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“Retirement Preparedness” Is a Growing Concern for Gen Xers
With all this chatter about Social Security’s long-term solvency, and with concerns ranging from reduced benefits to no benefits at all, it’s no wonder that younger workers are developing bleak perspectives on how comfortable their “golden years” will be. Fueling…
Online Social Security Account Holders, Listen Up!
Social Security Administration (SSA) officials have been alerting mySSA holders who registered their account more than four years ago that they’ll need to change their log-in procedure. The alert comes with a header noting “”Important Changes to Access Your Social…
Understanding Cost-of-Living Adjustments
The annual Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) process is a component of the program generally understood by most current and future beneficiaries. The premise that COLA reflects inflation is part of this general understanding, of course, but the mechanics may…
The Psychology of Retirement…And Why So Many Don’t
In today’s economy, many folks looking ahead to retirement realize that finances may dictate a longer stint in the workforce. Perhaps the “nest egg” isn’t what it needs to be, or the work record doesn’t provide a substantial enough Social…
A Quick Primer (and a Forecast) About Social Security COLAs
We’re well into the first month of the measurement period for calculation of next year’s Social Security cost-of-living adjustment, and it seems like we’re reading about it every day. With the news cycles spending so much time on the issue,…
Zeroing in on Social Security Post-Election Possibilities
While the voting public awaits details on Presidential candidate Kamala Harris’s position on our troubled Social Security system, perspectives are beginning to develop. Yes, it’s only been a few days since the top of the Democrat ticket changed hands, but…
Social Security Numbers Can Be Changed…But Be Careful!
There are legitimate reasons to change one’s Social Security Number (SSN), and Social Security Administration regulations provide a process for doing so. Among the valid reasons are identity theft, mistaken dual issuance of a number, and “religious or cultural objections…
2025 COLA Watch–the Good and the Bad
The good news is that there’s likely to be a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for Social Security beneficiaries in January; the bad news is that it is expected to fall short of 2024’s 3.2% adjustment. But wait! That might not be…
ERISA at Age 50…A Recap of Where We are Today
Congress passed the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA)–the law that set minimum standards for most voluntarily established retirement and health plans in private industry to provide protection for individuals in these plans–was enacted in September of 1974. With this…
Presidential Candidate Harris on Social Security…Probably No Change in Position
The change in Democrat Party’s 2024 presidential campaign ticket will probably not yield any change in position on Social Security’s future, according to a post today by Newsweek reporter Aliss Higham. Although Harris’s specific policy points have yet to be…