Latest News
Jobless bill dead; revival effort in motion
The bill that would have extended unemployment benefits for thousands of Inland residents — and more than 3 million people across the country — has been pronounced dead in Congress, but the efforts to get something passed are not. A spokesman for…
Medicare wades through backlog of disputed claims
Medicare has suspended assigning new payment-dispute claims to administrative judges who are attempting to work through a backlog of 357,000 cases.Medicare also has halted third-party audits of payment claims. These audits returned more than $7 billion to Medicare since 2010,…
7 Early Retirement Experiments to Try at Home
Early retirement requires discipline. Traditional retirement does, too. Spending less than you make and investing the difference takes commitment and vision. The key to early retirement is spending far less than you make. Not only does this increase your savings…
Big Change Coming to Social Security?
Proposals to expand Social Security got more Congressional support this week from Democrats who are apparently nervous about the mid-term 2014 elections since some prognosticators predict that Republicans are likely to win enough seats to give them a winning majority…
Six retirement lessons from Dad
My parents had the “golden” retirement that popular culture portrays: traveling, pursuing hobbies and interests, and spending time with friends and family. How did they do it? Their story provides good examples to follow — and one not-so-good example. Spoiler…
Check in with Social Security before traveling outside the US
Mark Twain once advised people to “Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” Americans today have taken that advice to heart, and are visiting places around the globe, often for vacations and sometimes to relocate in another…
Stingy Congress finds funds for veterans’ health care
Congress has grown increasingly stingy with its spending, but the Senate didn’t hesitate this week to bust the budget by tacking on an extra $35 billion to pay for enhanced health treatment for veterans. It’s the latest sign that veterans,…
Time to bring back the public option — Medicare in all exchanges
Now that Republicans have all but given up the ghost of repealing the Affordable Care Act, we can begin to focus on improving the law, which is what the American people overwhelmingly want. Here’s a way to quickly bring more…
Embrace Your Mistakes
If you have an issue with Social Security, then fix it. The regressive taxes to fund retirement benefits top out at about $117,000 in 2014. Why not simply raise that to $250,000 next year and $500,000 during the next 20…
Retirees Are Back on the Job and Liking It, Survey Says
Retirement no longer signifies the end of working life. In fact, the majority of Americans will continue to work after they retire, often in new positions with fewer hours. It’s the modern-day golden years. According to a new retirement study…