Social Security
2025 COLA Watch–the Good and the Bad
The good news is that there’s likely to be a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for Social Security beneficiaries in January; the bad news is that it is expected to fall short of 2024’s 3.2% adjustment. But wait! That might not be…
Presidential Candidate Harris on Social Security…Probably No Change in Position
The change in Democrat Party’s 2024 presidential campaign ticket will probably not yield any change in position on Social Security’s future, according to a post today by Newsweek reporter Aliss Higham. Although Harris’s specific policy points have yet to be…
Analyzing the Republican National Party’s Social Security Position
As the dust settles from last week’s Republican National Convention, attention will of course turn toward the specific platform components the Trump Campaign will promote in the run-up to November. One of these components key to America’s seniors is the…
Adults are worried
Americans are worried. According to the latest Gallup poll, three-quarters of adults aged 65 and younger said they are concerned about Medicare, and 80 percent said they are worried about Social Security benefits. The poll also found the respondents “make…
Social Security special minimum benefit program
Social Security special minimum benefit program is a special minimum primary insurance amount (PIA) enacted in 1972 to provide adequate benefits to long-term low earners. For individuals with a long history of low earnings, the special minimum benefit could be…
Social Security’s Office of the Inspector General Releases Scam Report to Congress
(Source – blog/ssa/gov) Social Security’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) recently released its quarterly Scam Report to Congress. The report provides information about scam trends in the second quarter of Fiscal Year 2024 (January 1 — March 31, 2024).…
Social Security benefits and alimony payments
Earlier this month, the Colorado Court of Appeals ruled that Social Security benefits counted as income in deciding alimony payments. So, what will this mean to other seniors? Suzanne Blake reports on how this ruling changes how the court can…
Proposed plan for new retirement system
The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania proposed a plan for the federal government to create “personal individual investment accounts” to replace the current retirement systems. According to the authors, “All contributions are made by the federal government without…
Women and retirement savings
At the end of 2022, the average monthly benefit check for a retired woman was $1,638 compared to $2020 for a retired man, according to a report from the Social Security Administration. Why? Women tend to earn less than men,…
Is delaying your benefits worth it?
You can begin your Social Security retirement benefits as early as age 62. However, if you start receiving benefits early, your benefits are reduced. But, if you delay taking your benefits from your full retirement age up to 70, your…