Social Security solvency
Experts Weigh in on the State of Social Security
Social Security is not going away. However, if no changes are made, the combined Old Age, Survivors, and Disability trust funds are projected to be depleted by 2035. This is expected to necessitate a 20 – 25% decrease in benefits.…
What Happened to the removal of federal taxes on Social Security benefits?
The budget plan now under consideration in Congress gives an increased tax deduction of $4000.00 to seniors, but does not remove taxes. Considering the current state of Social Security solvency, it would not be a financially sound decision to take…
The “Big, Beautiful Tax Bill” still needs some attention!
The House Ways & Means Committee has published it’s “one big beautiful bill” to provide government spending in the next fiscal year. And that bill does, in fact, have some very positive aspects, most notably extending the expiring 2017 tax…
The ongoing Saga of Social Security’s “Full Retirement Age”
Although, for many years, age 65 was considered to be the normal retirement age, for Social Security purposes that changed with legislative changes made in 1983. In that year, legislation was enacted which gradually raised the age at which full…
Is increasing Social Security’s full retirement age on the horizon?
Social Security’s full retirement age (FRA) is the point at which you get 100% of the monthly benefit you’ve earned from a lifetime of working. Right now, the FRA for anyone born in 1960 or later is age 67. And,…
2026 COLA: Good news and bad news
The Senior Citizens League (SCL), an advocacy group for seniors, regularly monitors the U.S. cost of living, with an eye towards what next year’s Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) might be for those collecting Social Security. And even though actual…
Social Security Under New Leadership
Financial services executive Frank Bisignano has taken over the helm as Commissioner of the Social Security Administration, replacing Acting Commissioner Lee Dudek. This appointment comes at a challenging time for Social Security, in the midst of several recent changes aimed…
How Taxes fit into Social Security’s Financial Future
Unless you were sleeping (or perhaps out of the country) since the last Presidential election, you’ve likely heard a lot about President Trump’s desire to change how income taxes are levied on Social Security benefits. Repealing taxes on Social Security…
Increase anxiety and concern about Social Security
A recent poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that 30 percent of individuals aged 60 and up said they were not confident about the availability of Social Security benefits. A similar poll conducted in 2023…
How Social Security fits into your retirement plans
This year, many federal employees will be retiring or will be facing downsizing. It is important for them, and other individuals, to reevaluate their retirement plans and understand how Social Security benefits fit into them. Tammy Flanagan, Retirement Counseling and…