Headlines
OBBBA Consequences Cited in New Trust Fund Insolvency Warning
The 2026 tax filing season kicked off officially earlier this week, and many taxpayers are eagerly awaiting an assessment of the impact on their personal financial situations. Larger refunds, or at least lower tax liabilities, are likely in store for…
Social Security’s Looming Insolvency–Know the Facts
Most folks tuned into current economic affairs are well aware of the projections that Social Security’s trust fund reserves, valued at nearly 3 trillion dollars just a few years ago, will be depleted by 2033 (or 2032, depending on the source). Reaching this point is…
Bipartisan Fiscal Commission Suggestion Surfaces (Again)
It’s been an on-again, off-again subject in the news over the years (for example, see our 2024 post on this topic), but now, with another two years closer to catastrophe, we see it once more. This time, the Committee for a…
Definition Time: The Old-Age Dependency Ratio and its Relationship to Insolvency
Perhaps the most significant story relating to the U.S. Social Security system these days is the onerous projection of its looming insolvency. Who hasn’t seen the headlines proclaiming Social Security’s impending “bankruptcy” or the incessant warnings of a major benefit…
Crunching the numbers of early versus delaying Social Security
You can start receiving your Social Security retirement benefits as early as age 62. If you start receiving benefits early, your benefits will be permanently reduced. However, you are entitled to full benefits only when you start at your full…
The biggest retirement blind spots
Retirement saving plans are not one size that fits all. Your retirement plan, which encompasses both savings and spending, must meet both your financial needs and your personal needs. Many people understand the savings part of the retirement planning equation,…
Consider this new Social Security change as a necessary evil
With a new year comes changes. The majority of Social Security recipients are now aware of their new monthly benefit; if not, you will soon. The new amount is due to the 2.8 percent cost-of-living adjustment, COLA, along with the…
This year’s federal tax filing, are you ready?
It is that time of the year again, when we start gathering all our documentation to file our Federal income taxes. This year, the conversation around taxes on Social Security benefits will be impactful to all seniors. It’s well understood…
Root Cause Analysis: The SS Trust Fund Shortfall
As we have heralded on this website for years, the Social Security Trust Funds are facing a financial crisis in about the year 2033. That is the point, on current course, that the Trust Funds will be fully depleted, necessitating…
2025 saw lowest inflation in 5 years, but seniors are still struggling!
The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is the government’s watchdog for inflation, and BLS recently announced that the 2025 actual inflation rate was 2.7% – the lowest since the year 2020. Lower inflation is, of course, a good sign,…