Nation May 16 Will the rich always get richer? Our regular Social Security columnist takes issue with French economist Thomas Piketty's inequality theory. Income inequality is real, he thinks, but it doesn't stem from the rich accumulating and hoarding ever more private wealth.
Nation May 12 How the Social Security system rips off poor people Social Security benefits are calculated in a highly progressive manner, but the system is plagued with catch-22s that disadvantage poor recipients. Larry Kotlikoff explains which benefit strategy will help a financially strapped retiree maximize her income.
Nation May 05 10 ways the class of 2014 can beat the economic odds It's a tough economy out there, particularly for college seniors about to graduate. Economist Larry Kotlikoff tells it like it is, arming graduates with a philosophy that will make their financial futures more secure.
Nation Apr 28 How to maximize Social Security benefits if Congress targets file-and-suspend strategy Addressing threats that President Obama's budget could eliminate a Social Security claiming strategy that high-income households often use to maximize benefits, Larry Kotlikoff tells one couple what their options are if the law changes.
Nation Apr 21 Calling out Social Security for its awful inequities Social Security's arcane provisions don't just disadvantage recipients who can't figure out what they mean. As Larry Kotlikoff explains, there are also structural inequities in the system that put certain groups, particularly lower-earners, at a disadvantage.
Nation Apr 14 Why we need to tell Social Security who our families are Social Security has no idea who's in your family. It's important to tell them to whom you are or are no longer married so you don't lose out on any benefits, or likewise, don't receive benefits for which you're not…
Nation Apr 07 America’s Ponzi scheme: Why Social Security needs to retire Retirees may be attached to Social Security, but it's an unfair system that takes advantage of America's children, Larry Kotlikoff argues, and will leave them with a $23 trillion bill.
Nation Mar 31 Make your standard of living the basis for all financial planning Unlike conventional financial planning methods, which force your standard of living to adjust each year to annual changes, Larry Kotlikoff explains how an economics approach protects your standard of living.
Nation Mar 24 Using economic magic to pull retirement money out of a hat Larry Kotlikoff demonstrates how to increase your standard of living for retirement -- in this case, by 15 percent -- by correctly timing your Social Security, 401(k) and Roth IRA withdrawals.
Nation Mar 17 What is Obama trying to cut from Social Security? Seizing on an ambiguous clause about Social Security in President Obama's 2015 budget, Larry Kotlikoff argues that the administration should be doing a lot more to reform our nation's retirement system.