Headlines
One Plan to Lower Prescription Drug Prices
Prescription drug prices have been a hot topic in the media lately, and for good reason. At the moment, pharmaceutical companies are able to set exorbitant prices on their product because of the way Medicare is set up to deal…
The Impact of an Aging Society
The realities of a continually growing life expectancy gap, and the implications this demographic change has for Social Security, are discussed in an article titled “A Safety Net–Not a Gravy Train” posted on www.washingtonpost.com by Robert J. Samuelson. The author,…
Keeping retirement planning in perspective – Social Security is Likely Taxable
These days, achieving a comfortable life in retirement requires anticipating the things that many people don’t expect. From the impact of taxes on Social Security benefits, to the reality that inflation needs to be planned for, to the simple fact…
Most Common Retirement Misinformation
Many people see retirement plans as insurmountable obstacles of investment algorithms and interest formulas. For this reason it is entirely too easy to fall in to pitfalls of commonly regurgitated misinformation. Many of the facts and guidelines making the rounds…
10 Million Healthcare.gov Accounts Vulnerable to Theft
Healthcare.gov holds a database with information from over 10 million accounts, each account holding sensitive information such as social security numbers, birthdates, and passport numbers. A recent audit left experts reeling, surprised that the system has not yet been breached.…
Medicare Loophole Leads to Drug Gouging
Regulations passed in 2006 requiring Medicare to cover the cost of certain drugs combined with a 2003 act preventing price negotiations is allowing pharmaceutical companies to charge whatever they want for their medication. The most recent example is with the…
“Interfund Borrowing” Questioned by CBPP
Interfund borrowing–exchanging money between trust funds–is called into question by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities in an article by Kathleen Romig posted on www.cbpp.org. Citing the long-term implications of debt maturity, the article advocates re-balancing or reallocation of revenues between the…
Saving for Retirement – Personalize Your Nest Egg
Investor’s have recommended saving anywhere between 1 million and 2.5 million dollars for retirement, although most households save an average of 100,000 to 150,000 dollars. New studies, however, show that most retirees spend significantly less in retirement than while they…
Centrist Group Set to Focus on Problem Solving at October 12 Convention
Congressional No Labels supporters are set to hold a full-day convention on October 12, with plans to dedicate the entire session to discussion on how presidential candidates will accomplish their campaign promises. Job creation, achieving a balanced budget, and securing Social…
Understanding How Your Social Security Benefits are Calculated
To many people, the methodology behind the actual calculation of their monthly benefit is not a clearly understood thing. Beginning with an explanation of the Primary Insurance Amount (PIA)–the basic element in arriving at your benefit amount–Mark Miller provides a…