⚠️ Seniors: Keep More Than This in the Bank and You Could Lose Help

Two thousand dollars. Go over that line in your bank account at the start of the month and one federal program can stop paying you for that whole month — and it hasn't moved since 1989. But if your savings are modest, Medicare help may be waiting that many people never claim. Here are the seven bank-balance lines every senior should know: what they cost you, what they can get you, and what's protected. 📘 The Benefits You're Owed Checklist: https://theretirementwire.org/owed In this video: • The $2,000 SSI line — and why the 1st of the month matters • The $4,750 SNAP line for households 60+ (and what never counts) • The $9,950 line where your state may pay your $202.90 Part B premium • The Extra Help line for prescriptions (about $18,090 with the burial set-aside) • How bank interest can make your Social Security taxable (EXAMPLE in real dollars) • The $109,000 / $218,000 Medicare surcharge line and the two-year look-back • The $250,000 FDIC line — and the ownership-category trap • The things that never count against you, and the gifting mistake to avoid SOURCES (everything in this video is fact-checked against these): - Social Security Administration, Understanding Supplemental Security Income — SSI Resources: https://www.ssa.gov/ssi/text-resources-ussi.htm - Social Security Administration, Annual Report of the SSI Program, Statement on the resource limit: https://www.ssa.gov/OACT/ssir/SSI11/Statement_10.html - SSA Program Operations Manual, HI 00815.023 Medicare Savings Programs Income and Resource Limits (2026): https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0600815023 - SSA Program Operations Manual, HI 03030.025 Resource Limits for Subsidy Eligibility (Extra Help, 2026): https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0603030025 - Social Security Administration, Apply for Medicare Part D Extra Help: https://www.ssa.gov/medicare/part-d-extra-help - Social Security Administration, Premiums: Rules for Higher-Income Beneficiaries (IRMAA, 2026): https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/medicare/medicare-premiums.html - Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, A Quick Guide to SNAP Eligibility and Benefits (FY 2027): https://www.cbpp.org/research/food-assistance/a-quick-guide-to-snap-eligibility-and-benefits - USDA, SNAP FY 2027 Cost-of-Living Adjustments: https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/allotment/cola - IRS, Publication 915, Social Security and Equivalent Railroad Retirement Benefits: https://www.irs.gov/publications/p915 - FDIC, Understanding Deposit Insurance: https://www.fdic.gov/resources/deposit-insurance/understanding-deposit-insurance - Medicare.gov, Medicare Savings Programs: https://www.medicare.gov/basics/costs/help/medicare-savings-programs HELPFUL NUMBERS - Medicare Savings Programs: your state Medicaid office, or 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) - Extra Help / SSI / IRMAA (Form SSA-44): Social Security, 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) - FDIC deposit insurance questions: 1-877-275-3342 This video is for general information and education only. It is not financial, tax, legal, or medical advice. Limits shown are federal 2026 / FY2027 figures; your state's rules may differ. Examples use made-up numbers. Share this with someone who's been told they have too much in the bank to get help. Subscribe for Social Security and Medicare news the day it happens. FOOTAGE & IMAGES Stock footage courtesy of Pexels contributors (pexels.com) Website screenshots: ssa.gov, cbpp.org, irs.gov, fdic.gov (shown for news reporting and commentary) #SocialSecurity #Medicare #Seniors #SSI