...providing retirement news snippets from various sources for federal employees, postal employees, seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities who receive Social Security . Your resource for retirement living, investment, employment, health care, and retirement leisure. - Stay Informed!
Is 2022 a good time to retire?
Article Snip: "US Falls to 18th Place in Global Retirement Ranking...Americans are losing ground against residents of other countries in what’s shaping up globally to be “one of the worst years to retire in recent memory,” according to a new retirement ranking. ..."
Reference: www.bloomberg.comTitle: New Jersey and New York are the worst states to retire in, according to a new report
Article Snip: "A new report from WalletHub seeks to scientifically calculate and rank the best and worst states to retire in. Coming in dead last? New Jersey. If you find yourself laughing at your Garden State neighbors from the other side of the Hudson, you may want to save your Schadenfreude – New York ranked just a hair better for retirees. ...Florida is America's best state to retire in."
Reference: www.usatoday.comFrom the article: "...Following the final fairness hearing, prospective participants will still have until Dec. 23 to join the lawsuit, after which the validity of each claim will be assessed. Assuming there are no appeals, payouts to claimants are expected to take place in the first or second quarter of next year. Under terms of the settlement, each claimant is entitled to a minimum of $700 per claim, up to a maximum of $10,000 per claim. ...Following the breach, OPM contracted with credit monitoring company ID Experts to provide monitoring services to victims of the breach. ...For more information on the settlement or the claims process, please visit www.opmdatabreach.com, which is the website was established consistent with the terms of the settlement agreement. "
Title: Federal employee health-care premiums to rise 8.7 percent on average
Article Snip: "...Premiums in the health-care program for federal employees and retirees will increase by 8.7 percent on average for 2023 — the largest increase in more than a decade, the government announced Friday. That change in Federal Employees Health Benefits Program premiums is significantly larger ..."
Reference: www.washingtonpost.comTitle: How will changing federal agencies affect my retirement?
Article Snip: "...The following is a question submitted by a Federal Times readers about retirement and other issues facing the federal workforce. It is answered by Reg Jones, a charter member of the senior executive service and a Federal Times columnist since 1995. Question: My situation is that I have 32 plus years federal civilian service, approximately 10 with DoD and the remainder with DOI. My plan is to retire..."
Reference: www.federaltimes.comTitle: Study examines brain structure that may help 'super-agers' stay sharp
Article Snip: "...Researchers have discovered another clue as to how some older people stay sharp as a tack into their 80s and beyond: Their brain cells are really big. The study focused on what scientists have dubbed "super-agers" -- a select group of elderly adults who have the memory skills of people decades younger. ..."
Reference: www.upi.comTitle: Republicans have an opportunity to force Biden’s hand on border security
Article Snip: "The ingenious plan of former Trump adviser Stephen Miller is for Republicans to focus attention on Biden’s border crisis by refusing to pass the bill without an amendment to deal with the invasion at the southern border. They also must ensure the continuing resolution expires by February so an incoming Republican majority will not be handcuffed next year"
Reference: nypost.comTitle: House GOP Says 'Social Security And Medicare Cuts' Out Loud
Article Snip: "..."This agenda is yet another reminder of who Republicans work for: Their Wall Street and Big Pharma donors," said Lawson. House Republicans are rolling out their agenda just weeks ahead of November midterm elections that will decide control of Congress next year. Politico reported Thursday that several Republican Senate candidates have openly advocated privatization of Social Security and Medicare on the campaign trail in recent weeks. "The privatization is hugely important..."
Reference: crooksandliars.comTitle: Postal Retirees Deserve Better: Urge Congress to Pass H.R. 82, the Social Security Fairness Act
Article Snip: "...The Social Security Fairness Act would repeal the WEP, which penalizes many APWU retirees who receive a civil service pension but paid into Social Security in previous employment. It also repeals the GPO, which unfairly penalizes many spouses and widows with prior employment pensions. This vote means that we are closer than ever to removing the GPO and WEP. ..."
Reference: apwu.orgThe Biden Administration is flooding the United States with unvetted illegals, inhumanely flooding cities, schools and other resources. Additionally, Biden is buying the votes of college loan debtors and now rail workers while negotiating secret deals. At the same time the Biden Admin is severely underestimating the rage of the retired and retiring blue collar workers on Social Security. With a huge, enraged voting block of 69.1 million people receiving benefits from programs administered by the Social Security Administration ( SSA ) in 2019, the Biden Admin will see this overlooked, huge populace make a statement thru voting in the midterms and 2024. Sadly, the military hating Biden admin has abandoned disabled veterans as well by not increasing Social Security pay and V.A. disability. Again, with a fairly sizeable voting block of Nearly 3.9 million veterans (19.5%) receiving disability compensation, this overlooked group will speak at the voting booth as well. It is truly sad that the United States, under the Biden Administration, military disabled veterans and social security pensioners dont mean anything to them since most are not in the workforce anymore. It's like the Biden Administration feels this large group of voters (and families) are meaningless after they have served their purpose. It is horrible and a huge humanitarian crisis to ignore our once hardworking and loyal workforce. The Biden Admin needs to start looking out for the best interest of Americans ...especially those trying to survive on Social Security. These groups need to stand together and make their voice clear thru voting.
