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What Long Life Spans Mean for Your Money and Career
During the 20th century, life expectancy in the U.S. climbed by almost 50%. That has huge implications for our finances. If you had a daughter born in 2000, her life expectancy at birth was age 84, versus 58 for women born…
Commentary: Chris Christie dares discuss Social Security, Medicaid
If New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has his way, the unfolding presidential campaign will focus on generational fairness. It will seek to curb spending on the elderly — mainly Social Security and Medicare — without putting the elderly at risk. This…
Senators fret about Social Security cuts to cover student loan debt
A pair of Democratic senators is demanding to know more about the growing number of seniors who are seeing their Social Security benefits slashed to cover student loan debt. Sens. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) sent a letter to…
Your Pension Vs. Social Security
If you receive a government pension, your Social Security benefit may suffer a reduction due to a rule called the Windfall Elimination Provision. It pays to know how it works when you plan for your retirement income. This provision, or WEP,…
PICPA offers 10 ways to maximize Social Security benefits
For most Americans, Social Security retirement benefits typically represent 30 to 60 percent of their retirement income, yet, according to the National Social Security Association LLC, more than 90 percent of Social Security recipients receive less money than they are…
Christie Social Security Plan Punishes Haves And Have-Nots
Some are touting New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s proposal to take an ax to Social Security as an act of bold political leadership. Sorry, I see the opposite. America needs leadership to replace old dysfunctional baggage with new programs and ideas…
Thompson co-authors Social Security-saving bill
A bill introduced this week and co-authored by U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson aims to “cut taxes for Social Security recipients, provide a benefit increase for current and future beneficiaries, and keeps the system strong for generations to come,” Thompson’s office…
Answers demanded after vets’ disability claims found in cabinet
One number will hang over a congressional hearing Wednesday looking into mismanagement at a U.S. Veterans Affairs regional office in Oakland: 13,184. That’s the number of compensation and disability claims that were found in 2012, wrongfully stashed in a filing cabinet…
Chris Christie Spins Economic Data
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie made a couple of economic claims at a recent forum in New Hampshire that may seem startling at first — until placed into context: Christie said it is “outrageous” that there have been “some months”…
Keep in mind your Social Security survivor’s benefit
I’ve written often about the value of delaying Social Security payments until age 70. You accumulate what the U.S. Social Security Administration calls “delayed credits” by waiting past your full retirement age – effectively purchasing an inflation-adjusted immediate annuity paying 8…