Latest News
Congressional Budgeting Process Under Review
A bipartisan bill recently introduced in Congress would seek to improve Congress’s budget process while addressing the nation’s long-term fiscal challenges. The “Budgeting for a Better America Act (BBAA)” ( H.R. 9452 ) submitted by Representatives Steve Womack (R-AR), Ed…
An Early Look at Medicare Part B Premiums for 2027
Earlier this week, we offered a r etrospective on Social Security’s cost-of-living adjustment process (COLA), citing the varying projections that have hit the airwaves. As a companion to understanding what might lie ahead for beneficiaries in 2027, today we’re sharing…
Medicare Part D Subsidies Set to Expire at Year-End
Although the effect on out-of-pocket costs to enrollees is not yet announced, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced yesterday that the temporary Part D Premium Stabilization Demonstration program implemented in 2024 will sunset at the end of…
House, Senate Bills Call for Elimination of Retirement Earnings Test
Social Security’s “retirement earnings test,” long considered an impediment to retirement finance planning for many, is under scrutiny via bills introduced in the House of Representatives and the Senate. HR 8344 (Senior Citizens’ Freedom to Work Act of 2026) has…
Call Center Improvements Focused on Survivor Benefit Applications
National 800 Number call routing improvements and creation of “a dedicated queue of trained agents to take and adjudicate survivor claims” were highlighted in a recent Social Security Administration statement outlining efforts to better aid this segment of the public.…
An Interesting Perspective on the Projection of Social Security’s Trust Fund Depletion
Projections are just that…an estimate of what research has concluded will happen over a prescribed horizon. In the case of Social Security’s steadily eroding financial picture, the 2026 Trustees Report projects the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) trust fund will…
Working in Retirement: The Upsides and Downsides of Remaining in the Workforce
A growing number of Social Security beneficiaries are choosing to remain (or rejoin) the workforce after claiming their benefits. So, what are the pros and cons of that choice? The “Earnings Test” applicable to those who’ve claimed before their full…
One Viewpoint on “Fixing” Social Security
“Keep it simple” is an oft-used directive to address complex situations. Sometimes it works; sometimes it doesn’t. WealthManagement.com’s Kathryn Anne Edwards seems to think simplicity is the appropriate path to solving Social Security’s looming financial catastrophe, as hinted in her…
AMAC Delivers the Latest Social Security Updates Through Its Partnership with the SSA
(Editorial Note: This article previously appeared on AMAC Newsline) AMAC’s partnership with the Social Security Administration gives us access to the agency’s Monthly Information Package (MIP), a collection of articles that provides updates on Social Security programs, services, and resources.…
Retiring Next Year? Here are some pre-planning tips to set you up for success.
Retirement planning can be an intimidating process for many folks, involving Social Security benefit claiming, investment strategies, health care cost estimating, tax strategies, etc. In this segment of Morningstar’s Retirement Countdown series, Christine Benz focuses on the near term, outlining…