Headlines
Can Social Security Survive the COVID-19 Crisis?
Social Security’s long-term health has been a problem and has made news for some time, though little is being done in Congress to make it more solvent. The Covid-19 pandemic will make the finances of the program worse, and perhaps…
Payroll Tax Cut Imperils Social Security Long-term
It’s all the talk in DC these days– cutting the payroll tax. But is it a good idea? Arguments against cutting the 12.4% payroll tax (6.2% each for employers and employees) go beyond just the potential damage to the Social Security program, one…
Is $5,000 now in exchange for delayed Social Security benefits later a sound idea?
What if there were a way to thread today’s divisive partisan needle to get more cash into the hands of Americans who need it without adding to the $25 trillion national debt? Alas, there is such a proposal, and Shahar…
On What Did Social Security Spend Over $1 Trillion in 2019?
The Social Security Administration (SSA) spent $1.06 trillion in calendar year 2019, the largest single outlay category in the entire federal budget at around 25% of all spending. The Social Security Trustees issue a report each April that among many…
A Preview of Potential Social Security Changes
As we’ve reported on this website persistently over the past several years, Social Security is facing a long-term solvency issue. Not bankruptcy, as the rumor mill frequently suggests, but rather the inability to fully pay the benefits promised to beneficiaries who…
Retirement: Crisis or Challenge?
One of the topics frequently surfacing in the media is the notion that we’re facing a “retirement crisis.” In a post today on forbes.com, Stanford Center on Longevity research scholar and Forbes contributor Steve Vernon dives into this notion with a…
Examining the “Payroll Tax Cut” Issue
As talks continue in Washington on the possibility of additional economic stimulus funding, one of the sticking points that keeps emerging is the issue of either eliminating or suspending the 7.65% payroll tax as a means to get more cash into the hands…
The Social Security Dilemma: A Look at Political Realities
In a post on forbes.com, contributor Steve Vernon provides an assessment of some potential paths to resolving the Social Security solvency issue. Vernon, president of Rest-of-Life Communications and a research scholar for the Stanford Center on Longevity, offers analysis into the statistical…
Social Security’s Problematic Trifecta
Let’s start with an understatement: the COVID-19 pandemic is wreaking havoc on the nation’s economy. The projections dealing with unemployment, corporate earnings, small business continuity, etc. are horrendous, both short-term and long-term. We see alerts every day telling us how…
Should the Pandemic Change My Social Security Strategy?
The coronavirus pandemic and its impact upon the U.S. economy has a lot of people wondering if claiming Social Security earlier than planned would be a smart move to fulfill immediate cash needs. The question relates to whether it’s wiser…