Latest News
Taxation of Social Security Benefits
It often comes as a surprise to newly-minted Social Security beneficiaries, but that monthly stipend can be subject to federal income tax. In a post on www.cincinnati.com, reporters Nathan Bachrach and Amy Wagner explain how this can occur and your options for…
An Upside to the 1.6% COLA Bump
There’s been quite a bit of negative commentary about the 2020 drop-off in COLA, much of it focused on the increase’s inability to keep up with the growth in costs seniors face. While that criticism is probably true and justified,…
UBI vs. Social Security Expansion–A Debatable Issue
Last night’s Democratic candidate debate pitted the Universal Basic Income (UBI) concept against the merits of expanding Social Security to facilitate retirement planning. The Verge’s Makena Kelly. in a post on their website, cited what appears to be growing interest in…
Questions About Aging Seem Generally Absent from Democratic Debates
If you’ve been following the series of debates held by Democratic presidential candidates, you probably noticed the absence of questions (and, more importantly, answers) about aging issues. And most specifically, about how the financial crisis facing Social Security should be…
Addressing The Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Its Impact on Affected Workers
Quite a bit has been written about “The Windfall Elimination Provision” (WEP) enacted decades ago in an effort to level the playing field concerning private- and public-sector employment pensions. In fact, the 116th Congress currently has two bills active to…
Retirement Savings–Avoiding Common Pitfalls
Saving for those retirement years is not a simple process, and there are several mistakes that are fairly easy to make. The consequences of missteps in the saving process can be severe, as explained in this fool.com post by Kailey Hagen.…
Millennials and Their Role in Saving Social Security…An Opinion
Citing “incredibly economically impactful things” that the population segment referred to as “millennials” will unleash in the years ahead, Bill Smead of Smead Capital Management suggests in a post on forextv.com that the Social Security funding problem will be corrected through…
Planning Your Financial Future, Decade by Decade
Just like saving for retirement, planning for a solid financial future is a daunting task. In a post today on www.cantonrep.com, an OSU Extension Family & Consumer Sciences Educator Melinda Hill takes a look at specific tasks younger folks need to consider as…
Looking Inside the “Gig Economy”…Some Things to Think About
It’s been estimated that by next year, about 40% of the U.S. workforce will be employed in the “gig” economy–a working arrangement where the worker is considered to be an independent, non-payrolled employee. While this offers benefits in the form…
The Reality of Living on Social Security
“Many people expect their living costs to drop dramatically once they retire, but many seniors don’t see all that substantial a decline.” This quote from The Motley Fool’s Maurie Backman puts into perspective the erroneous assumption many future retirees make when…