Social Security Report

Changes to Social Security’s operating processes are coming soon

Russ Gloor — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 14:19:55 GMT

In somewhat of an “under the radar” internal announcement, the Social Security is updating its operating procedures to improve processing times and balance staff workload. This, to adjust to the agency’s new reality - a loss of about 7,000 employees last year - at the same time that workload levels have increased. These changes at SSA are expected to start on March 7, 2026, with the roll out of a new National Appointment Scheduling Center (NASC) which, among other features, will allow callers to self-schedule their own appointments, and also a new National Workload Management (NWLM) process to facilitate optimizing workload among SSA staff.

Of course, change of any kind always finds both advocates and detractors, and this change is no different. To learn all about the upcoming changes to SSA operating processes, and to learn how those changes are being received by SSA employees, check out this article by Jory Heckman at the Federal News Network.

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The Social Security Conundrum

Russ Gloor — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 13:47:44 GMT

It should be no secret to anyone who stays abreast of the news these days, Social Security - the nation’s primary program to avoid poverty in our senior years - will soon be facing a financial crisis! According to the Trustees of Social Security, incoming revenue is (and has been for a few years) insufficient to pay all benefit obligations. As a result, reserves held in Social Security’s Trust Funds are being used to pay full benefits to all beneficiaries. But here is the problem:

The financial reserves held in the SS Trust Funds (about $2.7 trillion as of the end of 2024), are being depleted at a rapidly increasing rate, which will result in those reserves being fully depleted in about seven years (2033). And if that happens, everyone’s Social Security benefit will be cut by about 23%. And that is not a comforting outlook, because it would throw nearly 22 million more people into poverty. But that doesn’t need to happen.

What’s needed is for Congress (and the Executive Branch) to develop a reform program to restore Social Security to financial solvency. Fact is, Congress has known about this issue for decades, but has, unfortunately, neglected to act. Which puts us where we are today - against a proverbial wall facing a Social Security benefit cut in just a few years! It’s time for Congress to get serious about reforming the Social Security program, as this 247wallst.com article by Douglas McIntyre explains. There are numerous suggestions on what reform should look like, as mentioned in the article. And the Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC) - a large senior advocacy organization - has offered a common sense solution as well.

As an example of leading thinking on reforming Social Security, the Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC, Inc.) believes Social Security must be preserved and modernized to serve future generations. AMAC’s position is that this can be achieved without payroll tax increases through relatively minor program modifications, including changes to the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) process and modifications to the formulas for calculating initial benefits for higher-income beneficiaries. Changes to the age for maximizing benefits are included in AMAC’s position, along with (1) an increase in the thresholds where benefits are subject to income tax; (2) indexing of these thresholds annually to account for inflation; (3) changing the taxable maximum formula to address the unintended loss of revenue; (4) improving survivor benefits, (5) eliminating the reduction in benefits for those choosing to work before full retirement age; and (6) improving savings tools for future retirees, including a savings account that builds estate value. AMAC is resolute in its mission that Social Security be preserved for current and successive generations and has gotten the attention of lawmakers in D.C., meeting with many congressional offices and staff over the past decade. See AMAC’s proposal for Social Security reform here.

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Social Security sponsoring annual “Slam the Scam” day event

Russ Gloor — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 11:52:32 GMT

March 5, 2026 is an important date for those of us who worry about our Social Security benefits being stolen by scammers and other nefarious individuals. Fact is, those seeking to defraud senior Americans are rapidly proliferating and developing more sophisticated ways to try to gain access to your money. It seems we are bombarded just about every day with deceptive calls, texts, emails, social media messages, and even physical mail - all designed to steal our money or personal information. And that is precisely why the Social Security Administration (SSA) and its Office of the Inspector General (OIG) remain committed to fighting back through education, outreach, and national awareness efforts by sponsoring the annual “Slam the Scam.”

