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Social Security: Who gets it and how much?
Dan Caplinger’s article presents an in depth analysis on what it takes to qualify for Social Security benefits and how The Social Security Administration figures one’s benefit amount. Essentially, to collect retirement benefits, one must be lawfully present in the United States,…
Are the Social Security payroll taxes you paid yours? Absolutely not.
Jeff Szymanski works in political communications at The Association of Mature American Citizens. He wrote this piece to explain a common misconception about Social Security payroll taxes. Perhaps the biggest misunderstanding (but not the only one) when I taught my lesson on Social Security to…
Social Security 2019: What You Need to Know
While no new legislation has passed this year that changes the fundamentals of the Social Security program, a number of changes do go into effect automatically, mostly due to inflation adjustments. This article by Mary Hickey of Consumer Reports highlights the changes…
Mum’s the Word on Social Security this Campaign Season — But why?
Jeff Szymanski works in political communications at The Association of Mature American Citizens. He wrote this piece to explain why the Social Security issue is absent from this year’s campaign. You would think with Social Security running a deficit (spending more on benefits than it is…
Social Security & Insolvency – What Does It Actually Mean?
Jeff Szymanski works in political communications at The Association of Mature American Citizens. He wrote this piece in an effort to explain insolvency with an easy to understand example. Insolvency “The inability to pay one’s debts” is the dictionary definition of insolvency. …
Thoughts on Removing the Tax Cap to Save Social Security
Although it’s been a fairly constant part of many Social Security reform proposals, the removal of the annual limit on earnings subject to FICA tax as a way to address the program’s solvency issue continues to stall in the face of…
Thoughts on “The Social Security 2100 Act (H.R. 1902)”
Rep. John B. Larson (D-Conn.), in a post on www.thehill.com, presents a series of insights on the recent launching of the “Expand Social Security Caucus” and last year’s introduction of H.R. 1902, The Social Security 2100 Act. In his comments, Rep.…
Social Security – Perpetuating a Myth
In an article posted on money.howstuffworks.com by journalist Laurie L. Dove, the report starts out on an even, informative keel, explaining what the Social Security 2019 cost-of-living adjustment will be and dispelling some common beliefs about how the annual adjustment (or lack…
How do age differences impact your Social Security decisions?
Whether it’s a single marriage situation or a re-marriage, the decision on when and how to file for Social Security benefits can be a key part of a couple’s retirement financial strategy. In a recent Washington Post article, columnist Michelle…
Social Security and the Poverty Problem
In the wake of the recently-announced 2019 Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), many seniors are breathing a sigh of relief over the largest increase in seven years. But while that’s a good thing, MarketWatch columnist Paul Brandus, in a post on www.marketwatch.com,…