Thursday, March 17, 2016

Hillary Clinton on Social Security

Title: Hillary Clinton on Social Security

Article Snip: "...During her 2008 presidential bid, Clinton was relatively non-committal about reforms to the Social Security program. She said in 2007 that certain reforms such as cutting benefits, privatizing the program or raising the retirement age were "off the table." There were some articles at the time that gave mixed signals on whether she would be willing to increase payroll taxes..."

Reference: www.ontheissues.org

Ted Cruz on Social Security

Title: Ted Cruz on Social Security

Article Snip: "...Q: How would you protect Social Security for today's seniors and strengthen it for future generations?

    A: On Social Security, I am campaigning on a series of very specific reforms. For seniors receiving Social Security or near Social Security, there should be no changes in benefits whatsoever. For younger workers, we need to do three fundamental reforms.
  1. Gradually increase the retirement age.
  2. Social Security benefits right now grow about 1% greater than inflation; we should have those benefits grow at the rate of inflation, not 1% more.
  3. Third change that I think is absolutely critical is to allow taxpayers to have a portion of the Social Security funds go to a personal account that they own and control.
Source: Texas Tribune Interview in 2012 AARP Senate Voter Guide , Aug 24, 2012 ..."

Reference: www.ontheissues.org
Ted Cruz on Social Security, supports privatization,

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Figuring Out Your FERS Annuity

Title: Figuring Out Your FERS Annuity

Article Snip: "...Under FERS, you can retire on an immediate, unreduced annuity if you meet one of the following age and service requirements..."

Reference: www.fedweek.com
FERS annuity

Friday, March 4, 2016

Retirement Calculator: Federal Ballpark E$timate® from OPM site

Title: Retirement Calculator: Federal Ballpark E$timate® from OPM site

Article Snip: "... Federal Ballpark E$timate® was developed by the Employee Benefit Research Institute® and its American Savings Education Council® (ASEC®) program ..."

Reference: the-best-calculator.blogspot.com
Federal Ballpark E$timate®

Thursday, February 11, 2016

10 Things that Will Improve Your USAJOBS Resume

Title: 10 Things that Will Improve Your USAJOBS Resume

Article Snip: "...what the DIY person can do to their resume to make it better. Here are 10 easy-to-implement suggestions: Create a Skills Summary or Professional Profile. This is great way ..."

Reference: www.fedweek.com
USAJOBS Resume Tips

Social Security in the crosshairs: replacement rates again

Title: Social Security in the crosshairs: replacement rates again

Article Snip: "...The stage is being set for cuts in Social Security, and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has become a major player in this effort..."

Reference:
www.marketwatch.com social security,

Saturday, January 9, 2016

The Best Financial Tips Fit On An Index Card


Title: Can The Best Financial Tips Fit On An Index Card?

The Index Card
The Index Card
Article Snip: "...The ideas on the index card weren't new pay off your credit cards, invest in low-fee index funds, etc. but there clearly was an appetite for this simple, good financial advice. So Pollack and Olen have now written a book (The Index Card: Why Personal Finance Doesn’t Have to Be Complicated) about it. Which if the whole point is that this stuff is so simple you can fit it on an index card might seem counterintuitive ..."
Reference: www.gpb.org
Best Financial Tips, The Index Card,

Monday, January 4, 2016

Title: Paying Income Tax on Social Security Benefits

Article Snip: "...Whether or not you'll be required to pay federal income tax on your Social Security benefits will depend on your income and filing status. About 35 percent of Social Security recipients have total incomes high enough to trigger federal income tax on their benefits ..."

Reference: www.huffingtonpost.com
Social Security and taxes,

Saturday, January 2, 2016

Social Security options for single seniors

Title: Social Security options for single seniors

Article Snip: "...Widows, widowers and divorcees approaching retirement and about to file for Social Security, though, need to recognize filing options that can significantly increase monthly benefits. While rules are different for surviving spouses and divorcees..."

Reference: www.usatoday.com
Social Security

Saturday, December 12, 2015

Maybe we need more Social Security, not less

Title: Maybe we need more Social Security, not less

Article Snip: "...The bill enables our government to borrow yet more billions of dollars. At the same time, it eliminates the ability of some to use the many rules of Social Security to squeeze out a few more bucks in benefits..."

