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Doing nothing on Social Security isn’t responsible
Sen. Mark Pryor released an ad last week criticizing his opponent, Rep. Tom Cotton, for a number of votes related to Social Security and Medicare, including raising the eligibility age to 70 starting in 2024. The ad says Pryor instead…
The Elusive Retirement Finish Line
In any good-sized group of those who are still working, if you ask people when they will retire, a number likely will respond “a couple of years after I had hoped” and a few will say “probably never.” That’s in part…
Under Obama: Disability Trust Fund Runs Record 5 Straight Yrs of Deficits
In the fourteen fiscal years that preceded President Barack Obama’s inauguration in 2009, the tax receipts coming into the federal government’s Disability Insurance Trust Fund exceeded the benefits paid out, and the trust fund ran a surplus. Read more… …
No, Social Security does not increase the deficit!
The American people love Social Security, and with good reason. It protects seniors and the disabled from poverty, and it is the most important life and disability safeguard available to the nation’s 75 million children. The program is a bargain:…
Poll: Most Unaware of Proposals to Reduce Social Security Benefits
While a majority of Americans strongly support increasing Social Security, most were unaware of proposals from Republicans and the Obama Administration to reduce these benefits, according to recent Public Policy Polling (PPP) data. Polling five House districts and five states to…
Which to choose, Medigap or Medicare Advantage?
Q. I’m turning 65 soon and going on Medicare. Which do you recommend, Medigap or Medicare Advantage? A. This is probably the top question that comes to my mailbox. Unfortunately, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. As a community service, I’m providing this chart…
Medicare costs may keep declining, reports say
Innovations adopted and accelerated by the 2010 Affordable Care Act will continue to force down overall Medicare costs, according to industry analysts and studies, even as the economy continues to improve. Those changes include new payment plans, improved efficiency and a…
Is 70 the ‘right’ retirement age?
I keep thinking about this notion that 70 is the “real” Social Security retirement age. It is the age at which people get maximum monthly benefits, and if they work beyond this age they see their lifetime benefits decline. But…
Is Retirement at 80 the New Norm?
Except for public union workers with pensions that ultimately will not be met, retirement age for most keeps inching up. People need to work longer or go back to work after a few years of retirement because they have insufficient savings.…
Military May Get Pay Cut, Fewer Benefits
“Selfie” may be word of the year, but if the decision were based on impact, “sequester” might have been a better choice. After all, it’s the ongoing sequester that will cut another $52 billion from the Pentagon’s budget come January,…