Latest News
Justice Department Urges Shift Away From Sheltered Workshops
In a first-of-its-kind settlement, the U.S. Department of Justice says a state has committed to overhaul its system of sheltered workshops and day programs for people with developmental disabilities. The agreement announced Tuesday with the state of Rhode Island comes after…
10 Numbers Everyone Should Know About Social Security
If you want to maximize your Social Security payments, you need to familiarize yourself with the rules. The taxes you pay and the age you sign up for benefits play a big role in how much you will receive in retirement.…
The changing social safety net, in charts
My column today looks at how the social safety net has changed over time. Most of the numbers are based on research by Robert A. Moffitt, an economics professor at Johns Hopkins University who has studied the social safety net in the years before, during and…
Medicare for Railroad Families
The Railroad Retirement Board issued the following news release: The Federal Medicare program provides hospital and medical insurance protection for railroad retirement annuitants and their families, just as it does for social security beneficiaries. Medicare has the following parts: Read more… Notice:…
4 Top Ways to Avoid Tax Pain at Retirement
Retirement costs money — an enormous, mind-boggling amount of money. Here’s a thought exercise for some context. Imagine you are one of the lucky few college graduates that rolls out of the diploma mill and into a well-paying job, and at age…
Toomey, Casey back sweeping overhaul of VA to further reduce disability backlog
A coalition of senators and congressmen is preparing for a possible larger overhaul of the Department of Veterans Affairs, saying a 44 percent cut the agency reported making to reduce the backlog of first-time and supplemental disability claims by former…
Shocking Facts About the Financial Security of Americans
Our nation’s Social Security system is said to be woefully under-financed, but if you think Americans are any better off with their private savings, think again. Forty percent of individuals in the U.S. said they could not or probably could not…
Changing Your Name After Marriage Could Risk Your Credit
Have you gotten married? Congratulations! Now, it’s time to check your credit report. Credit bureaus get their information about you from two places: The Social Security Administration, which verifies your identity, and from your creditors, who report your activity. Read more… …
SSA Could Take Steps to Improve Its Assessment of Continued Eligibility
Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Energy Policy, Health Care, and Entitlements, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, House of Representatives Read more… Notice: The “Read more…” link provided above connects readers to the full text of the posted article.…
Government says 2015 Medicare payments to rise
The U.S. government on Monday said that final payments to private health insurers for 2015 private Medicare Advantage plans would rise 0.4 percent compared with a proposed cut it said would have been about 1.9 percent. The final rate announcement comes…