Social Security
Understanding Cost-of-Living Adjustments
The annual Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) process is a component of the program generally understood by most current and future beneficiaries. The premise that COLA reflects inflation is part of this general understanding, of course, but the mechanics may…
The Psychology of Retirement…And Why So Many Don’t
In today’s economy, many folks looking ahead to retirement realize that finances may dictate a longer stint in the workforce. Perhaps the “nest egg” isn’t what it needs to be, or the work record doesn’t provide a substantial enough Social…
A Quick Primer (and a Forecast) About Social Security COLAs
We’re well into the first month of the measurement period for calculation of next year’s Social Security cost-of-living adjustment, and it seems like we’re reading about it every day. With the news cycles spending so much time on the issue,…
Zeroing in on Social Security Post-Election Possibilities
While the voting public awaits details on Presidential candidate Kamala Harris’s position on our troubled Social Security system, perspectives are beginning to develop. Yes, it’s only been a few days since the top of the Democrat ticket changed hands, but…
2025 COLA Watch–the Good and the Bad
The good news is that there’s likely to be a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for Social Security beneficiaries in January; the bad news is that it is expected to fall short of 2024’s 3.2% adjustment. But wait! That might not be…
Presidential Candidate Harris on Social Security…Probably No Change in Position
The change in Democrat Party’s 2024 presidential campaign ticket will probably not yield any change in position on Social Security’s future, according to a post today by Newsweek reporter Aliss Higham. Although Harris’s specific policy points have yet to be…
Analyzing the Republican National Party’s Social Security Position
As the dust settles from last week’s Republican National Convention, attention will of course turn toward the specific platform components the Trump Campaign will promote in the run-up to November. One of these components key to America’s seniors is the…
Adults are worried
Americans are worried. According to the latest Gallup poll, three-quarters of adults aged 65 and younger said they are concerned about Medicare, and 80 percent said they are worried about Social Security benefits. The poll also found the respondents “make…
Social Security special minimum benefit program
Social Security special minimum benefit program is a special minimum primary insurance amount (PIA) enacted in 1972 to provide adequate benefits to long-term low earners. For individuals with a long history of low earnings, the special minimum benefit could be…
Social Security’s Office of the Inspector General Releases Scam Report to Congress
(Source – blog/ssa/gov) Social Security’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) recently released its quarterly Scam Report to Congress. The report provides information about scam trends in the second quarter of Fiscal Year 2024 (January 1 — March 31, 2024).…