Social Security
Found 256 Articles.
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Key Social Security Mistakes
Social Security is an important part of retirement income, yet most people are mistaken about key elements of Social Security. This article discusses a recent survey by Nationwide Retirement Institute. The survey found most Americans are way off base on key parts of the program such as how much money they’re likely to receive from […]
Technology And The Future Of Wall Street
Human traders are being phased out of the stock markets and technology is taking over. This article describes how only three firms are in a position to develop and manage the technology needed to trade and manage all that trading. it talks about all the money the three firms are pouring into technology, their attempts […]
Social Security Shortchanges Widows, Widowers
Not for the first time, the Social Security Inspector General issued a report concluding that the Social Security Administration systematically shortchanges widows and widowers. Here’s how it works. When a spouse dies, a surviving spouse who is younger than age 70 has a choice to file only for a survivor’s benefit now and to later […]
Social Security Underpays Widowed Beneficiaries
For the second time in four years and third time since 2008, the Social Security Office of the Inspector General concluded that the agency is significantly underpaying benefits to widowed beneficiaries. The latest report found that it doesn’t tell surviving spouses that they can apply for survivor’s benefits before age 70 and delay receipt of […]
Stock Market Bubbles – The Tulip Mania Revised
Most people who’ve done any reading on investing have come across the Dutch Tulip Bulb Mania of the 1630s. It often is considered to be the first financial bubble and the classic example of manias, financial delusions, and other mental mistakes. This article says that everything we’ve been told about the tulip mania is wrong. […]
The Inevitability of Lower Stock Market Returns
To earn decent investment returns in the future, you’re going to have to diversify out of equities. The Philosophical Economist is back with a long article going into great detail to explain why most pension funds aren’t going to be able to achieve the 7.5% annual investment return that’s baked into their actuarial assumptions. Keep […]
Byron Wein Surveys the World – 8 Important Stock Market Indicators
In his latest monthly commentary, the Blackstone economic analyst reports on his recent travels around the globe and review of the economic data. He’s generally positive for both the U.S. and most other countries. There aren’t too many specific investment ideas in this essay, only a detailed commentary on the economic and political situations in […]
What Could Go Wrong with the Stock Market?
Bloomberg interviewed a number of long-time professional investors and asked them what worries them. Things are going well now, but another crash is possible. Each identifies the factor they think could cause another deep dive in the markets. One of Tad Rivelle’s favorite charts shows the widening gap between the value of U.S. household assets and […]
