1966, what Peanuts show aired (fi rst major TV Halloween special)? 12. The Deep Blue computer is famous for what? 13. October 28 is International Animation Day; the comedy “Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit” debuted in the USA in October when: 1954, 1966 or 2005? 14. What is the world’s largest toothed predator (appears in a famous 1851 book)? 15. Is Halloween celebrated in Mexico? 16. October 29 is National Cat Day; what Frenchman was brought out of retirement to sing the title song in the 1970 animated musical comedy fi lm “The Aristocats”? 17. Who sang “Superstition” and appeared as a witch doctor during Super Bowl XLVII? 18. The animated shorts “Duck Amuk,” “What’s Opera, Doc?” and “One Froggy Evening” were called “culturally signifi cant” by what arm of the U.S. Congress? 19. In what book does a godmother say “Run into the garden, and bring me a pumpkin”? 20. On Oct. 30, 1958, who decorated the White House for Halloween for the fi rst time? Answers Can You Get a Lump Sum Social Security Payment? Dear Savvy Senior, I’ve read that the Social Security Administration offers a lump-sum payment to new retirees who need some extra cash. I haven’t yet fi led for my retirement benefi ts and would like to fi nd out if this is true. What can you tell me? Born In 1958 Dear 1958, There is indeed a littleknown Social Security claiming strategy that’s been around for many years that can provide retirees a lumpsum benefi t, but you need to be past your full retirement age to be eligible, and there are fi nancial drawbacks you need to be aware of too. First, let’s review the basics. Remember that while workers can begin drawing their Social Security retirement benefi ts anytime between ages 62 and 70, full retirement age is 66 and 8 months for those born in 1958, but it rises in two-month increments every birth year to age 67 for those born in 1960 and later. At full retirement age, you are entitled to 100 percent of your benefi ts. But if you claim earlier, your benefi ts will be reduced by 5 to 6.66 percent every year you start before your full retirement age. While if you delay taking your benefi ts beyond your full retirement age, you’ll get 8 percent more each year until age 70. Lump Sum Option If you are past full retirement age, and have not yet filed for your benefits, the Social Security Administration off ers a retroactive lumpsum payment that’s worth six months of benefi ts. Here’s how it works. Let’s say for example that you were planning to delay taking your Social Security benefi ts past your full retirement age of 66 and 8 months, but you changed your mind at 67 and two months. You could then claim a lump-sum payment equal to those six months of benefi ts. So, for instance, if your full retirement age benefi t was $2,500 per month, you would be entitled to a $15,000 lump sum payment. If you decided at age 67 that you wanted to fi le retroactively, you’d get only four months’ worth of benefits in your lump sum, because SSA rules prohibit you from claiming benefits that predate your full retirement age. Drawbacks The downside to this strategy is that once you accept a lump-sum payment, you’ll lose the delayed retirement credits you’ve accrued, and your future monthly retirement benefi t will be reduced to refl ect the amount you already received. It will also affect your future survivor benefi t to your spouse or other eligible family members after you die. You may also need to consider Uncle Sam. Depending on your income, Social Security benefi ts may be taxable, and a lump-sum payment could boost the amount of benefi ts that are taxed. The federal government taxes up to 50 percent of Social Security benefi ts at ordinary income tax rates if your combined income — defi ned as adjusted gross income plus nontaxable interest income plus half of your Social Security benefi ts — exceeds $25,000, and up to 85 percent of benefi ts are taxable if combined income exceeds $34,000. For married couples, the comparable income thresholds for taxing benefi ts are $32,000 and $44,000. To help you calculate this, see IRS Publication 915 “Social Security and Equivalent Railroad Retirement Benefi ts” at IRS.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p915. pdf, or call 800-829-3676 and ask them to mail you a copy. In addition, if the lump-sum payment of retroactive Social Security benefi ts boosts your yearly income over $106,000 (or $212,000 for married couples fi ling jointly), it will increase your future Medicare premiums too. See Medicare. gov/Pubs/pdf/11579-medicare-costs.pdf for details. Send your questions or comments to questions@savvysenior.org, or to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070. 1. 40 2. Bugs Bunny 3. K eene , N.H. (30,581 in 2013, breaking Boston’s 2006 record) 4. Domestic microwave 5. Siri (2011); Alexa debuted in 2014. 6. “Frankenstein” 7. Chicago White Sox (“sox” is a plural form of sock.) 8. Milton Hershey and Harry Burnett Reese 9. Hudson 10. Barack Obama 11. “I t ’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” 12. Beating a World Chess Champion 13. 2005 14. S perm whale (“Moby-Dick ” book) 15. There i s some trick-or-treating; however, the country mostly celebrates Day of the Dead on Nov. 1 and 2. 16. Maurice Chevalier 17. Stevie Wonder 18. Library of Congress 19. Charles Perrault’s “Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper” (1697) 20. First Lady Mamie Eisenhower
19 Publizr Home