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Get ready, Santa is coming, so is the tax man
Ready for year-end tax planning? In between holiday parties and last-minute shopping, it’s worth making sure that you are minimizing your 2013 tax bill. It’s almost always wise to maximize your deductions, prune losers from your portfolio and fill your retirement…
Senators Stress Advisors’ Role in Retirement Planning
Investment advisors will play a critical role in helping the nearly 80 million baby boomers and future generations develop a sustainable plan for retirement, a pair of senators said on Wednesday. At a Capitol Hill luncheon hosted by the Insured Retirement…
A Small Victory: For Now, Hands Off Social Security
There was one small victory that progressives could claim from the otherwise troubling congressional budget deal that was announced Tuesday: Social Security and Medicare were left untouched. Credit goes to progressives who made calls, signed petitions and showed up at rallies…
The modest $85 billion US budget deal: highlights
he modest $85 billion U.S. budget deal reached in Congress on Tuesday gives both Democrats and Republicans something to brag about. Republicans can say they did not increase taxes and found additional ways to reduce the deficit. Democrats can say they found relief from forced…
Claims errors, long appeals still haunt disabled veterans
Mistakes and years-long appeals continue to haunt veterans seeking disability benefits even as the Department of Veterans Affairs achieves some success in reducing the backlog of initial claims, key senators warned a top agency official Wednesday. Allison Hickey, under secretary for benefits at…
Medicare beneficiaries have good access to doctors, study finds
As key congressional committees consider legislation to repeal Medicare’s physician payment formula, a new study shows that the program’s beneficiaries have generally good access to doctors.The report, prepared by the Kaiser Family Foundation, found that 96 percent of beneficiaries report having access to a doctor’s…
Start A New Tradition With Social Security
The holiday season has arrived—a time of year that is steeped in tradition. Different families may have different holiday traditions, but most have roots in a society or culture and thus are observed by many people. Essentially, tradition is all…
House And Senate Budget Negotiators Reach A Deal
Some say the agreement brokered by Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., will create breathing room to allow lawmakers to try to address major federal spending drivers, such as health care and entitlement programs like Medicare and…
Free Webinar for Social Security Disability Beneficiaries about “Working from Home” Opportunities – December 18
If you receive Social Security disability benefits and want to make more money by working at home, Social Security’s Ticket to Work (TTW) program can help. Register for this free Work Incentives Seminar Event onDecember 18, 2013 from 3 – 4:30 p.m. Eastern…
Five Steps to ‘Test Drive’ Your Retirement
What’s the best way to “test drive” a retirement before you leave the office? BUD HEBELER: Step 1 is to make a comprehensive plan that covers budget, insurance, taxes, investments, age to start Social Security, health care, activities, living accommodations, home maintenance,…