Headlines
Adjusting the Retirement Age: Extreme or Sensible? One viewpoint.
The debate over how best to address Social Security’s looming catastrophe is raging again. No surprise there, since it’s a presidential election year and that means pretty much any specific suggestion to address the problem acquires polar opposite viewpoints. A…
The Retirement Age Debate: Battle Lines are Continuing to be Drawn
In the days since last week’s release of the Republican Study Committee’s (RSC) Fiscal Year 2025 Budget proposal–titled “Fiscal Sanity to Save America”–the airwaves have been alive with commentary on the future of Social Security. One of the more significant…
Tax Policy and Social Security’s Future–Two Closely-Tied Topics
Earlier this month, the White House presented its Fact Sheet on the proposed budget, part of which focuses on the premise that the spending plan Makes Wealthy People Pay Their Fair Share. Since the issue of taxation typically emerges in…
Understanding Social Security Disability
Navigating the treacherous terrain of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) can be quite intimidating – unless, of course, you learn how the program works. While eligibility criteria are stringent, if you are truly disabled and have earned at least the…
Bi-Partisan “Save Our Seniors” said to protect Social Security
A bi-partisan trio of U.S. Senators have collaborated to introduce the “Save Our Seniors Act,” intended to keep Social Security’s true financial status front and center in Congress. Companion legislation has also been introduced in the House of Representatives. Fact…
Can you get the maximum Social Security benefit?
Well, the probable answer is “no” because there is a pretty high bar to achieve that goal. Basically, you’d need to earn at least as much as the annual payroll tax cap for at least 35 years, pay Social Security…
Are you stuck in your Medicare Advantage plan?
Seems like Medicare Advantage plans are all the rage these days, with their low or no additional premiums, and with coverage exceeding that provided by “original Medicare” and usually exceeding coverage offered in many Medicare Supplement plans. Fact is, the…
Payroll tax to fund long-term care
Washington state enacted the Long-Term Services and Support Act (WA Cares) three years ago to address the costs of providing long-term care to Washington residents. Beginning July 2026, each eligible person can access long-term care services and support costing- up…
Fixing SSA’s overpayment practices
As you may recall, the Social Security Administration has been under investigation for how they handled recouping overpayments from beneficiaries even when the government made the mistake. The newly appointed Social Security Administration Commissioner Martin O’Malley said: “that in the…
A guide to covering LTC expenses
Seniors aged 65 have a nearly 70 percent chance of requiring long-term care services in the future. Of the 3.9 million Americans receiving care in a skilled nursing facility, 78 percent received long-term care for 100 days or more. Unfortunately,…