Social Security

Social Security Trustees Report to Show Normal Fluctuations
   While we can't be sure what the Social Security's trustees will say in their annual review of the program's finances (due for release May 31), we can pretty much count on seeing fluctuations from year to year in their long-term estimates – and that's normal.
5/30/13 12:07 PM  read complete story

Wide Disconnect Exists Between Citizens, Lawmakers on Social Security
   A recent survey from the National Academy of Social Insurance reveals a sharp contrast between what Americans say they want and the program changes lawmakers are considering.
5/22/13 11:22 AM  read complete story

Want to Ensure Social Security's Survival? Eliminate the Payroll Tax Cap
   Most Democratic and Independent Senators questioned would not state their position on the issue of eliminating the payroll tax cap for Social Security.
4/10/13 11:33 AM  read complete story

Expected COLA Increase Predicted to be Inadequate
   Seniors who rely on their Social Security checks to cover everyday expenses -- food, utilities, gasoline and medical care -- may find that a 2013 increase of 1.5% to 1.7% will fail to keep pace with rising prices.
10/9/12 3:14 PM  read complete story

Growth in Social Security Disability Insurance Program Largely Due to Demographics
   While some critics charge that spending for the Social Security Disability Insurance program is "out of control," most of the increase in federal disability rolls is a result of demographic factors, including the aging of the U.S. population, the growth in women's employment, and Social Security's rising retirement age.
8/9/12 1:44 PM  read complete story

Coalition Offers Social Security Proposals for Women, Caregivers, Same-Sex Couples
   The report, "Breaking the Social Security Glass Ceiling," proposes initiatives to ensure Social Security benefits are adequate for all Americans, particularly for women and women of color.
5/11/12 12:13 PM  read complete story

2011 Social Security Take-up Rate Lowest in Over 30 Years
   Recent improvements in the U.S. economy are now being seen through the prism of retirement decisions. More specifically, fewer workers age 62 and older applied for Social Security retirement benefits in 2011, in large part because more and better opportunities to work were available.
4/9/12 4:15 PM  read complete story

(URBAN INSTITUTE) Social Security Fix Needed Sooner Rather Than Later, Report's Authors Say
   By 2070, the proposals would cut Social Security checks by a fourth relative to scheduled benefits for those among the top 20 percent of lifetime earners. Monthly checks would be trimmed by 3 percent for those among the bottom 20 percent of earners. While the precise size of the effects depends on assumptions about when workers would claim benefits under the new system, differences over time and across income groups do not change much with alternative assumptions.
12/5/11 4:19 PM  read complete story

(COLA) Social Security Recipients To Get First COLA Hike In Three Years
   Social Security recipients in January will receive their first cost-of-living increase since 2009, the American Institute for Economic Research (AIER) reports.
10/18/11 11:59 AM  read complete story

(MYTH BUSTING) 'Ponzi Scheme' Label Supported by Conservative Media – But Is It Accurate?
   In the few days since Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) controversially characterized Social Security as a "Ponzi scheme," conservative media have lined up to advance Perry's description. But is Social Security really a Ponzi scheme?
9/14/11 4:46 PM  read complete story