Social Security

Acting with a sense of urgency to avoid a first-ever federal debt default, the U.S. Senate late June 1 approved legislation to suspend the federal debt limit until 2025, clearing the measure for presidential signature, expected today. The Senate vote on the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (H.R.... READ MORE

There is pressure from state legislatures for action concerning the windfall elimination provision (WEP) and the government pension offset (GPO). Both are benefit formulas that reduce Social Security benefits for workers and their eligible family members if the worker receives (or is entitled to) a... READ MORE

Almost 70% of near-retirees either failed or barely passed MassMutual’s latest Social Security retirement benefits quiz. Over one-third failed (35%), and another one-third received a D (34%).   More than a quarter of near-retiree respondents did not know that if they have a spouse, the other spouse... READ MORE

Now is the time to act in order to avoid “draconian” cuts to Social Security benefits, warns a recently released issue brief.  And doing so, continues the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College in “Social Security’s Financial Outlook: The 2023 Update in Perspective,” would be a more... READ MORE

I’ve been honored with a lot of praise and congratulations over the past couple of months about my “retirement” (and not a little skepticism about my understanding of the term) — but in quiet moments, there’s been one question that keeps coming up. That question — and it generally arises once... READ MORE

Warnings that Social Security’s long-term solvency is questionable are not new. But how about a little good news? A recent analysis suggests that maybe all is not lost.  The glass is half full, argue Kathleen Romig, Director of Social Security and Disability Policy at the Center on Budget and... READ MORE

Apparently it’s never too early to start thinking about the cost-of-living adjustments for Social Security. While at this point such things seem to be highly speculative (to say the least), February inflation — as measured by the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (... READ MORE

Legislation that purports to expand Social Security benefits, shore up program funding, and increase taxes on the “wealthy” has been reintroduced in Congress. The Social Security Expansion Act was originally introduced last June in the Senate by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), along with Sens. Chris... READ MORE

Despite (or maybe because of) SECURE 2.0’s passage, 401(k)s face increasing attacks, with the latest salvo coming from an opinion piece published in Politico. Social Security is just one part of the retirement system, notes the piece, provocatively titled “Before Slashing Social Security, Cut 401(... READ MORE