Social Security
A Seemingly Positive Change with a Negative Outcome?
President Donald Trump has proposed eliminating taxes on Social Security income. It sounds like a great idea, but the consequences need to be considered. Those taxes are an important income for the Social Security Trust Fund. Congress is unlikely to…
Social Security’s Wasteful Spending To Be Evaluated
DOGE may be looking into Social Security next. It is not with intent to cut benefits, but for the purpose of discovering and correcting wasteful spending. This action will help the agency to function more efficiently. Andrews Mark Miller for…
Are You 65 Or Older and Need Medicare Part B? Sign Up Now Through March 31
(Source: SSA.gov) If you’re 65 or older and didn’t sign up for Medicare Part B during the automatic, initial or special enrollment periods, now’s your chance. You can sign up for Part B (medical insurance) during the annual Medicare General Enrollment…
SSA Under Pressure to Expedite HR 82 Implementation
In a display of bipartisan interest, a coalition of 28 Senator this week issued a letter to Social Security Acting Commissioner Michelle King expressing concern that “… it might take the agency more than a year to implement an expansion…
Income Tax on Social Security Benefits Getting New Attention in Congress
It’s still early in the 119th Congress, but there’s a flurry of new attention being placed on the nagging issue of taxing Social Security benefits. Yesterday, Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY) reintroduced Senior Citizens Tax Elimination Act (see washingtontimes.com post here) intended…
Social Security Seems to be Playing a Greater Role in Finances of the Newly-Retired
A recent survey by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) revealed that younger retirees–those who entered retirement at ages 62 and 63–depend on Social Security for about two-thirds of their income, compared to about half for retirees now in their…
The Importance of Verifying the Data SSA Has in Your Record
The Social Security Administration (SSA) maintains records of our work history, along with the earnings history and a record of the taxes you’ve paid for both retirement benefits and Medicare coverage. Using this information, SSA develops benefit data for you…
Suggestions for Reducing Social Security Spending
American Enterprise Institute senior fellow Mark J. Warshawsky, also a former Social Security Administration senior official, yesterday offered opinions on how and where President Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) should focus cost-saving efforts. His post, appearing on the…
Another Argument for Opting Out of Social Security
The issue of breaking away from Social Security in its present form is not new. It’s been discussed repeatedly through the years and is now resurfacing as the projected full depletion of the program’s financial reserves approaches. The arguments for…
LBJ and Social Security…Again.
It’s one of those myths (or misunderstandings) that won’t go away. We’ve seen it pop up repeatedly in the past, and it seems embedded in the rumor mill that fuels so many aspects of social media. Lyndon B. Johnson, our…