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Same-sex couples looking for clarity in wake of DOMA ruling
After 33 years together, Mary Thoreson and Wendy Pologe aren’t certain how much they have spent on legal fees to ensure they and their son have some of the rights traditional families take for granted — but they know the…
Nation’s former top accountant eyes US debt warily
David Walker, who for a decade ran the Government Accountability Office, the watchdog group charged with overseeing how the government spends taxpayer money, is as adamant as ever that Washington is out of touch and out of control with the…
U.S. Rep. Brad Sherman to Host Town Hall Meeting Sunday
Congressman Brad Sherman will host a Town Hall meeting from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on Sunday. The Congressman will discuss the economy, jobs, Social Security, Medicare, the budget, the deficit, immigration, the Middle East, as well as many other issues facing Congress…
Unmarried Individuals Living Alone Depend On Social Security
Unmarried individuals living alone, both women and men, more likely are reliant on Social Security to keep them out of poverty than those who live with families, a study found. Since the majority of older women are single, while the…
Editorial: House should back immigration reform
The voices of SOUND ECONOMICS and reason are making good use of the August congressional recess by pressing the case for comprehensive immigration reform. The legislation passed by the Senate in June would bolster Social Security, cut the federal deficit,…
Burr would not support government shutdown
Senator Richard Burr said he would not support a federal government shutdown to stop President Obama’s health care law. Burr, a Winston-Salem Republican, said those supporting this move are not addressing the fact the Affordable Care Act is the law. “That’s…
Republicans in Echo Before Big Burn Defy Affordable Health Care
Obamacare is the culmination of an effort that began with Roosevelt’s administration a century ago to provide a form of government health insurance for the poor. And in each phase, presidents — Republican and Democratic, alike — had to overcome…
Social Security hurdles for government workers
Deciding on a claiming strategy to maximize Social Security retirement benefits is complicated for all workers — but for government workers, it can be a source of frustration. Many state and local government workers, and some older Federal civil service workers,…
Business can help avoid retirement crisis
Hard-working Americans hold a vision of retirement based on financial security with a comfortable seat in a comfortable home on a sturdy three-legged financial stool. Today that sturdy three-legged stool, made up of Social Security, employer pensions and private savings,…
Your COLA for 2014: Higher or Lower than in 2013?
The cost-of-living adjustment in government benefits, including Social Security and federal retiree COLA payments, for 2014 is more than likely to be 1.5 percent. That figure is based on a recent estimate from the Congressional Budget Office. The COLA for…