Social Security
Social Security’s Diminishing Ability to Keep Pace
With national health care spending growing at an average rate of 5.5% for the next decade, it’s easy to see why the recent trend in Social Security’s cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs)–1.1% average for the past five years–is cause for concern among the System’s…
Planning on Working in Retirement? What if You Can’t?
The statistics are impressive: 79% of future retirees expecting to hold a job in their retirement years, for example. For some, working fills a social need; for others it fills an economic need. And for still others, having this as…
Social Security’s Basic 2018 Changes Recapped
In a post on www.financial-planning.com, columnists Kimberly Foss and Amanda Schiavo examine five of the basic changes implemented in Social Security for 2018. The changes range from the COLA adjustment to the changes in earnings limits and maximum benefit payouts, and include the changes…
Student Loans and Social Security: New Legislation Introduced
Www.plansponsor.com’s Rebecca Moore takes a look at H.R. 1937: Student Security Act of 2017, introduced last year with an objective of providing “loan forgiveness to borrowers of Federal student loans who agree to delay eligibility to collect Social Security benefits, and…
The “Retirement Savings Crisis”–And What to do About It
It seems like just about everyday there’s a new account of how far behind the savings curve those approaching retirement are. Some news accounts label this more serious than our country’s health care crisis, while others refer to it as “a…
More on the Issue of Social Security Shortchanging Widows and Widowers
It’s been a pretty hot item in the media for the past several weeks, ever since the Office of the Inspector General issued its audit report titled “Higher Benefits for Dually Entitled Widow(er)s Had They Delayed Applying for Retirement Benefits.”…
Making the “Big Decision” on Your Social Security
You’re probably well aware that you can file for Social Security benefits as early as age 62, or as late as age 70. There are pros and cons on each of these goal posts, and quite a bit has been…
More on Fixing Social Security’s Solvency Problem
In a post on www.Madison.com, The Motley Fool’s Sean Williams offers another recap of Social Security’s oft-reported long-term solvency problem. Along with his synopsis, Williams hearkens back to a similar–albeit not as dire–situation in the 1980s, and illustrates how a…
The “Slippery Slope” of Means Testing Social Security
Morningstar.com’s Christine Benz and regular contributor Mark Miller discuss a series of common questions about Social Security in this transcript posted today on their website. The points addressed range from investment strategies to the age old question of “When to file,”…
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act: A Look Under the Covers
Fox Business reporter Casey Dowd, in a post today on www.foxbusiness.com, examines the short- and long-term implications of the recently-implemented “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act,” explaining that there will likely be an uneven impact on seniors going forward. While some may benefit…