In this press release from Social Security’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG), you will learn the “four P’s” of how to spot a scam, and find out what to do it you suspect one. And, as this SSA press release counsels - the SSA will never threaten, scare, or pressure you into immediate action. So if someone is doing any of those things, it is almost certainly a scam! Click here to recognize the signs and “slam the scam!”

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What is the Social Security Administration?

Russ Gloor — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 15:15:00 GMT

That’s not meant as a trite question - the Social Security Administration (SSA) actually does much more than you may think! The SSA handles monthly payments to well over 53 million retirees, spouses, and survivors. But did you know that it is also responsible for payments to about 12 million disabled or needy Americans through its SS Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs? The agency seamlessly processes monthly payments to all eligible beneficiaries, while simultaneously fielding a plethora of daily questions from both new and older recipients, and processing about 10,000 new benefit applications every day, adjudicating appeals, and processing a multitude of other benefit-related tasks. All while operating with a quite streamlined staff and relatively low operating expense. FYI, SSA operating expenses are less than 1% of its income - a goal which most commercial companies might strive but could only hope for. Want to know more about your Social Security Administration, and what it does, including a bit of history about the SSA’s origins? Then click here to read this article by Debbie Carlson at Britannica Money.

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Working while on SS Disability

Russ Gloor — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 13:55:51 GMT

About 12 million American’s rely on Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits to sustain them during their period of disability. Those SSDI benefits are typically small, but did you know that it is possible to supplement your SSDI benefits by working? Of course, your work would normally be part time and limited due to you disability, but working while on SS disability is something that many seek.

To assist with that topic, the Social Security Administration publishes its “Red Book,” which serves as a reference source for employment-related provisions of the SSDI and the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs for educators, advocates, rehabilitation professionals, and counselors who serve people with disabilities. To learn all you need to know about working while collecting SSDI (or SSI) benefits, access this SSA link, which provides a link to the Red Book, and also provides important updates for 2026.

Social Security is a complex topic. If you’re unsure about how these basics apply to you, or if you have any questions about your individual situation under Social Security or enrollment in Medicare, note that the AMAC Foundation provides a free-to-the-public advisory service to help Americans navigate the complexities of these programs. All questions are answered quickly, at no charge. Learn more about it here…

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Working More Can Mean a Higher SS Benefit

Russ Gloor — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 13:38:48 GMT

As most know, it is possible to claim Social Security retirement benefits as early as age 62. But did you know that doing so will mean your monthly benefit will be as much as 30% less? When to claim SS is always something that should be carefully evaluated, and you might find that working even just one more year could have a significant influence on your lifetime Social Security benefits. This Motley Fool article by Kailey Hagen offers several reasons why working even one additional year can make a difference in your lifetime Social Security benefits. Choose carefully when to claim SS!

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SSA Milestone: Over 100 million online accounts

Russ Gloor — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 13:18:45 GMT

In this inexorably digital world, the Social Security Administration has, for years, been encouraging current and future beneficiaries to use SSA’s online portal for accessing information and completing transactions. Online access does, indeed, provide a faster and more convenient way to do business with the SSA from the comfort of your living room recliner. In fact, most SSA agents now advise those who call that they can achieve what they need by accessing their personal SSA account. That personal online account is known as their “my Social Security“ account, and it can be established at www.ssa.gov/myaccount.

We’ve all heard horror stories of seemingly endless wait times to contact the SSA by phone. But with an online “my Social Security“ account, that wait time can be eliminated for most transactions, including applying for your Social Security benefits (among others). So why sit “on hold” waiting for a live SSA person to answer your call when you can accomplish what you need by yourself? All through your online account, as described in this Press Release by the Social Security Administration, wherein they announce that over 100,000 Americans now transact business with the SSA via their online account.

Of course, sometimes it may be necessary to actually speak to a live person at SSA, and that can be best arraigned by calling SSA at 1.800.772.1213 to request an appointment (usually a phone call from an SSA agent). But if you are at least somewhat computer savvy, you may find that you can get the information you need from SSA and accomplish your transaction at your online account. Click here to read SSA’s post about reaching that 100 million online SSA accounts milestone.