Reference: The Federal Retirement NewsTitle: Biden scores deal on rail strike, but worker discontent emerges
Article Snip: "Union leaders had pushed for 15 days of paid sick leave, but the proposed deal landed on just one day. “It’s impossible right now to make heads or tails of what this agreement means, and it’s disgraceful how opaque is it,” said Ron Kaminkow, a locomotive engineer and member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen. White House, which had launched an all-out effort in recent days to prevent a shutdown that could have had significant economic and political ramifications in the run-up to the 2022 midterm elections. ..."
Reference: www.washingtonpost.comTitle: What are the 13 states that don't tax pensions or Social Security?
Article Snip: "States without pension or Social Security taxes include:
Alabama.
Alaska.
Florida...
"
Title: From China to Mexico to NYC: How fentanyl became ‘a weapon of mass destruction’ in the US
Article Snip: "Once fentanyl reaches the market, traffickers move it to nearby apartments where the drug gets chopped up and packaged into small glassine envelopes. The drugs are then sold on the streets of the city — and up and down the East Coast. “It comes in with the produce,” said Bridget Brennan, who heads the city’s Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor, noting that densely packed fentanyl bricks, hidden in box trucks and 18-wheelers, travel by highways from the border with Mexico to the Great Lakes region before coming east. ..."
Reference: nypost.comTitle: America’s $7 Trillion Retirement Crisis Is Only Getting Worse
Article Snip: "...Economic turmoil took a toll on savings in the first half of 2022 and that’s just the tip of the iceberg as many in the US lack employer-sponsored plans. ..."
Reference: www.bloomberg.comTitle: Bill would eliminate federal taxes on Social Security benefits: ‘You Earned It, You Keep It’
Article Snip: "... Minnesota Democrat is pushing Congress to eliminate federal taxes on Social Security. U.S. Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minnesota, recently introduced the “You Earned It, You Keep It Act” to repeal federal taxes on Social Security benefits for retirees across the country. ..."
Reference: www.al.comArticle Snip: "...For civilian federal employees covered by the General Schedule and some other pay systems, Biden said there would be a 4.1 percent across-the-board base pay increase..."
Reference: thehill.comTitle: States Where Your Retirement Will Cost Less Than $45,000 a Year
Article Snip: "...To help you choose the perfect place to retire, GOBankingRates used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to find the top 10 states where you can live out your golden years for less than $45,000 annually The study analyzed factors like groceries, housing, utilities, transportation, healthcare and the overall cost-of-living index in each state, all of which contribute heavily to your yearly expenses in retirement. These indices were then multiplied by the average annual expenditures of Americans aged 65 and older, which provided the final ranking of the top 10 states. ..."
Reference: yahoo.comArticle Snip: "...Adcock hasn’t even considered the possibility of returning to full-time work, or even picking up a side hustle. “Absolutely, positively not. That’s never entered my head even a little bit,” says Adcock, who previously worked in information technology for 14 years. “That is the worst-case scenario.”..."
Reference: www.cnbc.comTitle: St. Mary's County Navy retiree wins $100,000 scratch-off prize
Article Snip: "...BALTIMORE, Md. (August 17, 2022)—He enjoys playing Maryland Lottery scratch-offs that offer prizes totaling six digits or more, so when the retired U.S. Navy man claimed a prize Aug. 9 at Maryland Lottery headquarters in Baltimore, it was for a substantial sum: $100,000! The loyal player sets money aside for recreation, using only those funds to enjoy his Lottery hobby and sticking to a strict limit. ..."
Reference: somd.comTitle: The Number Of Years $100,000 Will Add To Your Retirement Fund, Visualized
Article Snip: "...Their model estimated spending at $50,595 per year, based on the average amount for persons between the ages of 65 and 74. They determined social security would cover nearly 39 percent of those yearly costs, leaving a retiree with around $2,559 worth for out-of-pocket expenses, which according to estimations could bump up by 2.2 percent each year...."
Reference: digg.comUS aid paying Ukrainian pensions Snippet of Article: "...Joe Biden stated that funding in a Ukrainian aid package, and later app...