Social Security
Social Security: Once upon a time – and Today
Once upon a time, there was no real social security in the United States of America. Oh, there were a few early 19th century attempts at public programs to limit poverty, especially for the elderly. However, all of these early…
A push for a better COLA calculation…and a catch-up payment
Despite recent indications of a potential rise (slight) from the 2.5% COLA projections for next year, the concerns continue to surface about the inadequacy of the living cost adjustment. According to a post by Matt Durr on mlive.com, The Senior…
The downside of “fixes” for Social Security insolvency
It’s not going to be easy, and everybody knows this. After all, the can has been kicked for the past four decades, and the Board of Trustees noted that the kicking can only go another seven years before the cuts…
Focusing on the Insolvency Problem: A Look at One of the Fundamental Drivers
In this first part of a two-part study, American Enterprise Institute (AEI) senior fellow Andrew G. Biggs challenges one of the basic narratives associated with Social Security’s steadily eroding financial picture. Specifically, his article addresses the issue of wage indexing…
Dealing with inflation in retirement–COLAs are likely not the answer
The Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2025 was 2.5%, and it appears likely to be in that same range for 2026. Recent media accounts of CPI changes suggest a slight upswing, but that remains to be seen after the…
Can you improve retirement security through a Bridge Strategy?
Using a “bridge strategy” for retirement planning may sound complex, but it’s actually quite straightforward. In simple terms, the concept involves using other financial assets (such as savings or low-yield investments) to cover current living expenses and defer claiming Social…
Changes in data collection could affect 2026 COLA calculation
The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently eliminated three cities from the data sampling used to calculate its inflation numbers. Is this a big deal, and could it affect the calculation of Social Security’s cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2026 (and beyond)? According…
Paper checks slated to cease in a few months
The roughly half million Social Security beneficiaries still receiving paper checks will be required to convert to an alternative by September 30 to comply with President Trump’s Executive Order (EO) 14247. The Executive Order, titled “Modernizing Payments To and From…
A Lack of Social Knowledge Can Create a Big Problem!
What you don’t know can hurt you, especially when it comes to Social Security decisions. That’s a simple fact that we deal with routinely at the AMAC Foundation Social Security Advisory Service. For example, being unaware of the earnings test…
Dissecting the Social Security Earnings Test
The Social Security Earnings Test severely limits the ability of early retirees to earn income without having their benefits reduced. Because of this provision, many older Americans are forced out of the workplace when they would otherwise continue contributing to…