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The Connection Between Job Changes and Retirement Risk
Changing employment is relatively common these days, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics reporting that most people have held a dozen or more jobs during their time in the workforce. Gone are the days of a lifetime of employment at…
COLA Watch: 2026…Could a Government Shutdown Delay the Final Projection?
Every October, the analysts in the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reach prominence as they grind the numbers leading to the annual Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). Traditionally, the BLS supplies the data needed to finalize the COLA calculation in…
Government Shutdown and Social Security Payments
The absence of agreement on appropriations funding and the countdown to a government shutdown are causing some angst among the legions of Social Security beneficiaries. What will happen with the scheduled distribution of benefit payments is a logical question on…
Cautionary Remarks on the Elimination of Paper Checks
With the planned cessation of paper checks for an estimated 390,000 Social Security recipients on September 30, some sources are sounding the alarm. For example, Social Security Works president Nancy Altman yesterday published a statement describing the move as having…
More on the OBBBA “Bonus Deduction”
The “No Tax on Social Security” Promise President Trump’s campaign pledge to end the taxation of Social Security benefits met with a roadblock in the Senate, prohibiting changes to the structure of Social Security during a budget reconciliation process. Undaunted,…
Full Retirement Age In the News (Again)
Life expectancy has improved substantially since the inception of Social Security nearly a century ago. Consequently, retirement benefits need to be paid for much longer than originally intended. To borrow a phrase from Mercatus Center’s Charles P. Blahous in his…
Update on the “You Earned It, You Keep It” Initiative
As many seniors are aware, “You Earned It, You Keep It” legislation is alive and well in the 119th Congress. H.R. 2909 (sponsored by Rep. Angie Craig D-MN) and S. 2716 (sponsored by Sen. Reuben Gallego D-AZ) are currently winding…
Claim Social Security at age 62? Or 67?
Deciding when to claim your Social Security benefits is often a confusing choice, which tends to make many just claim as soon as they become eligible at age 62. But what do you forfeit by claiming at age 62, versus…
Government Shutdown? Medicare and Social Security Benefits to Continue Uninterrupted
With much partisan rhetoric, Washington, D.C. Democrats and Republicans seem to be headed for an impasse when it comes to keeping government daily operations funded after September 30th. Both sides seem to be locked into their respective legislative priorities, with…
Retirement planning isn’t just about the numbers!
Advice from financial experts seems to be quite plentiful on the internet, offering techniques to earnestly save so that you can retire in comfort. Such factors as “having ten times your salary,” and the so-called “4% rule” are two of…