Headlines
Thinking about taking retroactive Social Security benefits? Think again
As most of those eligible for Social Security know, your “full retirement age” is when you will get 100% of the benefit you have spent a lifetime earning. Full retirement age today is somewhere between 66 and 67, depending upon…
Fixing Social Security: It’s up to the voters
It should be pretty obvious as we watch how Congress works that politicians aren’t problem solvers, they’re consensus builders. So how can we expect them to fix Social Security’s financial dilemma in a political climate where both parties appear to…
How to cope with Social Security’s “worst case scenario”
It’s surely no secret by now that Social Security is faced with financial difficulties in the future unless Congress acts soon to either improve revenue, cut costs, or a little of both. Starting this year, Social Security will actually be…
Myth-Busting: Common Misunderstandings about Social Security
Surveys have shown that there is a fairly widespread lack of understanding about the basics of Social Security. One of the most frequently quoted studies is the survey conducted not too long ago by Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co., wherein 72%…
Social Security and the Old Age Dependency Ratio
Forbes contributor Elizabeth Bauer provides an interesting perspective on the future of Social Security in America, focusing on the relationship between the number of workers providing tax income and the number of beneficiaries, using the term “old age dependency ratio” to…
Social Security and the “Baby Boom Generation”
One of the most frequently-repeated statistics quoted in the media these days is the number of “Baby Boomers”–those with birth dates starting from the early- to mid-1940s and ending anywhere from 1960 to 1964–reaching retirement age each day. Generally, the pundits…
Understanding the “Gig Economy”
It’s not a fad or a passing fancy. With a quarter of America’s workforce now considered to be freelancers, the “gig economy” is systematically re-defining the modern labor market. By media definition, this is the label applied to contract and…
Drop in Disability Claims Attributed to Economic Improvement
Social Security’s Disability Income (SSDI) trust funds are experiencing a bit of a breather, a development New York Times’ writer Nelson D. Schwartz attributes to the improving U.S. economy. The numbers published by the Social Security Administration show a roughly…
Thoughts on Re-branding Social Security
Economists and Congressional Representatives seem to be developing an increasing awareness of the problematic use of the term “entitlements” to describe Social Security benefits. Rep. John Larson (D-CT) perhaps sums it up best with this statement quoted by Benefits Pro columnist…
Social Security’s Compassionate Allowances
In a post today on Santa Ynez Valley News, Social Security Administration public affairs specialist Jackie Zaragoza shares thoughts and insights into the assistance available to cancer victims via Social Security’s compassionate allowances provisions. As her post suggests, expedited access…