Reference: www.mystatesman.com

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

S. 2251: Sen. Elizabeth Warren Introduces Bill Providing One-time Payment of $581 to Social Security Beneficiaries, Veterans

Title: Sen. Elizabeth Warren Introduces Bill Providing One-time Payment of $581 to Social Security Beneficiaries, Veterans

Article Snip: "...On Thursday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) introduced S. 2251, the Seniors and Veterans Emergency Benefits Act. The bill would provide a one-time payment in 2016 to Social Security beneficiaries, veterans, and others of $581, or 3.9% of the average Social Security retirement benefit. The legislation would not only help current retirees, but also make an important statement about fairness. Last year the average CEO pay increase was 3.9%, while retirees and people with disabilities will be going without any cost-of-living adjustment in 2016..."

Reference: www.apwu.org
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), S. 2251,

Saturday, November 7, 2015

Don’t Forget to ‘Turn On’ Your Benefits

Title: Don’t Forget to ‘Turn On’ Your Benefits

Article Snip: "...what steps federal employees need to take to receive their benefits after retirement. As with most questions in life, the answer can be complex. Once an employee determines they are eligible for retirement..."

Reference: www.govexec.com

Thursday, October 29, 2015

FEHB and FEGLI Benefits on Retirement

Title: FEHB and FEGLI Benefits on Retirement

Article Snip: "...a larger question that readers keep asking me. “If I leave government on an immediate, postponed, deferred or disability annuity, will I be able to continue my Federal Employees Health Benefits coverage? And while you’re at it, I have the same question about my Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance coverage.”..."

Reference: www.fedweek.com
FEHB in retirement, FEGLI in retirement,

Thursday, October 15, 2015

FAQ on Social Security COLAs: AARP shares what, when, how, why

Title: FAQ on Social Security COLAs: AARP shares what, when, how, why

Article Snip: "...COLAs currently understate the cost of living for the elderly, because they are based on increases in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), which only measures the spending of families who make most of their income from wage earners or clerical workers. It excludes families whose main sources of income are pensions and Social Security..."

Reference: www.usatoday.com
2016 COLA (Social Security),

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Mike Huckabee Speaks Out on Social Security

Title: Mike Huckabee Speaks Out on Social Security

Article Snip: "...Huckabee continued: And the government has squandered what they paid in, and there are some that think the answer to that is to just break the promises to Americans. I think that’s the wrong answer, because it isn’t workers’ faults that their money has been squandered..."

Reference: www.breitbart.com
Social Security

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

‘Where Can We Find Retirement Income Facts?’

Title: Feds Ask, ‘Where Can We Find Retirement Income Facts?’

Article Snip: "...Where can you find information about federal pensions? ...Where can I find info I need about my Social Security retirement income benefits?...How much should be put into the TSP?..."

Reference: www.fedsmith.com

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

The Thrift Savings Plan has huge advantages for participants.

Title: The Great Retirement Plan Every Federal Employee Should Use

Article Snip: "...the Thrift Savings Plan, or TSP for short. The TSP has many features that are similar to what a 401(k) offers, but it also gives federal workers key advantages over most 401(k) plans. Let's look more closely at the Thrift Savings Plan and what makes it such a great option for those who are eligible..."

Reference: www.fool.com
TSP

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Will You Be Forced To Pay Into Medicare?

Title: Will You Be Forced To Pay Into Medicare?

Article Snip: "...Congress is considering a bill that would require postal retirees to enroll in Medicare Parts B and D or lose their Federal health insurance. Is this the future for all Federal retirees? Medicare is facing years of higher costs..."

Reference: www.fedsmith.com

Sunday, September 6, 2015

Social Security Loopholes

Title: Social Security Loopholes

Article Snip: "...Had you simply saved and invested, you would probably be retiring as a multimillionaire. But because you were required to pay into Social Security, now you have to figure out how best to get back some of your money. Being aware of some Social Security loopholes will help you choose between options that differ by as much as a quarter of a million dollars ..."

Reference: www.emarotta.com

Federal Employee Retirement Funds Tank in August

Title: Federal Employee Retirement Funds Tank in August

Article Snip: "...The government securities (G) fund was the only option that ended the month in the black, scraping by with 0.18 percent growth for August. That fund – one of TSP’s most stable offerings – was up 1.33 percent for the year to date..."

Reference: www.govexec.com