Social Security Still Isn’t Broke, New Report Confirms

Obama administration officials used the release of a report on the program's finances to amplify calls to expand benefits. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew acknowledged Wednesday that Social Security faces financial challenges, but nonetheless said that making benefits more generous should be a priority.

Senate Panel Kills Medicare Program That Offers Help On Enrollment, Billing Issues

A program that has helped seniors understand the many intricacies of Medicare as well as save them millions of dollars would be eliminated by a budget bill overwhelmingly approved last week by the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee. The State Health Insurance Assistance Program , or "SHIP," is among more than a dozen programs left out of the bill by the committee.

Obama’s misguided reversal on Social Security expansion

In a speech this week, President Barack Obama called for an expansion of Social Security, saying "it's time we finally made Social Security more generous, and increased its benefits." Obama was undoubtedly influenced to some degree by the developments in the Democratic primary, where both Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton have expressed support for some form of expansion.

Social Security’s Enemies Are Down – But They’re Not Out

Not so long ago, Social Security was endangered by a "bipartisan" consensus that sought to cut its benefits - already lower than those of comparable countries - as part of a "grand bargain." President Obama even put a slow-motion benefit cut into one of his proposed budgets, in the form of a reduction in cost-of-living increases.

The Wages of Neoliberalism: Poverty, Exile and Early Death

Economist Michael Hudson says neoliberal policy will pressure U.S. citizens to emigrate, just as it caused millions to leave Russia, the Baltic States, and now Greece in search of a better life. A research team from Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health in New York estimates 875,000 deaths in the United States in year 2000 could be attributed to social factors related to poverty and income inequality.

How the presidential candidates’ retirement programs stack up

If you are closing in on retirement age, you are keenly interested in how the three remaining Presidential candidates - Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and Bernie Sanders - plan to deal with the fiscal challenges of Social Security and Medicare . If you are not close to retirement age, you should be even more interested, as the long-term stability of both programs could be at stake in this election.

Many Opt to Take Social Security Benefits Early

Taking Social Security benefits early comes with a price, yet more than 4 in 10 Americans who are 50 and over say they'll dip into the program before reaching full retirement age. An Associated Press- NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll found that 44 percent report Social Security will be their biggest source of income during their retirement years.

Labor groups launch attack ads against Rob Portman

COLUMBUS, Ohio-Two labor groups have announced they are launching modest ad campaigns in Ohio against Republican U.S. Sen. Rob Portman. One television ad from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees' PAC, hits Portman for his support of free trade.

Poll: Two-thirds of US would struggle to cover $1,000 crisis

Two-thirds of Americans would have difficulty coming up with the money to cover a $1,000 emergency, according to an exclusive poll released Thursday, a signal that despite years of recovery from the Great Recession, Americans' financial conditions remain precarious as ever. These financial difficulties span all income levels, according to the poll conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.