Topic: Social Security

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Opinion Five ways to improve Obama's pre-k plan

President Obama’s Preschool for All plan is well intentioned but includes features that are not justified by research and won’t help it pass in Congress. The plan must make the following five adjustments.

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The New Economy Should the government make you save for your retirement?

Fewer younger workers are saving for retirement today than a decade ago, prompting some financial leaders to call for mandated retirement saving beyond Social Security. Many financial advisers aren't convinced it's a good idea.
Do you need inflation protection?

Investors have an unprecedented array of inflation-protection tools to safeguard their portfolios: from gold and inflation-protected bonds to commodity mutual funds. Choosing how to hedge against inflation depends on your situation and outlook.
High court's DOMA ruling: big tax savings for same-sex couples

The Supreme Court's decision to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act could save thousands of dollars in federal taxes for gay and lesbian couples. In 13 states, just the ability to file jointly would mean an extra $6,100 in tax deductions for same-sex couples.
Tax VOX Benefits for people with disabilities are in big trouble

The Social Security Disability Insurance program is critically important to people with disabilities, but it is struggling with a litany of administrative and financial problems — and even due to become insolvent by 2016, Gleckman says. He offers three possible reforms for the program.
Poisoned N.J. flight: Ranting man restrained by passengers

Poisoned N.J. flight: While on a flight from Hong Kong to Newark, N.J. on Monday, a man yelled about poisoning, Edward Snowden, national security, and international spying.
7-Eleven raids target 14 stores harboring illegal immigrants

7-Eleven raids in Long Island and Virginia charged owners and managers of Long Island and Virginia stores in a scheme to exploit immigrants from Pakistan and the Philippines. 14 locations were involved in the 7-Eleven raids, and authorities are investigating at least 40 more across the US.
Robert Reich Wanted: A national economic strategy for better jobs

Jobs are returning slowly — too slowly — and most of them pay less than the jobs that were lost in the economic recession, Reich argues. The US needs to implement national economic strategies to build good jobs.
Another credit-rating downgrade for US? Less than 1 in 3 risk, says S&P. (+video)

Federal deficits are falling faster than expected, leading S&P to upgrade its economic outlook for the US. That's good news for the country's credit rating.
Social Security and Medicare: time running out to fix them, trustees say

The Social Security trust funds are on track to go bankrupt in 2033, with payroll taxes only paying for about three-quarters of benefits The Medicare trust funds will deplete even sooner.
Tax VOX Who benefits from tax preferences? You do.

Just about everyone benefits from tax preferences, Gleckman writes, a conclusion reaffirmed by a new Congressional Budget Office report on the distribution of tax expenditures.
$2.4M in welfare to the dead? Mass audit finds evidence of questionable payments

$2.4M in welfare to the dead? The 2½-year audit found a total of 1,164 people who continued to receive welfare benefits for periods of six months to up to 27 months after they died, totaling nearly $2.4 million in payments.
Opinion Is Washington too 'broken' to handle big problems such as immigration reform?

Many Americans worry that Washington cannot handle big problems such as immigration reform and the debt. But the country has been here before, and overcome a supposedly 'broken' political system. Government is divided because 'we the people' are divided on the issues.
Robert Reich The problem with Obama's second term

President Obama is allowing the controversies that typically arise in a second term dominate his presidency because he has failed to define his core agenda. Is it a grand bargain on the budget deficit, gun control, jobs, or immigration reform? It's hard to tell.
Why federal budget deficit is falling faster than CBO expected

The federal budget deficit will shrink this year to $642 billion, the nonpartisan CBO said in a new estimate Tuesday. Just three months ago, it was forecasting a deficit of $845 billion.
Opinion Five ways to improve Obama's pre-k plan

President Obama’s Preschool for All plan is well intentioned but includes features that are not justified by research and won’t help it pass in Congress. The plan must make the following five adjustments.
Fastest-growing baby names: Would you consider them?

The fastest growing baby names for boys, King and Messiah, suggest great power, while the fastest-growing baby name for girls, Arya, comes from a fierce princess in 'Game of Thrones.'
Opinion 5 myths about amnesty for illegal immigrants in Senate bill

Under a bipartisan Senate immigration bill, immigrants who have come to the United States illegally are given a "path to citizenship." On close inspection, each of the following five claims about the requirements for illegal immigrants to earn amnesty are not what they seem.
Jacob, Sophia top last year's baby names; King and Messiah make biggest jump

Last year's most popular baby names, according to the Social Security Administration, were Jacob and Sophia. Arya, first name of a 'Game of Thrones' character, showed the largest increase for girl's names.
House prioritizes bills to pay if US hits debt ceiling. Is default averted?

The bill would allow the federal government to pay interest on the nation’s debts, even if the US does not raise the debt ceiling. But some say the effect would be different from what is envisioned.
The Simple Dollar Saving for retirement? Learn these five truths.

Half of Americans aren’t saving a dime for retirement, Hamm writes, but they should. Hamm offers five simple facts about retirement savings that hammer down on common myths about saving for retirement.
USA Update Three brothers arrested: what's known so far about alleged Cleveland captors (+video)

Three brothers arrested – Ariel, Pedro, and Onil Castro – are accused of kidnapping and holding Amanda Berry and two other women captive for 10 years. Cleveland neighbors and family members are beginning to talk about the suspects.
Decoder Wire Bill: Hillary 2016 speculation is a lame topic right now. Oh, really? (+video)

Bill on Hillary 2016: Conjecture over whether Mrs. Clinton will run for president next time is 'worst expenditure of our time.' That's what he told attendees at a fiscal summit, anyway. Who's he kidding?
Immigration reform: How much will it cost US taxpayers?

The conservative Heritage Foundation says that immigration reform will cost $5 trillion over 50 years. But some conservatives are firing back, saying the study doesn't look at all the variables.
USA Update Obama's 'try anything' bid to woo GOP moves from dinner to golf course

President Obama hit the golf course Monday with two Republican senators in an effort to build support for his second-term agenda. He has also had several dinners with GOP lawmakers.
Tax VOX How immigration policy impacts budget projections

If Congress allows more people into the United States, our population, labor force, and economy will all get bigger. With immigration policy up in the air, the economy's trajectory will be difficult to predict.