mbeals

11/12/2013 - Fewer workers participating in company retirement plans, report says (L.A.Times)

The percentage of U.S. workers who participate in their employers’ retirement plans slipped to 39% in 2012, according to a report by the Employee Benefit Research Institute. Despite the tax savings and long-term benefits of stashing pre-tax money in retirement plans, the majority of workers fail to take advantage of employer-sponsored programs, such as 401(k)… Read more 11/12/2013 - Fewer workers participating in company retirement plans, report says (L.A.Times)

11/6/2013 - Collecting Social Security on your ex – dead or alive! (InvestmentNews)

When I go on public speaking tours around the country, I love to watch the faces of the audience when I talk about Social Security claiming strategies for divorced spouses. In order to collect Social Security benefits on an ex-spouse, the marriage must have lasted at least 10 years and both parties must be at… Read more 11/6/2013 - Collecting Social Security on your ex – dead or alive! (InvestmentNews)

11/6/2013 - The real reason behind Social Security's problems (MoneyWatch)

The real reason for the pending funding crunch? People are having fewer children, said Steve Goss, the Social Security Administration’s chief actuary recently at the annual meeting of the Society of Actuaries in San Diego. Read the full article at CBS MoneyWatch.

11/4/2013 - Will Social Security run out of money? (MoneyWatch)

Social Security is not in financial trouble, at least not under the current laws that govern the retirement program. That’s the unequivocal answer from Steve Goss, chief actuary for the Social Security Administration, who spoke recently about Social Security’s funding challenges at the annual meeting of the Society of Actuaries in San Diego. Read the… Read more 11/4/2013 - Will Social Security run out of money? (MoneyWatch)

11/3/2013 - How much are we willing to pay for the pursuit of happiness? (LA Times)

Research by Notre Dame political scientist Benjamin Radcliff suggests that social programs produce a happier population. Read the full article at  Los Angeles Times.

11/3/2013 - Politics Poll: Older Americans Nix Social Security Changes (ABC News)

Raise the age at which you can begin collecting full Social Security benefits? Older Americans say no. They also veto reductions in the cost-of-living increase. But a poll finds support among those 50 and older for raising the cap on earnings that are taxed to fund the Social Security program so higher-income workers pay more.… Read more 11/3/2013 - Politics Poll: Older Americans Nix Social Security Changes (ABC News)

10/31/2013 - Column: Can expanding Social Security solve the retirement crisis? (Reuters)

I asked a financial services executive recently how our retirement saving system can be considered a success, considering that all but the highest-income households are approaching retirement with next to nothing saved. His reply: “They don’t have any money while they’re working, so why would they have any money in retirement?” Read the full article… Read more 10/31/2013 - Column: Can expanding Social Security solve the retirement crisis? (Reuters)

10/31/2013 - The Myth That Baby Boomers Are Stealing Jobs (U.S. News & World Report)

Policymakers can boost income and payroll tax revenue by taking steps to facilitate longer working lives – for example, by changing the structure of Social Security and Medicare so that they stop punishing work at older ages. Some have objected to such recommendations, arguing that older workers who stay on the job longer make it… Read more 10/31/2013 - The Myth That Baby Boomers Are Stealing Jobs (U.S. News & World Report)

10/30/2013 - Arguments Over Social Security Pit Old Vs. Young (NPR)

Congress has until Jan. 15 to come up with another spending plan. As they negotiate, one thing you’ll hear a lot about is overhauling entitlement programs — particularly Social Security. The program accounts for about 20 percent of federal spending. One argument in favor of cuts is that Social Security amounts to a huge transfer… Read more 10/30/2013 - Arguments Over Social Security Pit Old Vs. Young (NPR)

10/25/2013 - Why boomers are happier than millennials at work (MarketWatch)

How long does it take for a person to love their job? Possibly decades, a new study suggests. A survey released Thursday morning reports that baby boomers are more satisfied with their jobs and find more meaning in their work than younger people. Read the full article at WSJ MarketWatch.