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The Social Security Full Retirement Age - U.S., compared to other countries.

Russ Gloor — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 15:47:39 GMT

In this time of uncertainty about the financial stability of our U.S. Social Security program - especially its ability to meet its long term financial obligations - included in the various reform proposals is the concept of raising the U.S. Full Retirement Age (FRA). FRA is the age at which a beneficiary can get 100% of the Social Security benefit they’ve earned.

In the U.S., anyone born in 1960 or later has a Social Security FRA of age 67, although options exist to claim a reduced benefit as early as age 62 and a higher than FRA benefit up to age 70. Obviously, the are many who support raising the FRA to help save the program from financial crisis, but there are also others who wholeheartedly oppose that thought (and that includes many in Congress). So, it might be helpful, in this ongoing debate, to know what other countries are doing, or have done, with respect to their Social Security full retirement age. And this Kiplinger article by Charlotte Gorbold does just that, revealing that many non-U.S. countries have already increased their FRA, and others are already considering it. And, by the way, in terms of features, risks, and shortcomings, the U.S. Social Security program rates only a C+ compared to other nations with similar programs. Click here to read more.

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“Retirement Readiness” (per Suze Orman)

Russ Gloor — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 14:27:42 GMT

Suze Orman is a quite well known financial advisor regularly featured on many TV stations, and she’s been doing that for a lot of years. Thus, she is well respected and influential when it comes to planning for your financial future. But, as described in this Money magazine article by Marc Guberti, Suze’s retirement strategy seems to have changed a bit over the years. For most of the years in her early career, Suze was a big advocate to wait until age 70 to claim Social Security, if needed working until that age to achieve your maximum possible SS benefit. Now it seems that her mantra is more mellow - that it’s okay to retire from work sooner if you can. There are other ways to maximize your Social Security benefit while still maintaining your “retirement readiness.” Above all, it’s important that, whatever your strategy that you achieve “peace of mind” - that money isn’t the only factor. Rather being comfortable in your retirement is of the utmost importance. Click here to read the Money magazine article.

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Social Security’s Financial Outlook

Russ Gloor — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 14:00:57 GMT

There is a lot of talk these days about the financial outlook of the Social Security program, because the Trustees of that program suggest that the reserves which now supplement everyone’s monthly SS benefit are likely to run dry in about 2033 or 2034. That’s a pretty disheartening outlook, but it’s not one which Congress hasn’t been aware of for a long time. In fact, the Trustees of Social Security have warned Congress for decades that unless the SS program is reformed soon, everyone could see a cut of about 23% to 25% in their monthly SS check starting in about 2033 or 2034. You would think, then, that Congress would be looking for ways to avoid Social Security’s financial dilemma.

It seems, however, that the opposite is true. Last year, a 2024 proposal to eliminate the provisions known as the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO) (H.R. 82) was signed by President Biden in January 2025, shortly before his administration ended. This bill cut into Social Security’s finances by about $200 billion over the next decade. Then in 2025, the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill” (OBBB) was signed into law by President Trump to (among other things) offset income tax on Social Security benefits. And that slated another $169 billion to come from Social Security’s coffers over the next 10 years. Hardly a serious effort by Congress to reform Social Security to restore it to solvency! This Yahoo! Finance article by Motley Fool’s Sean Williams primarily laments the OBBB, but neglects the impact of H.R. 82, both of which harm Social Security’s long term financial outlook.

At the end, the article correct reveals that Social Security’s financial woes are a lot more complex than either of the two bills discussed above. Rather, several factors have converged to make SS insolvency become a critical issue, not the least of which is what Mr. Williams describes as “income inequality” - that too much earned income is exempt from Social Security payroll tax. Click here to read the Yahoo! Finance article about Social Security solvency.

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