Topic: Social Security
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Eight steps to getting the right insurance
Comparing insurance policies is tough. However, by following these eight steps, you can simplify the process and find the right insurance policy for you.
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Fiscal deal will cost you: 8 tax changes
[Editor's note: This story was updated on Jan. 2 at 10:00 am ET.]
Congress has passed a fiscal deal that averts the worst of the tax increases under the "fiscal cliff." But most Americans will still end up paying more in federal taxes. Here are eight tax changes under the fiscal deal that may hit your pocketbook:
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How much do you know about US entitlement programs? Take our quiz.
The push to reform entitlement programs is at the heart of debates about the future of the US budget. They include Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, unemployment benefits, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps), and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (welfare).
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'Fiscal cliff' 101: 5 basic questions answered
President Obama and congressional leaders are working to stop the US from going over the “fiscal cliff,” a combination of higher taxes and lower spending set to take effect Jan. 1. Here are five steps to understanding what's going on.
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6 ways to avoid the 'fiscal cliff'
Republican congressional leaders and President Obama sharply disagree over how to deal with the impending “fiscal cliff.” But a successful plan shouldn’t be that hard to put in place. Here are six ways Washington can avoid the “fiscal cliff.”
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Robert Reich
Fiscal cliff overshadows inequality in the heartlandAs Washington fiddles over the fiscal cliff, a larger battle over inequality is being waged all over America, Reich writes.
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Americans' 'fiscal cliff' fix? Cut government spending – but not Medicare.
A new Monitor/TIPP poll finds Americans favor cutting government spending to solve the fiscal cliff, but few want to cut entitlements such as Medicare, which make up most of the budget.
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Obama, Boehner meet to discuss 'fiscal cliff' negotiations (+video)
The President and Speaker of the House met privately at the White House on Sunday.
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More Republicans agree to higher tax rates for the wealthy
Recognizing that President Obama has the upper hand, more Republicans say they're now willing to consider higher tax rates for the wealthy. On Sunday, it was Sen. Bob Corker (R) of Tennessee.
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Same-sex marriage: Waiting now for the Supreme Court to act
As reflected in polls and recent ballot measures, public opinion is moving in favor of same-sex marriage. Now that the US Supreme Court has agreed to take up the issue, both sides in the debate look for clear legal resolution.
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Supreme Court: Both sides in gay marriage debate voice optimism
The Supreme Court's decision to take up appeals over DOMA and California's Prop. 8 ban on gay marriage elicited positive reactions from advocates on both sides of the contentious issue.
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Gay marriage reaches Supreme Court: Justices to review Prop 8., DOMA
The two cases being taken up by the Supreme Court involve a challenge to California’s Prop. 8 ban on gay marriage and a suit from New York City testing the federal Defense of Marriage Act.
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Seattle issues 364 gay marriage licenses by 10 am on first day of legality
Because the state has a three-day waiting period, the earliest that weddings can take place is Sunday.
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Fiscal cliff: Is there a deal in the making?
President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner disagree about whether tax rates on the top two percent of earners should go up. The White House says, 'yes' and Republicans say, 'no'. Most Americans don't think the two sides will reach an agreement by January 1, according to a recent poll. But others are more optimistic.
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Stocks little changed; Investors await budget deal
Stocks changed little Tuesday on Wall Street as fiscal cliff negotiations continued in Washington. Some say stock trading will grow in volatility the longer budget talks progress without a deal.
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Robert Reich
Fiscal cliff: 8 principles for DemocratsReich offers some principles to Democrats as a guide to negotiating with Republicans on the fiscal cliff.
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White House rejects GOP plan: Tax rates for top 2 percent must go up (+video)
It did not take long for the White House to dismiss the Republican deficit-cutting proposal, which raised revenues by capping deductions. Now both sides have laid down their markers.
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Stocks edge lower after weak manufacturing report
A surprisingly weak manufacturing report sent stocks lower Monday. December is historically the best month for stocks.
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Timothy Geithner, John Boehner edge toward the 'fiscal cliff'
With less than a month before the 'fiscal cliff' imposes automatic tax increases and spending cuts, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and House Speaker John Boehner dueled rhetorically on the Sunday TV news programs.
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Energy Voices
Oil and the 'fiscal cliff'Tverberg explores the connection between changes in the oil market and growing concern of the 'fiscal cliff.'
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Why Obama is pushing for stimulus in 'fiscal cliff' deal (+video)
President Obama's opening offer in 'fiscal cliff' talks includes $255 billion in stimulus spending – tax cuts, incentives, and more. It could be a bargaining ploy or a bid to offset rising taxes on the rich.
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Workplace has no 401(k). Could states help?
Six in 10 private-sector employees aren't offered a retirement plan at work. So California and a few states are looking to offer them retirement plans.
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Will Supreme Court decide if gay marriage is constitutional? (+video)
The Supreme Court meets Friday to decide whether it should take up a case on same-sex marriage, and the claim that the Constitution gives people the right to marry regardless of sexual orientation.
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'Fiscal cliff' talks turn sour: Are prospects for deal vanishing?
House Speaker John Boehner charges that 'no substantive progress has been made' to avoid the Dec. 31 fiscal cliff, but such comments are a part of negotiating, an expert says.
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The Monitor's View: A parachute for Americans on their fiscal cliff
The hard decisions in the fiscal cliff negotiations between the GOP and Democrats would be easier if lawmakers could point to other nations that have seen the benefits of fiscal discipline in lifting an economy.
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Deported Mexican dad to be reunited with US-born kids
Deported father Felipe Montes, a Mexican national, should be reunited with his three US-born children next month, a North Carolina judge said this week. The ruling brings closer to resolution a two-year legal battle that has garnered international attention.
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Growing wealth concentration threatens to end American opportunity as we know it
The American creed of equal opportunity is in danger of becoming Hollywood fiction. Wealth concentration, manufacturing's demise, and technology eliminating jobs are destroying upward mobility. We must invest in education, training, and R&D. We must also pay for it.
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US plunge off 'fiscal cliff' is likely, say debt gurus Simpson and Bowles (+video)
Former chairs of Obama's debt commission, Alan Simpson (R) and Erskine Bowles (D), said at the Monitor breakfast Wednesday they see just a one-third likelihood that the White House and congressional Republicans will reach a deal by year's end to avert the fiscal cliff.
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Decoder Wire
What 'fiscal cliff' fixes does US public really want?Data within recent polls shed some light on why it’s so hard for the two parties to agree on solutions to the 'fiscal cliff' problem now facing Uncle Sam.
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Medicare, social program cuts: Will Democrats go along?
Medicare, Obamacare, and other social programs are at the heart of a disconnect over the 'fiscal cliff' in Washington. Republicans appear willing for tax increases but only if Democrats accept big cuts in Medicare and other social programs.
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