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Eyeing disability backlog, GOP rep. pushes VA accountability
Citing a backlog of disability claims that leaves many disabled veterans waiting months to receive their benefits, Rep. Jackie Walorski, R-Ind., slammed the Department of Veterans Affairs for mismanagement Saturday, saying the VA has “become the epitome of bureaucracy run…
An Aid Program Too Often Neglected
When Telma Lopez could earn a modest living cleaning houses, she got along without food stamps. But now that she’s 64, suffers from chronic back pain and relies on Social Security disability benefits, “everything is too much money at the…
Disability monitoring websites show autism prevalence in children
Among the Autism and Developmental Disabilities monitoring sites, the overall prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder is one in every 68 8-year-old children for 2010. Overall ASD prevalence varied among sites from 5.7 to 21.9 per 1,000 children aged 8 years.21.9…
Think Your Retirement Health Care Costs Will Be Under Six Figures? Think Again
My grandmother always told me that if you have your health, you have everything. She was right. In fact, if you do have your health, you’ll have a better chance of being wealthy in retirement. According to a new study by…
The Mary Poppins Tax
When you employ someone to work in your home, such as a nanny or a housekeeper, you are required to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes on their wages. What I call the Mary Poppins Tax. If you hired the worker and pay…
For Retirement Income, Ditch The Stock Market And Rat Race
Stock market investing and retirement seem to go hand-in-hand. Planning logic suggests working for 20-30 years, saving and investing throughout that time while also paying into Social Security… and then drawing down those assets over your final 20-30 years. On paper it…
When Your Employer’s Group Disability Policy Might Not Cut It
Once you sign up for your company’s group disability insurance, you may be tempted to cross it off your to-do list and forget about it. However, there are cases where having a group policy may not be enough. Getting a supplemental policy to…
House, Senate leaders agree on Medicare fees
House Speaker John Boehner said Wednesday that he and top Senate Democrat Harry Reid have reached agreement on legislation to forestall a looming 24 percent cut in Medicare payments to doctors. Boehner, R-Ohio, said the legislation would fix the problem for…
Retirement savers: Remember the taxes
Two things happened recently that made me think about taxes and retirement saving. First, my husband and I prepared our taxes and for the first time had to take money out of a tax-deferred plan and pay taxes on those…
Last Minute Small Business Tax Tips for Procrastinators
Tax returns are due in less than three weeks. Are you procrastinating? Small business owners and self-employed individuals and who wait until the last minute are prone to dumb mistakes: forgetting to sign a return, goofing up on the math, or…