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Report: 2012 Grads Have Highest-Ever Student Debt
The Institute for College Access & Success, an independent nonprofit organization based in Oakland, California, recently released its eighth annular report on average student loan debt in the United States, and its findings are dire. College graduates who borrowed for…
Chained CPI Could Cut Social Security Benefits
“Chained CPI” is a phrase floating around the Social Security debate that is important to current and future Social Security beneficiaries. Chained CPI would change the way cost of living adjustments (COLA) for Social Security and other other government programs are…
Republicans not in sync with most people on some issues, poll shows
All the pushing by conservatives for cuts in so-called entitlement programs in order to reduce the federal deficit apparently lacks popular support — by a wide margin A national survey by the Pew Research Center showed a surprising — to me…
Upcoming AEI event: “More Social Security or better Social Security?”
The American Enterprise Institute presents More or better? Rethinking Social Security for the 21st century–Wednesday, January 15, 2014 | 12:30 – 2:00 p.m. Social Security reform is back in the news, but this time it’s about more than just fixing the program’s…
Conservatives, prepare for battle
As 2014 begins, it’s as good a time as any to do some national soul searching. Polls show that three out of four Americans say the nation is on the wrong track. Disapproval ratings of our president are lodged above 50…
The VA Industry
This column advocates one of the most unpopular stances in America: giving lawyers more money. But hear me out. Medicare, Medicaid, Unemployment, and Social Security all have provisions to pay legal fees for helping those owed benefits navigate the system…
How to catch up on retirement saving
If you’re age 50 or older, you can make extra “catch-up” contributions to certain types of tax-favored retirement accounts. Many people fail to capitalize on this opportunity because they don’t realize that making these extra contributions can make a significant…
Social Security Claims Rundown Through Infographic
Understanding one’s rights in the SSD application process is key, which is why SS Rights created an infographic to assist individuals in navigating the Social Security legal processes. Nearly 58 million Americans currently receive Social Security benefits. That tally, according to the infographic, comes out…
The Color of Money: Calculating the ‘replacement rate’
If you resolved to save more for your retirement in 2014, you may be happy to hear about some new research on estimating the income you’ll need. To have enough money for when you are no longer working, you have to…
December 2013 Update: Social Security Enrollment
Just a refresher to start off…the Social Security Program covers nearly 58M people with an average monthly benefit of $1184 per month based on my calculations. Of the 58M, 38M are retired workers, 9M are disabled workers, and the rest…