Thursday, February 23, 2023

Taxes in Retiremnet: Alabama taxes groceries!

Eliminating state grocery tax would make life better for Alabama families

Alabama’s sales tax on groceries is a cruel tax on survival, particularly in times of economic insecurity. It increases hunger rates and drives struggling Alabamians deeper into poverty. Two bills in the 2022 regular session – SB 43 by Sen. Andrew Jones, R-Centre, and HB 173 by Rep. Mike Holmes, R-Wetumpka – would end the state grocery tax while protecting school funding. The graph below shows how millions of Alabamians would benefit.

Reference: Alabama Arise

Taxes in retirement,Alabama, Grocery Tax, States that tax essential goods,retirement,Destruction of Retirees,





Tuesday, February 21, 2023

More Pretend Legislation to Make You Think Politicians are Trying to Standardize the annual annuity COLA for retired federal workers

Lawmakers Try Again to Standardize Cost of Living Raises for Federal Retirees

Article Excerpt: "The Equal COLA Act would ensure that federal retirees in the Federal Employees Retirement System and the Civil Service Retirement System both receive the same annual percentage cost of living increase each year. Currently, the CSRS calculates cost of living adjustments based on the annual change in the third quarter consumer price index for workers, just like Social Security. But FERS COLAs are based on an extrapolation from that figure..."



Resource: www.govexec.com

CSRS vs FERS,Age Discrimination,Standardize the annual annuity COLA for retired federal workers,COLA Discrimination,





Wednesday, February 15, 2023

50+ Essential Retirement Statistics for 2023

50+ Essential Retirement Statistics for 2023

Article Excerpt: "...the data on every angle of retirement and compiled the most important statistics below. Read on to learn about what today’s retirees face, from financial challenges to lifestyle decisions and more. ...Sixty-two is the current retirement age, and the estimated retirement age for current workers is 64. Thirty-six percent of older homeowners spent at least one-third of their income on housing, compared to 76 percent of older renters. Of retired U.S. adults, 57 percent rely on Social Security income. Average health care spending in 2020 was $6,668 for retirees"



Resource: www.annuity.org

Retirement Statistics for 2023,Financial Stats (Retirement),Stats,Rent vs Own,Average health care spending in Retirement,




Jan. 2023 CPI Reports: Year-over-year CPI rose 6.4%; Core CPI increased 0.4% monthly and 5.6% from a year ago

Article Excerpt: "Let's get you up to speed on inflation. It picked up in the first month of the year. January's consumer price index showed a 0.5% increase in prices over the past month. Rising shelter and energy costs a big reason why. Year-over-year CPI rose 6.4%. Economists had expected prices to climb 6.2% over the year. Core CPI, which strips out the more volatile food and energy prices, increased 0.4% monthly and 5.6% from a year ago. Forecast called for a 5.5% annual increase."



Resource: yahoo.com

Inflation 2023, CPI Jan. 2023,


The Facts From BLS.GOV: CPI for all items rises 0.5% in January 2023 as shelter increases

Thursday, February 2, 2023

Biden’s fixation on cutting Social Security dates back to the Reagan era

Biden’s fixation on cutting Social Security dates back to the Reagan era

Article Excerpt: "...“I tried with Senator Grassley back in the 1980s to freeze all government spending, including Social Security, including everything,” Biden said in 1995. ...“When I argued that we should freeze federal spending, I meant Social Security as well,” he told the Senate in 1995. “I meant Medicare and Medicaid. I meant veterans’ benefits. I meant every single solitary thing in the government. And I not only tried it once, I tried it twice, I tried it a third time, and I tried it a fourth time.” (A freeze would have reduced the amount that would be paid out, cutting the program’s benefit.)" ...Biden himself, at least on his campaign website, now supports making Social Security more generous, not less. But that’s at odds with decades of his own advocacy, a record that could become a major political liability



Resource: theintercept.com

Biden’s fixation on cutting Social Security, Social Security Cut Quotes from Biden,





Remember before Biden when border patrol had hiring standards? Time to lower the bar to hire Biden-Minions.

Amid Border Patrol recruitment crisis, bill aims to drop polygraph requirement for some applicants

Article Excerpt: "Bill would waive Border Patrol polygraph mandate for some police, military applicants..."



