Headlines
Demystifying Medicare
Medicare, part of President Lyndon Johnson’s “Great Society,” was first enacted in 1965. As it has evolved over the decades, Medicare now consists of four unique “parts,” each designed to provide specific healthcare insurance coverage to American seniors. “Original Medicare”…
Demystifying Social Security’s “Earnings Test”
Social Security’s “Earnings Test” These days, working throughout one’s sixties and into and even beyond one’s seventies is very common. Recognizing that reality – and considering another which shows that most people today claim Social Security benefits in their early…
Demystifying Child-in-Care Spouse Benefits
A Spouse Can Get Social Security Benefits Before Age 62 Most couples know that age 62 is the normal minimum age to apply for Social Security spousal benefits. But many are not aware that spouse benefits are available to spouses…
Demystifying Your Social Security Benefit
Your Social Security Benefit Winston Churchill famously described the Soviet Union as “a riddle inside an enigma wrapped in a mystery.” That is also an apt way to describe your Social Security benefit, or so it seems when trying to…
Preserving your purchasing power
We have all heard the phrase “purchasing power,” but what does it mean to the average pre- and post-retiree? Purchasing power is “the value or buying capacity of your fixed retirement income in the face of inflation.” We have also…
Employer Compensation Tax proposal
The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget just released its analysis of the Trust Fund Solutions Initiative white paper, suggesting a new alternative by replacing the employer side of the payroll tax with a flat Employer Compensation Tax (ECT) on…
A Beginner’s Guide to Social Security
For many folks, retirement is a destination. Thoughts of someday kicking back and reflecting on a career well executed, or a history of meeting the challenges of supporting a family, or the simple satisfaction of being a part of a…
Release of the 2026 COLA on October 24th
The 2026 cost-of-living adjustment was originally scheduled for October 15th; however, due to the government shutdown continuing, it has been rescheduled for October 24th. Why the delay? Because to calculate the COLA, the Bureau of Labor Statistics must release its…
The Bureau of Labor Statistics is Calling Staff Back In to Prepare the Annual Inflation Reports
When the shutdown started on October 1, only one person remained at the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Some staff are now returning to prepare the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA), which is based on the Consumer Price…
How Different Government Agencies Are Affected by the Government Shutdown
The Social Security Administration has only 12% of its 52,000 employees furloughed. However, this could change if the shutdown persists for an extended period. In comparison, the Veterans Administration has an even smaller portion furloughed; only 3.2% of its 462,000…