Headlines
Straight talk on Social Security – even if the truth hurts
Cal Thomas’ candid op-ed in Townhall addresses the drivers of budget deficits and our $22.3 trillion national debt. In this piece, he summarizes and evaluates The Heritage Foundation’s “Blueprint for Balance: A Federal Budget for Fiscal 2020,” which is based on verifiable facts. …
Social Security and geography: which states lead the pack around the USA?
Over 63 million Americans now collect Social Security benefits, and the beneficiaries include retirees, widows, disabled workers and some children. The first baby boomers began reaching retirement age in 2011 and continue to retire in large numbers each year. No U.S.…
Five key facts about your Social Security check
Social Security is an important source of retirement income for millions of Americans, but it’s easy to make a mistake that can cost you benefits. Kailey Fralick of The Motley Fool says understanding these five concepts or strategies can help pave the…
Congress may soon enact retirement changes
The first significant changes in the laws related to retirement in 13 years could soon pass both chambers of Congress. Ben Werschkul writing for Yahoo Finance provides detail on four of the 50 provisions that appear most likely to be enacted. Increasing access…
Social Security and retirement planning – How to avoid regret
Social Security is an immensely important program for the 63 million Americans who now collect benefits, but also to anyone who contributes payroll taxes with the plan to one day collect retirement benefits themselves. Russ Wiles of The Arizona Republic lists…
The Social Security COLA – Not Keeping Up
A dollar ain’t what it used to be is what folks often say. Social Security provides a cost of living adjustment (COLA) to all beneficiaries each January 1st. Some years in the past decade have seen no COLA though, as…
A fascinating look at Social Security’s very first beneficiary
Ida May Fuller, a lifelong Republican and high school classmate of President Calvin Coolidge, was the first beneficiary at age 65 of the new Social Security system when a check for $22.54 arrived at her home in February 1940. This fascinating piece…
Social Security’s scary unfunded liability
Laurence Kotlikoff, writing an op-ed in The Hill, laments that no one is addressing Social Security’s $43 trillion unfunded liability, up $9 trillion from last year. Buried at the end of the April 2019 Trustees report, he calls it “the most…
Social Security reform – where’s the urgency?
This Pension & Benefits article by Brian Croce laments that little has been done to reform a Social Security program clearly headed for partial insolvency. Former Rep. Sam Johnson (R-TX) proposed a bill in the last session to match benefit payments to revenue…
Did Congress steal Social Security money? NO!
One of the most pervasive myths pertaining to Social Security is that Congress stole program funds for wars, social welfare spending, or a host of other programs. With a simple, common sense explanation, and by using easily understood analogies, Sean Williams of…