Jul 09 Biden fires holdover head of Social Security Administration By Darlene Superville, Associated Press The White House says President Joe Biden has fired the Social Security commissioner after the official refused to resign. Biden has also accepted the resignation of the agency's deputy commissioner. Continue reading
Mar 24 Watch 5:01 News Wrap: Senators clash over Dem. elections bill Republicans deem partisan In our news wrap Wednesday, Senators clashed over an elections bill to expand ballot access and head off attempts to limit voting access at the state level, with Republicans saying it's partisan overreach. U.S. health officials pointed to progress in… Continue watching
Oct 13 Watch 3:53 News Wrap: Cut cable disrupts Virginia’s online voter registration system In our news wrap Tuesday, Virginia online voter registration was disrupted on its final day of availability. State officials blamed an accidental cut in a fiber optic cable for the outage, which could prevent thousands from registering to vote. Also,… Continue watching
Oct 13 Social security checks to increase modestly in 2021 despite COVID-19 economic fallout By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Andrew Taylor, Associated Press Social Security recipients will get a modest 1.3% cost-of living-increase in 2021, but that might be small comfort amid worries about the coronavirus and its consequences for older people. Continue reading
Aug 10 Democrats say Trump’s payroll tax break weakens Social Security By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Andrew Taylor, Associated Press Democrats say it's a signal that Trump would cut the social safety net, breaking a promise he made as a candidate in 2016 not to touch Social Security and Medicare. Continue reading
Apr 22 Social Security and Medicare funds were already at risk. The virus crisis will deplete them faster By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Martin Crutsinger, Associated Press The financial condition of the government’s two biggest benefit programs remains shaky, with Medicare expected to become insolvent in just six years, while Social Security will be unable to pay full benefits starting in 2035, the government said Wednesday. Continue reading
Nov 21 How a Trump order could help Social Security and HSAs work together By Philip Moeller A recent Trump executive order could permit older employees to claim Social Security and continue contributing to their HSAs. Continue reading
Oct 30 How taking Social Security early affects your ex-spousal benefits By Philip Moeller People often don’t think about the implications of how filing early for Social Security might affect their future entitlements to other Social Security benefits. Continue reading
Oct 16 Can my ex bar me from his retirement benefits? By Philip Moeller Can an ex-wife file for a Social Security benefit based on a former husband’s earnings record, even if he stated that she has no rights to his retirement benefits? "Such benefits have no impact on his own Social Security entitlements,"… Continue reading
Oct 10 Seniors will get modest cost-of-living increase from Social Security in 2020 By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Associated Press Seniors and advocates complain that the inflation yardstick used to determine the annual adjustment doesn't adequately reflect their costs, mainly for health care. Continue reading