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Barney hasn’t lost his touch
There was a time when former Congressman Barney Frank said you couldn’t pay him enough for sitting on a panel with Karl Rove. As it turns out, he mused, “you can.” Frank is doing well on the speaking circuit but returned…
Is true retirement an outdated concept?
New research shows that investment savings and financial security, rather than age, now determine when near-retirees feel ready to retire. Despite improving economic conditions, Maritz Research’s recent Retirement Study marks $500,000 as the tipping point at which people feel comfortable to…
Chris Farrell: Economics Prof. Robert Fogel saw what’s wrong with our retirement system
Nobel laureate and University of Chicago Prof. Robert W. Fogel died last Tuesday at age 86. Fogel was a remarkable economic historian. In college I read excerpts from his two most famous and controversial books, “Time on the Cross’’ on…
Phoebe Venable: Saving for retirement takes effort, but it’s worth it
It’s no secret that the average American struggles to save adequate amounts for retirement. In 2010, the Federal Reserve did a survey on consumer finances and found that Americans between ages 55 and 64 have an average balance of $120,000…
Political Notebook: Lobbying for security without chains
Lizella resident Myrtle Habersham was in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday to express her opposition to President Barack Obama’s proposed Social Security benefit cut known as “chained CPI.”Habersham, an AARP Georgia Executive Council member, was joined by State Director Greg Tanner,…
In Spending Debate, Baby Boomer Issue Remains a Headache for Legislators
When Congress created Medicare in 1965 to handle the health care needs of the older population, less than 10 percent of Americans were old enough to collect Social Security and the new medical benefit. Since then, the share of Americans 65…
Is it Time to Say Goodbye to the Social Security Card?
At almost 80 years old, it may be time for Social Security cards to get a makeover. They’re flimsy, easily lost, and every American is supposed to have one. A Social Security card remains an essential form of identification in the U.S.,…
Senior Lookout: Social Security cuts will affect us all
Much has been made of the desire to keep Social Security benefits intact for current and soon-to-be retirees, but a new proposal involving changes to the way Social Security cost-of-living increases are calculated, would actually mean a loss to those…
The Deficit Is Still Bad News
To listen to much of the mainstream media recently, one would assume that the battle against the national debt has been won. First came a report from the Congressional Budget Office indicating that budget deficits over the next few years would…
Workers Older Than 60 Making More Than Younger Colleagues
People who are still working when they are near or past traditional retirement age are now earning significantly more per hour, on average, than workers who are in their prime working years, according to a new analysis of government data. That’s…