Headlines
Reflecting on the Impact of a Zero COLA Increase
According to most media reports, the expected decision to not award a cost of living allowance (COLA) increase for seniors this year is largely the result of falling gas prices. From the perspective of current beneficiaries, though, the change in gas prices…
Is There a Retirement Savings Crisis, or Isn’t There? Economists Debate the Question
How much do you really need? And what’s the best yardstick for measuring progress toward accumulating what you’ll need in retirement? These are not easy questions to answer, and economists and financial planners are split on what to recommend. Some lean…
Avoid Panic – Know Your Social Security Options
So much of the popular press these days seems to stress the pitfalls of making the wrong timing decisions in drawing Social Security, and the reaction among many current and future beneficiaries is either despair or panic. The simple fact…
Rising Medicare Premiums a Threat to Social Security
Medicare premiums are slated to rise 50 percent next year for one third of beneficiaries. This is a threat to Social Security because it could force many retirees into applying for early benefits. This would affectively be a double blow…
Retiring with a Disabled Dependent
Retirement planning is enough of a dredge without having a dependent that you will have to support aside from yourself. Having a disabled child that is not or cannot be financially independent changes how you look at retirement plans. In…
Looming Price Increase for Medicare
With the news of a year without COLA increase for Social Security also comes a threat of a premium increase to Medicare that will affect millions of Americans. The final numbers are to come later this month once the Bureau…
The Price of Healthcare
Medicare is one of the more important aspects in an aging American’s life. One of the most daunting tasks in retirement age is wading through numerous plans available to pick the right one. It is all too easy to give…
How the Social Security System is Being Cheated
The Social Security System offers benefits to about 60 million Americans, most of which deserve it. As with most nice things, the few that game the system procure punishment for everybody. One of the most common ways people are reaping…
Attention: Single People…Some Things to Think About in Retirement Planning
There are quite a few aspects of retirement planning that apply equally to married couples and single people, but there are some significant differences that also need to be considered. The Social Security options differ somewhat, and it needs to be…
The Different Uses of Social Security
Social Security benefits help support half of all retired married couples and three fourths of single retirees. Most of these beneficiaries have Social Security as their primary source of income. Social Security does more than offer a source of income…