Social Security
Social Security’s scary unfunded liability
Laurence Kotlikoff, writing an op-ed in The Hill, laments that no one is addressing Social Security’s $43 trillion unfunded liability, up $9 trillion from last year. Buried at the end of the April 2019 Trustees report, he calls it “the most…
Social Security reform – where’s the urgency?
This Pension & Benefits article by Brian Croce laments that little has been done to reform a Social Security program clearly headed for partial insolvency. Former Rep. Sam Johnson (R-TX) proposed a bill in the last session to match benefit payments to revenue…
Americans are saving more. Is it enough?
Social Security is but one pillar to a strong, secure retirement. But, it will replace only about 40% of pre-retirement income. From where will the rest come needed for one to be secure? The good news is overall retirement plan balances…
Three factors that determine your Social Security benefit
How much will I get in Social Security? It’s a question every American will ask at some point as they approach retirement age. The answers are simple, even if the calculations cannot exactly be done in one’s head. The first…
A Simple Fix for Social Security? Hardly.
The problems and many of the proposed solutions to what ails Social Security have been known for years. In short, a demographic crisis of people living much longer coupled with smaller family sizes *hence fewer workers contributing) means Social Security…
Ask Rusty – What Social Security Benefit Will My Wife Get If I Die?
Dear Rusty: I am 69 and have been holding off on collecting my Social Security payment until I’m 70 on the assumption that my wife would collect my benefit if I died first. My thought was that she would collect…
A politically unpopular tax hike could give Social Security another 75 years
In this piece Sean Williams describes a solution noted in the April 2019 Trustees’ report that would instantly resolve Social Security’s $13.9 trillion cash shortfall over the next 75 years. Contained within every trustees report is a figure known as the “actuarial deficit” …
Full retirement age not known to many people
New data from Nationwide notes a serious knowledge gap among older Americans nearing retirement, as just 24% of older adults can identify their full retirement age (FRA) for Social Security purposes. Absent this key piece of information, Americans risk filing at the wrong time and…
Social Security and people’s retirements are indeed in trouble
Yes Social Security is in trouble. That is actually not news, as the Trustees reported yet again in April 2019 what has been known for many years. Without changes soon, the program will only be able to pay out about…
Did Congress steal Social Security money? NO!
One of the most pervasive myths pertaining to Social Security is that Congress stole program funds for wars, social welfare spending, or a host of other programs. With a simple, common sense explanation, and by using easily understood analogies, Sean Williams of…