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Panel Recommends Overhauling Military Retirement
Whether it’s cuts to equipment, training, or bases, military downsizing is always difficult — especially when it results in fewer funds for lawmakers to deliver back to their local districts. But there is no part of the defense budget that…
Meet Ida May Fuller, Recipient of 1st Social Security Check
Seventy-five years ago, the government cut 65-year-old Ida May Fuller a check. It was numbered 00-000-001 — the first Social Security payout. Fuller, of Ludlow, Vermont, didn’t realize it at the time, but her check helped launch the granddaddy of all…
The Right Way to Tap Income in Retirement
Over the past four decades, Ken Musolf, 63, has carefully plotted out an investment strategy for him and his wife, Jeanne, 59. Though Ken retired in 2012 after 35 years as a construction electrician, he and Jeanne have yet to…
8 things you didn’t read today (but should have)
1. The Center for Plain Language just gave out awards for the most clearly written federal documents of the year — the Department of Homeland Security, the Social Security Administration and the Securities and Exchange Commission were the big winners. 2. Robert…
Potential Presidential Candidate, Dr. Ben Carson On Social Security, Glass-Steagall, And Taxes
In the first article I began an interview with potential presidential candidate, Dr. Ben Carson. In it, we discussed several critical issues facing America today. In this writing, which is the conclusion, we’ll explore our government, the problems with the…
The Supreme Court could gut Obamacare. Here’s why that might not matter.
The Supreme Court could soon move to void many Obamacare subsidies — something Republicans are banking on to effectively gut the law. But even if that happens, the American people say they would like the GOP Congress to restore the subsidies. That’s…
Medicare’s Role in Health-Care Payment Reform
Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell announced a bold initiative Monday aimed at moving half of all Medicare payments away from traditional fee-for-service reimbursement by 2018 and replacing it with incentive-based payments encouraging higher quality and lower costs. The…
What People with Government Pensions Should Know about Social Security
As if the Social Security system weren’t complicated enough, additional complications arise for certain retirees receiving government or public sector pensions. These rules, known as the WEP, for Windfall Elimination Provision, and the GPO, for Government Pension Offset, can significantly…
Publication 915, Social Security and Equivalent Railroad Retirement Benefits
This publication explains the federal income tax rules for social security benefits and equivalent Tier 1 railroad retirement benefits. It is prepared through the joint efforts of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Social Security Administration (SSA), and the U.S.…
89% of Older Americans Oppose Executive Action on Immigration, Says New Poll from The Senior Citizens League
Eighty-nine percent of people responding to a new poll by The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) are opposed to President Obama’s executive action on immigration. The poll was conducted prior to the president’s announcement of executive action that would allow an…