Nov 17 When Social Security will let you take only one benefit at a time By Laurence Kotlikoff Once you have filed for two benefits, you get just the larger of the two. So to maximize your Social Security, the trick is to take one benefit -- a widows benefit, for example, or your own retirement benefit --… Continue reading
Nov 17 U.S. pension agency reports $62 billion deficit By Tom Raum, Associated Press WASHINGTON — The federal watchdog agency overseeing the nation's retirement pension system says it's running a $62 billion deficit — almost double last year's shortfall — mostly due to the poor financial condition of a few large multi-employer pension plans. Continue reading
Nov 15 Wal-Mart workers planning protests at thousands of stores on Black Friday By Rialda Zukic A group of Wal-Mart employees seeking higher wages said it is planning protests at 1,600 Wal-Mart stores nationwide on Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year in the U.S. Continue reading
Nov 15 Watch Field of weeds: Could agriculture crisis crop up from herbicide resistance? By PBS News Hour Millions of acres of farmland in the U.S. have been affected by herbicide-resistant weeds, rendering some fields unable to be farmed. And the problem is spreading, which could mean more lost crops and lost profits. The EPA approved a new… Continue watching
Nov 14 Watch Atlantic City shuffles for business as casino luck runs out By PBS News Hour Casinos have been Atlantic City’s lifeblood. Now, they’re bottoming out at alarming rates -- four have already closed this year, leaving thousands unemployed. Economics correspondent Paul Solman explores the gamble that elevated Atlantic City in its prime, and how residents… Continue watching
Nov 14 Don't count on corporate gender quotas to break the glass ceiling By Simone Pathe Could increasing the percentage of women on corporate boards have a trickle-down effect on the workforce? That's not the case when quotas, and later sanctions, are used to force businesses to invite more women to the boardroom. Continue reading
Nov 13 Watch Closing the book on the Amazon and Hachette feud By PBS News Hour The seven-month stand-off between Amazon and Hachette over the pricing and profits of ebooks has ended with a new agreement beginning in early 2015. Jeffrey Brown speaks with Jeffrey Trachtenberg of The Wall Street Journal about how the disagreement hurt… Continue watching
Nov 13 Ebola outbreak is latest example of globalization's risks By Ian Goldin At the same time that globalization improves lives across the world, it carries systemic risks to our health, climate and economy. There's no way to mitigate those risks, especially contagious diseases like Ebola, without national support for intergovernmental organizations, argues… Continue reading
Nov 12 The Medicare drug subsidy that millions of enrollees overlook By Philip Moeller More than 30 percent of all Medicare Part D participants received low-income subsidies last year to help them pay their prescription drug bills, but the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services estimates that as many as 2 million more Medicare… Continue reading
Nov 10 Watch Emails suggest GM prepared for recalls months earlier By PBS News Hour Internal emails released as part of a class action lawsuit show that General Motors ordered a half million ignition switches to replace faulty ones nearly two months before notifying safety regulators. The defect has been linked to at least 32… Continue watching