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3 Social Security Facts You Need to Know in 2015
For the most part, Social Security is a straightforward concept. You pay taxes to the program throughout your working life, and then, upon reaching retirement age, you collect monthly benefits based in large part on the amount you paid into the…
Representative’s View: Jobs, rebuilding America, service, reform top 2015 agenda
Finding bipartisan support to create more good-paying jobs, protect our environment, return more federal tax dollars to our region, reduce the deficit, rebuild America by ending costly wars of choice and nation-building abroad while also delivering top-notch constituent services leads…
Cruelly high cost of drugs in U.S.
We Americans pay more for medicines than almost any other industrialized nation in the world. here are just a few shocking examples of drug company profiteering in recent years, according, in part, to a superb 16-page report and analysis by…
Know how to prove your disability
This week, I would like to tell you about the service-connected disability benefit and how to qualify for it. Let’s begin at the beginning: When should you apply for the service-connected disability benefit? There is no mandatory period to apply;…
Where Could Social Security Be in 30 Years?
There has been all kinds of speculation about the future of Social Security, ranging from minor changes to a complete overhaul of the current system. We asked three of our analysts where they feel Social Security is heading–The largest drop…
Looking at the problem of childhood identity theft
A lot of people look at their credit, but when’s the last time you checked your child’s credit? Experts believe it’s worth a look to make sure scam artists haven’t stolen your child’s identity. Between working two jobs and raising…
Plan for a Long Life When Saving for Retirement
If we knew we would die tomorrow, we’d be rich today. I don’t mean rich in appreciation for life, although that’s probably true, too. I mean literally rich. With only one day to live, a nest egg of $100,000 would…
Sooner or later, universal health care will happen
Virginia House Speaker Bill Howell and his party have thus far successfully blocked the expansion of Medicaid in Virginia. Such expansion is considered by many to be necessary to fully implement the Affordable Care Act and provide health insurance coverage…
Does Social Security Discriminate Against Women?
The American Academy of Actuaries recently testified before the Senate on the issue of women and Social Security, in a hearing called “Is a Key Foundation of Economic Security Working for Women?” It’s an interesting question for which there’s no…
The Media’s Cracked Crystal Ball: What Journalists Said We’d Find in 2015
In the 1980s and ’90s, journalists passed along expert predictions of the world as it would be in 2015. Now that the New Year has finally arrived, it might be fun to recall some of those forecasts. Keep these in…