squaredawayblog

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Social safety net programs — particularly the Earned Income Tax Credit — support workers and decrease their reliance on disability benefits.

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Employer health plan costs have plateaued as more low-income workers have opted out of coverage, reducing the pressure on wages.

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A 1990s reform that toughened eligibility threatens not only the cash benefits but the Medicaid insurance that comes with it.

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The new FHA and VA mortgages slashed downpayments, opening up home buying to more young couples who wanted families.

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The agency has returned $20 billion to consumers victimized by financial fraud since its creation in 2011.

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The financial losses from fraud against the oldest workers and retirees have tripled since the pandemic. 

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Some 38 million family caregivers spend an estimated 36 billion hours a year caring for their loved ones. The federal and state assistance available to them doesn’t match up to the weight of this burden.

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This approach aims to help career women transition into a fulfilling post-work life.

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When workers unwittingly earn more than the program's monthly allowance, it must be paid back, often causing financial hardship.

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Applications for disability benefits declined nationwide. But many people who would've applied in person applied over the phone instead.  

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Workers in their 60s who have this employee benefit have more flexibility to deal with health crises - their own, a parent's, or a spouse's.

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Family caregivers say they prefer a policy that provides direct payments for their time over tax credits or other indirect subsidies. 

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People with disabilities, who usually don't work, say the COVID spike in inflation has made it more difficult to make ends meet. 

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Moving into a senior community can provide a more affordable living option and more opportunities for social interaction.

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The amounts workers accumulate in these IRAs over many years could exceed the asset cap on Medicaid coverage for retirees. One state has addressed this issue.

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The brief’s key findings are:

Life expectancy is a key consideration for retirement planning.

The uncertainty around this expectation, however, is what makes lifetime income sources like Social Security and annuities so valuable.

The analysis explores how the variance around average longevity has changed over time by race, education, and gender.

Most groups saw a modest increase in the variance, except for low-education Black men who saw a decline due to a drop in deaths at younger ages.

Importantly, Blacks and those with less education consistently show higher variance in lifespans, making lifetime income particularly valuable for them.

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Recent studies show that Black workers are often forced into an early retirement that further compromises their financial security.