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Your Lifetime Social Security Taxes and Benefits
For both your own planning purposes and a better understanding of looming budget battles in Washington, check out a new report: “Social Security and Medicare Taxes and Benefits Over a Lifetime: 2013 Update.” Read more… Notice: The “Read more…”…
Four Reasonable Social Security Reforms
With budget negotiations due to end December 13, House Budget Committee Chair Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Senate Budget Committee Chair Patty Murray (D-WA) would be wise to turn their eyes to the single largest spending item in the budget: Social…
Employers hold the key to helping students with disabilities prepare for the future
Finding and keeping a job is hard enough, but for those with disabilities, it can be a huge challenge. In fact, the unemployment rate for Americans with disabilities is twice that of the general population. Each year, The U.S. Department of…
Is age 70 the new 65?
Due to increases in Social Security’s delayed-retirement credit, the real retirement age is now 70, according to a recent research paper from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. Social Security benefits in-crease by 8% per year for every year…
New Year’s Resolutions That Will Enrich Your Retirement
For many baby boomers looking to retire in the next few years, the biggest worry is not whether or not they can retire, but if they’ll outlive their savings. It’s a valid concern: One of every four people turning 65 today…
The Basics on Medicare
Healthcare can be a substantial expense in retirement, but you can reduce your costs by buying the right coverage. Although Medicare will help you with hospitalization costs and doctors’ visits, you’ll need supplemental coverage. You’ll also need to buy individual…
Social Security Fight Exposes Democratic Divide On Populism
American politics is having a populist moment, with voters angry and frustrated with all big institutions in American life. The backlash against big government found its expression on the right with the Tea Party. The tensions between that movement and the…
Why the Social Security Rollout Worked Better
The recent problems with rolling out the Affordable Care Act have led some to wonder why the advent of Social Security worked more smoothly. The data processing challenges associated with beginning the Social Security system were easily as great as…
Retirement savings: 3% is the new 4%
It’s all relative. How much retirees can safely withdraw from their retirement account each year is a mostly a function of current stock values and interest rates, which tend to predict near-term returns. And when stock market valuations are well…
Analysis: Dog of year in Congress whimpers to end
Barring uncharacteristically swift work by Congress, more than a million victims of the recession will lose long-term unemployment benefits over the holidays, the price of milk could shoot up in late winter and government payments might fall sharply for doctors…