Social Security
SSA can fast-track disability decisions for people with severe conditions
Rare Disease Day is an annual international campaign held on the last day of February to advocate for people living with one of approximately 6,000 rare diseases. The goal of Rare Disease Day is to improve access to diagnosis, treatment,…
A backlog on Social Security disability appeals
The Social Security Administration has made progress in reducing the backlog of disability appeals to a 30-year low of 262,000; however, the cases are claiming once again. As of January 2025, almost 300,000 Americans are still waiting for a decision…
A wave of new Social Security benefit claims
With the signing of the Social Security Fairness Act into law on January 5, 2025, the Social Security Administration has, “To date, we have processed approximately 30,000 of these new initial claims and, depending on their age and other factors…
Workers may not be financially prepared for the future
BlackRock, Inc., a multinational investment company, recently released statistics about how Americans plan for retirement. The statistics show that 33 percent of Americans have no retirement savings, and 69 percent have less than $150,000 saved. Caitlin Cahalan reports that American…
Social Security announces expedited retroactive payments and higher monthly benefits for millions
The Social Security Administration announced it is immediately beginning to pay retroactive benefits and will increase monthly benefit payments to people whose benefits have been affected by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO). These provisions reduced…
Not yet old enough for full Social Security
The full retirement age for Social Security was 65 for many years. In 1983, Congress passed a law to gradually raise the age because people are living longer and are generally healthier in older age. Since starting in 2011, we…
Social Security announces changes
Under the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), changes are being made at federal government agencies. The purpose of DOGE is to modernize federal technology and software to maximize government efficiency. One agency that has been “organizational realignment” is…
The benefits of eliminating these taxes vary by income level
Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY) reintroduced the Senior Citizens Tax Elimination Act, H.R. 1040. This bill assists seniors by exempting Social Security benefits from federal taxation. What will this bill mean to Social Security recipients? Kailey Hagen explains how and who…
One retirement mistake not to make
Social Security is a program designed to provide a safety net to older Americans. However, it is designed to replace roughly 40 percent of pre-retirement wages. How about the other 60 percent? If your employer has a 401(k), then you…
What to do if you owe taxes
Although Congress and President Trump have pushed to eliminate the federal taxes on Social Security benefits, the tax laws are still on the books. What happens if you owe taxes on your Social Security benefits and cannot pay? Kailey Hagen…