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Congressional Budget Office on The Taxation of Social Security Benefits
February 12, 2015 – By Joshua Shakin and Kurt Seibert – About 60 million people received Social Security benefits in 2014, CBO estimates. Up to 85 percent of a recipient’s benefits are subject to the individual income tax, depending on the recipient’s…
Liberty, Justice, and Inclusion for All
February is Jewish Disability Awareness Month, intended to help the Jewish community intensify its ongoing efforts to include persons with disabilities fully in Jewish communal life. That means ensuring that our social agencies embrace persons with disability with suitable programs…
Could This Be a Low-Cost Fix for Social Security?
Millions of Americans rely on Social Security for a substantial portion of their retirement plans. Unfortunately, the program’s finances are under long-term pressure. Indeed, the Trust Funds that support Social Security’s ability to pay benefits are projected to run out…
5 things to expect in House budget
After weeks of budget hearings and behind-the-scenes debates, House Ways & Means Chairman Tim Brown is about to unveil a two-year state spending plan likely to mean roughly $35 billion for schools, Medicaid and more. ..So far, Brown — a…
Americans Believe Economy Should Be The Top Priority For 21st Century U.S. Presidents In a New Presidential Poll
The American public believes the top priority for U.S. presidents in the 21st Century should be economic growth and stability, according to a new Presidents Day poll commissioned by the community service organization Fraternal Order of Eagles. Stewardship of the…
How Much Money Do You Need for Retirement?
One important aspect of retirement planning is coming up with your “retirement number,” or how much money you’ll need to save in order to retire comfortably. Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all number for everyone. We all have different lifestyle expectations…
How to prevent fraud during tax season
Tax season is upon us, but so is the risk for tax fraud. “A big form of fraud that’s really been picking up is tax identity theft,” says Cyber Crimes Expert Mitch Kajzer. The critical information you share with your…
Need extra income in retirement? Try freelancing
Americans used to follow a set path: Work for decades, retire and spend their golden years never thinking of work again. But retirees seeking supplemental income, social connections or even the opportunity to dabble in different interests might want to…
Scammers filing fraudulent tax returns on the increase
A story in the Feb. 11, 2015, Wall Street Journal, “FBI to Probe Fraudulent Tax Filings,” caught my attention — I know someone whose tax return was hijacked. The couple I know filed joint returns. When they received a notice from…
White House: Apple Pay will support debit cards for Social Security and veterans benefits
Tim Cook was one of the only Silicon Valley execs to speak at the White House Summit on Cybersecurity and Consumer Protection, held on Friday in Palo Alto. Mark Zuckerberg, Marissa Mayer, Larry Page, and Eric Schmidt were invited, but…