News

  • Ask Advisor June 2015

    Jodey Arrington represents Texas' 19th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives and is a member of the House Ways and Means Committee. .There are three factors that affect your final benefit amount: .The Senior Citizens League is proud to have endorsed the BENES Act, and we hope the Senate Aging Committee will work to enact this legislation by the end of this year. To stay updated on the progress of the BENES Act, visit the Bill Tracking section of our website. … Continued

  • Legislative Update Week Ending March 24 2017

    If the bill doesn't pass into law one way or the other it would be the first time in 60 years the legislation has failed to be enacted. .Although no other generation has yet been affected by a similar Notch, that could change in the future. Congressional inaction on Social Security's long-term financing problems could give birth to a whole new generation of Notch Babies. During recent hearings on the need for making Social Security more sustainable as Baby Boomers near retirement, David Walker, the Comptroller General of the United States, confirmed this saying "Doing nothing means that we are going to head to a precipitous decline in benefits. Remember the Notch Baby problem?" he asked. "This would be a Notch Baby problem magnified multiple times and it should not be allowed to happen." (10) ."Chaining" the CPI would be a deficit reduction double-hitter. The CPI is used to calculate COLAs, a host of other federal retirement benefits (like military) and federal income tax exemptions, deductions and tax brackets. Thus, switching to a more slowly growing measure would dramatically cut government spending on the annual boosts for Social Security and a host of other federal benefit programs, in addition to quietly raising everyone's taxes. … Continued

Medicare Doesn't Recover The Majority Of Overpayment Payment Amounts, .Many of our nation's seniors live on fixed incomes and struggle to afford everyday expenses. Sadly, a large number of these individuals are also disabled. There are several existing programs that support the most vulnerable among us, but the number of agencies, applications, reporting requirements and additional obstacles they must tackle to access these funds make it unnecessarily difficult for them to receive the benefits they desperately need and deserve. .My Mom Is Applying For Assisted Living: Why Must She Agree To Mandatory Arbitration? .The Social Security Fairness Act — Under current law, millions of teachers, police officers, and other retired public servants see their Social Security benefits cut by hundreds of dollars due to two unfair provisions of the Social Security Act: the Government Pension Offset and the Windfall Elimination Provision. TSCL has been advocating for the repeal of these two provisions for several years, and in our December meeting with the bill's sponsor, Congressman Rodney Davis (IL-13) said he will continue to work tirelessly towards its passage in the 116th .Companies requiring mandatory arbitration say it saves money and time for resolving complaints. But older consumers still may wind up with legal fees, and may wind up having to pay a share of the arbitration fees. .However, you don't need to read the 265-page report to understand why Medicare is going broke. Last year, Medicare spent 3 billion, but only took in 6 billion—leaving a billion deficit in just one year. With 10,000 new individuals becoming eligible each day, it's only going to get worse. .The judge's order stops the implementation of the rule until the completion of the notice and comment process. .According to information from the Medicare Rights Center, a nonprofit organization that provides Medicare counseling and educational programs, when you notify a Medicare Advantage plan after the move, then your mom's Special Enrollment Period begins the month you tell her plan, plus two more full months thereafter. .Would the money spent on life insurance premiums be better invested in an annuity or other investment? Some types of life insurance can be cost prohibitive. Your best investment is to get unbiased advice from a fee-only certified financial professional who does not get a commission from selling life insurance policies, before dumping your life insurance, or taking out any new policies.