Social Security
Adjusting the Retirement Age: Extreme or Sensible? One viewpoint.
The debate over how best to address Social Security’s looming catastrophe is raging again. No surprise there, since it’s a presidential election year and that means pretty much any specific suggestion to address the problem acquires polar opposite viewpoints. A…
A Perspective on Social Security’s Customer Service
Much has been written over the past few months and years about public perspectives on the quality of Social Security’s customer service practices. Much of it has been negative, citing the painful wait times associated with the 800-number service, the…
Immigration Emerges in the Social Security Debate (Again)
In an analysis of GOP presidential candidate Trump’s recent remarks about Social Security’s looming financial crisis, The Motley Fool’s Sean Williams cited the candidate’s campaign position on the program as “flawed” and pointed out several fundamental points omitted from its…
Tax Policy and Social Security’s Future–Two Closely-Tied Topics
Earlier this month, the White House presented its Fact Sheet on the proposed budget, part of which focuses on the premise that the spending plan Makes Wealthy People Pay Their Fair Share. Since the issue of taxation typically emerges in…
SSA Moves to Soften the Impact of Overpayment Recovery
Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley, facing up to the Agency’s mounting public criticism on the procedures used to recover overpayments, recently made good on his vow to eliminate one of the “heavy-handed” practices previously used. Before O’Malley’s announcement, the Agency’s…
Ask Rusty – When Should We Claim Social Security?
Dear Rusty: I am almost 63 and my husband will be 61 soon, and we are looking to see when our best time would be to start our Social Security benefits. We would like to know if one of us…
New bill endorses CPI-E as a means to avoid steady loss of seniors’ purchasing power
At last week’s Aging Committee hearing on preserving and protecting Social Security, Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) summarized the newly-introduced Boosting Benefits and COLAs for Seniors Act as intending to “help seniors contend with rising costs by changing the way that Social…
Understanding Social Security Disability
Navigating the treacherous terrain of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) can be quite intimidating – unless, of course, you learn how the program works. While eligibility criteria are stringent, if you are truly disabled and have earned at least the…
Here’s Social Security’s Payment Schedule
Social Security sends out millions of benefit payments all month long and, obviously, payments to all beneficiaries are not made on the same day each month. Fact is, the Social Security Administration has a very specific schedule for who gets…
Bi-Partisan “Save Our Seniors” said to protect Social Security
A bi-partisan trio of U.S. Senators have collaborated to introduce the “Save Our Seniors Act,” intended to keep Social Security’s true financial status front and center in Congress. Companion legislation has also been introduced in the House of Representatives. Fact…