Resource: www.foxnews.com

Standards you had to live by vs Biden America Plan, Dredging the Bottom for Employees,


Monday, January 30, 2023

Joe Biden Has Called for Social Security Benefit Cuts 2 Times

Joe Biden Has Called for Social Security Benefit Cuts 2 Times

Article Excerpt: "...a vital source of income during retirement. According to surveys conducted by national pollster Gallup, nearly 90% of current retirees lean on their Social Security income to make ends meet. ...1. Biden leaves the door open to raise the full retirement age, 2. Joe Biden calls for means-testing"



Resource: www.msn.com

Biden Social Security Cuts, Raise the full retirement age for Social Security (Biden),





Debt Ceiling Update: McCarthy said no cuts to Medicare and Social Security; Biden insisting negotiating is off the table

The One Big Lesson Biden Learned About the Debt Ceiling

...once again threatening a debt-ceiling debacle, President Biden is singing a much harsher tune than his younger self. The very idea of negotiating, he’s insisting, is off the table. Obama’s Council of Economic Advisors that fateful summer...what we learned in 2011, we switched to a new way of approaching the debt limit.” That year’s federal-government credit-rating downgrade, collapse in consumer confidence, and spiking interest rates are front of mind for Biden...Back then, “we saw some upside to negotiation, and considerable upside in a grand bargain,” said Furman, who went on to serve as Obama’s chair of the Council of Economic Advisers and now teaches at Harvard. McCarthy has said he won’t demand cuts to Medicare and Social Security...

Reference: nymag.com







Saturday, January 28, 2023

The Demographic Outlook: 2022 to 2052

The Demographic Outlook: 2022 to 2052

Article Excerpt: "...population growth is increasingly driven by net immigration flows. ...The agency then adjusted that initial forecast to incorporate the effects of COVID-19 on mortality rates. Through 2042, that adjustment increases mortality rates for older people, who are more likely to die from COVID-19...."



Resource: www.cbo.gov

Demographic Outlook: 2022 to 2052





Baby Boomer: Definition, Years, Date Range, Retirement & Preparation

Baby Boomer: Definition, Years, Date Range, Retirement & Preparation

Article Excerpt: "... "Baby boomer" is a term used to describe a person who was born between 1946 and 1964. The baby boomer generation makes up a substantial portion of the world's population, especially in developed nations. According to the latest census report, it represents 73 million of the population in the United States, as of July 2019. As the largest generational group in U.S. history (until the millennial generation slightly surpassed them), baby boomers have had—and continue to have—a significant impact on the economy. As a result, they are often the focus of marketing campaigns and business plans. ..."



Resource: www.investopedia.com

Baby Boomer





The Great Retirement: Who Is Most Likely to Retire?

The Great Retirement: Who Are the Retirees?

Article Excerpt: "...focuses on the continued exit from the labor force of workers, primarily those age 65 and older. ...The rate of retirements exceeds that predicted by the demographic shift of baby boomers into retirement." Veterans were more likely to be retired versus nonveterans, especially among those workers ages 65 to 74. ...



Resource: www.stlouisfed.org

The Great Retirement, Baby Boomers, Veterans, Retirement,





Thursday, January 26, 2023

What is ‘Ozempic face’? Doctors warn about facial ageing side effect of diabetes medications

What is ‘Ozempic face’? Doctors warn about facial ageing side effect of diabetes medications

Article Excerpt: "In recent months, injectable prescription medications such as Ozempic, Mounjaro and Wegovy, which were created for those with type 2 diabetes, have seen a rise in popularity among individuals who view the drugs as a quick-fix weight-loss method. ...doctors have now issued a warning about “Ozempic face,” a possible side effect of using the drugs..."



Resource: yahoo.com

Ozempic face, Aging, Medications, Diabetes Medications, Mounjaro, Wegovy, weight-loss,





Tuesday, January 24, 2023

The 2022 '1099R Statements of Annuity Paid' are now available.

The 2022 1099R Statements of Annuity Paid are now available.

Article Excerpt: Sign-in to OPM Services online to get your 1099R and get an early start on your taxes.



Resource: www.servicesonline.opm.gov

1099-R Tax Form,1099R, 1099-R 2022,Taxes in retirement,





Sunday, January 15, 2023

Social Security: What is the Windfall Elimination Provision & How Does it Affect Your Benefits?

Social Security: What is the Windfall Elimination Provision & How Does it Affect Your Benefits?

Article Excerpt: "...Affecting a small percentage of Social Security beneficiaries, the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) is a modified benefit formula that can reduce the size of your Social Security retirement or disability benefit if you receive a pension from a job in which your employer hadn’t withheld Social Security taxes from your salary...."



Resource: yahoo.com







Wednesday, January 11, 2023

The Pros and Cons of Renting vs. Owning in Retirement

The Pros and Cons of Renting vs. Owning in Retirement

Article Excerpt: "Americans want to retire early — at or around 62, according to a survey from Natixis Investment Managers. ...At first, it could seem like the obvious answer is that it is better to own, but there is actually a strong argument for both renting and owning. ..."



Resource: www.gobankingrates.com

Renting Flexibility,Mortgage Debt,Own vs Rent, Rent vs Own, Homeowners Have Higher Net Worth, Home-Ownership Can Be Cheaper Than Renting,