Social Security
Framing the Need for Pension and Social Security Reform
Although it does not provide details, this article posted at fundsforngos.org offers a framework for understanding the criticality of reform measures to sustain programs designed to ensure that retirees can maintain a basic standard of living after they have stopped…
Resumption of Past-Due Student Debt May Impact Many Retirees
As if the continuing rise in the cost of living isn’t enough, nearly half a million Social Security beneficiaries carrying past-due student debt are facing the potential of “harsh consequences.” As explained in a money.com post by Pete Grieve, the…
Some Suggestions for Dealing with the Unknowns of Retirement Finances
Planning for the financial side of retirement can be a daunting task. After all, it’s kind of like the famous (infamous?) remarks uttered in 2002 by then-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, who said, “[A]s we know, there are known knowns;…
Examining the Retirement Earnings Test
Social Security regulations stipulate that upon beginning retirement, spousal, or survivor benefits, beneficiaries are considered “retired” and expected to leave the workforce. Current regulations allow for continued earning from employment for those who claim benefits before their full retirement age…
Boosting Your Monthly Social Security Benefit Payment
Getting the highest benefit payment you’re entitled to is a legitimate goal for seniors in their retirement financial planning, but how do you do that? Well, one of the most obvious steps is to defer claiming benefits as long as…
Inadequacy of COLA in the News Again
January Social Security benefits are underway at this point and, once again, observations of the COLA calculation process and its inadequacy to preserve purchasing power for seniors are surfacing. For example, a post this weekend by The Motley Fool’s Keith…
WEP-GPO Repeal Update: The Pressure is on for Timely Implementation
While the argument continues to rage following last week’s official signing of the Social Security Fairness Act into law, the House Ways and Means Committee has called for immediate relief for those affected by the repeal. Ways and Means Committee…
Arguments For and Against WEP-GPO Repeal Continuing to Surface
As noted in today’s headline post on this site, President Biden’s January 5 signing of the “Social Security Fairness Act” of 2023 into law continues to churn the media airwaves in its aftermath. Here are some examples of what’s surfacing:…
Breaking News: Social Security & Medicare aren’t Going Bankrupt!!
In the true sense of the word, neither Social Security nor Medicare is in any danger of going “bankrupt.” However, that doesn’t mean that both programs are not having financial difficulties. Indeed they are, but the worst case scenario is…
A Logistics Nightmare: Implementing the Social Security Fairness Act.
Celebrated by all those affected by the elimination Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO), what’s not talked about is the logistics of implementing this new legislation known as the Social Security Fairness Act. Fact is, bills…