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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…
Understanding the need for full employment
The Social Security Trust Fund report has been released. One of its more telling charts was of the trend in Social Security revenue. Social Security revenue comes from a tax on the wages of earners, paid by both employees and…
Obama loses key support for cutting Social Security, Medicare in “Grand Bargain”
A Quick Hits post on benefit cuts: I alluded to this news earlier, but wanted to bring it to you directly. President Obama may have just lost his battle to cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid benefits as part of…
Four Ways The Federal Government Is Needlessly Putting Your Identity At Risk
The headline is not hyperbolic (although I truly wish it were.) Every day two branches of the U.S. government—the executive and the legislative—are needlessly putting our identities and financial lives at risk. How? By mismanaging the way they handle our Social Security…
Retirement savings: Why $1M may not be enough
One million dollars in retirement savings sounds like a lot, but financial experts warn that even a seven-figure nest egg may not be enough for the average couple. So how much is enough — and how can you get it? For bare-minimum saving,…