Headlines
What Happens Now?…Chained CPI and the “Grand Bargain”
In the aftermath of the great 2013 government shutdown/debt ceiling crisis, and the kicking of the can down the road while maintaining austerity once more, the subject on many minds is where do negotiations over fiscal policy go from here? Will the…
Advice for Congress, from Congress
More than 20 Senators and seven Representatives have begun work on a compromise budget that liberals and conservatives can live with, before new sequester cuts hit in January. We’ve been down this road before. In fact, the failure of the 2011…
Retirement: Women at Risk
How would you like to start retirement with three marks against you? That’s the case for many women who (1) typically earn less than men during their careers; (2) are more likely to take time away from work to care for…
Gov’t reopens after Congress ends 16-day shutdown
The government reopened its doors Thursday after a battle-weary Congress approved a bipartisan measure to end a 16-day partial shutdown and avert the possibility of an economy-jarring default on U.S. obligations. Early Thursday, President Barack Obama signed the measure, which the…
Poll shows retirees rethinking the ‘American Dream’
Older Americans are looking at retirement in a different light than their grandparents. Workers reaching retirement age are discovering Social Security is not the safety net they thought it would be, nor is it the wished for “American Dream.” Putting off…
Planning for New and Impending Social Security Measures
From middle-aged wage earners to current retirees, just about everyone is eager to know what they can expect of Social Security in the coming years. People are living longer lives and requiring longer-term sources of income, yet rising healthcare costs,…
Social Security raise to be among lowest in years
For the second straight year, millions of Social Security recipients, disabled veterans and federal retirees can expect historically small increases in their benefits come January. Preliminary figures suggest a benefit increase of roughly 1.5 percent, which would be among the smallest…
Shutdown Affects New Medicare & Social Security Applicants
The government shutdown is still a reality and it’s raising questions about social security and medicare benefits. While those currently receiving Medicare and Social Security benefits are so far unaffected, one woman who works with Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance said new…
Democrats reject Boehner’s plan for debt extension without opening govt.
The nation’s economy on the line, President Barack Obama and congressional Republicans groped inconclusively Thursday for a compromise to avert an unprecedented U.S. default as early as next week and end the 10-day-old partial government shutdown. “We expect further conversations tonight,”…
Government shutdown delays Social Security COLA announcement
Nearly 58 million Social Security recipients are still getting monthly benefits during the partial government shutdown. But they will have to wait to find out the size of next year’s cost-of-living adjustment. Social Security was scheduled to announce the annual raise…