Latest News
COLA Watch: Early Warning Signs for 2026
Even though the 2025 Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) isn’t through its first month, the pundits are sounding the alarm for 2026. Forecasts ranging from .06% to 2.1% are being floated based on what some believe to be a lengthy…
3-year Treasury/SSA Fraud Prevention Interaction Produces Results
In these days of trillion-dollar discussions involving Social Security’s long-term financing, it may not be that big a deal, but the recovery of millions of dollars of improper payments to deceased individuals is still worthy of note. Current projections are…
A Quick Review of Basics and the Common Mistakes Folks Make on Social Security
“Common Social Security mistakes and what you need to know” is the theme of a post on Fox2Detroit’s Wealth Wednesday segment. The post features an interview with the Retirement Education Foundation’s Michael Masserant discussing the importance of understanding all of Social…
The 2025 Veterans Benefits Guide is now available
Are you a veteran? First, thank you for your service. Second, have you obtained your copy of the “2025 VA Federal Benefits Guide for Veterans, Dependents, Survivors, and Caregivers?” The handbook contains a comprehensive listing of VA programs, including phone…
Resumption of Past-Due Student Debt May Impact Many Retirees
As if the continuing rise in the cost of living isn’t enough, nearly half a million Social Security beneficiaries carrying past-due student debt are facing the potential of “harsh consequences.” As explained in a money.com post by Pete Grieve, the…
Does Medicare Advantage have better access to extra services?
A study by researchers at Mass General Brigham found that despite Medicare Advantage plans offering enhanced dental, vision, and hearing services, Medicare Advantage beneficiaries did not outperform their traditional Medicare counterparts in utilizing these benefits. Todd Shryock asks whether Medicare…
Another Call for a “Bipartisan Commission” to Study Social Security Insolvency
Although it’s been discussed off and on for the past couple of years, no concrete steps have been taken to create a bipartisan commission to develop a solution to the fast-approaching cliff facing Social Security. Two New York Congressmen, Rep.…
Some Suggestions for Dealing with the Unknowns of Retirement Finances
Planning for the financial side of retirement can be a daunting task. After all, it’s kind of like the famous (infamous?) remarks uttered in 2002 by then-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, who said, “[A]s we know, there are known knowns;…
Illegal Immigrants and Social Security: A Quirky Situation
It’s kind of a reversal of the oft-repeated mythical allegation that illegal immigrants are receiving Social Security benefits. (This allegation, incidentally, conflates Supplemental Security Income, which is not Social Security and Social Security benefits, and is miscommunicated repeatedly in social…
How Medicaid home care programs support caregivers
Generally, Medicare does not cover home care (home and community-based services or HCBS). In 2022, Medicaid paid for two-thirds of home care spending in the United States. Medicaid supports family caregivers with various services such as training, support groups, and…