Headlines
COLA Watch 2024–Likely Nowhere Near 2023
Inflation is easing, and that’s a good thing for the economy in general. Unfortunately for seniors, though, that downward trend brings with it a similar trajectory in cost-of-living adjustments (COLA). In fact, current projections are that the COLA for next…
Clarifying the Banking Interactions Between the U.S. Treasury and Social Security
The charge that the political arena has, through the years, “stolen” money from the Social Security program is an enduring piece of folklore that surfaces routinely in social media and in a variety of news accounts. Some sources cite specific…
A Timeline Clarification for Millennials–Preparing for the Future of Social Security
Social Security’s impending solvency crisis has been in the news quite a bit in recent months and, unfortunately, much of the media accounts have created a misunderstanding of what’s really in the cards for this critical senior support program. Specifically,…
Candidate Haley Advocates for Retirement Age Setbacks, Benefit Trimming for the Wealthy
The long road to the 2024 presidential election is now being traveled by a host of hopefuls, so it’s logical to expect an outpouring of viewpoints on key issues and, equally logical, to expect Social Security reform to be one…
Four Principles Designed to Salvage Social Security for the Long-Term
The solvency dilemma Social Security faces has gotten some attention in the early days of the 118th Congress, but despite the urgency–full depletion of the program’s reserves is less than a decade away–proposals to ward off a catastrophe haven’t gotten…
A Blunt Perspective on Social Security and Medicare
With Social Security and Medicare so prominent in the news these days, viewpoints on what the future will bring for these massive senior benefit programs are as varied as they are frequent. Yesterday afternoon, for example, TV host and syndicated…
Social Security’s $8.6 Billion Accounts Receivable Problem
Yesterday, in a Latest News post on this site, we provided a link to an article describing staffing and budget issues at the Social Security Administration and their impact on client service levels at the agency. Today, we explore an…
Debt Ceiling Agreement Reached, But It’s Not Over Yet
President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy have reached an agreement in their negotiations to resolve the debt crisis. That’s the good news. On the flip side, though, the road ahead to obtain approval in Congress appears to have…
Memorial Day Message – Honor
Continuing with our Memorial Day thoughts, today’s Headline features a stirring tribute by our friend, Robert (Bobby) Charles, to those heroes honored at Arlington National Cemetery. His opening paragraph sets a tone one can describe as emotional, heart-rending…even inspirational. “Honor. Honor…
A Break from Reporting the News
On this Memorial Day Weekend, we’re departing momentarily from channeling Social Security and retirement news, instead sharing with you a moving version of Lee Greewood’s signature piece, “God Bess the U.S.A.” First recorded in 1984, the song has captured the…