Last week, most seemed doubtful that Members of Congress would successfully reach an agreement before the looming deadline due to demands from some lawmakers to attach hundreds of controversial policy riders to the package. However, this week, many are reporting that appropriators have narrowed down the list of policy riders to a more manageable number, and leaders in Congress seem surprisingly optimistic about the prospects of the massive omnibus..For the past 16 years, Johnson, has been helping friends and family members with the job of comparing health and drug plans. "It takes patience, but this is likely to be the best return on comparison shopping that you do all year," Johnson says. Here are some pointers:.The big dental expense is when you need more extensive work like crowns or root canals. Yet dental insurance often comes with waiting periods and won't cover fillings for the first six months of a policy and may not offer coverage for other procedures for up to 18 months. Many plans also have very low annual caps on care of ,000, meaning that once your dental bills exceed that amount you pay the rest of the bills in full..TSCL is pushing for "The Notch Fairness Act" legislation that would give Notch Babies born from 1917 through 1926 their choice of a lump-sum of ,000 payable in four annual installments or an improved monthly benefit. This legislation is now estimated to cost billion. Sponsorship of this legislation is building steadily, but we need your help. Please contact your Representative and ask for his or her support of "The Notch Fairness Act,"..The Social Security Administration adjusts the amount of your benefits based on what you estimate that you will earn. If you go back to work, let the Social Security Administration know right away. If other family members get benefits based on your work, your earnings may reduce their benefits too..Over the past four years, TSCL's surveys have found that about 9 out of 10 people receiving Social Security benefits report that their household spending rose by at least per month during the prior year. But that's just the tip of the iceberg. "Retirees need to plan for large monthly jumps in spending annually over the course of their retirement," Johnson says. In every year since 2014, the largest percentage of those people participating in TSCL annual Senior Surveys reported that their household spending jumped by more than 9 per month. Since 2014 annual COLAs grew a total of just 3.5 percent, averaging less than 0.9 percent per year. One factor in why retirees have such a gap between their COLA and spending is the consumer price index that the government uses to measure inflation and to determine the annual boost. "One would think that the CPI used to calculate COLAs for retirees would be based on seniors' spending patterns, but it is not," says Johnson. Instead, the COLA is determined by the growth in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers. Younger working adults spend a far smaller portion of their income on medical costs, which is the fastest growing category of the CPI in most years. On the other hand, younger working adults spend more on transportation and gasoline, categories that have gone down dramatically in recent years. "This tends to understate the inflation experienced by the majority of people receiving Social Security," notes Johnson..The COLA as currently calculated is failing to protect the buying power of the beneficiaries for whom it is intended. TSCL supports legislation, the 3% COLA Act, that would ensure a more fair and adequate COLA two ways. It would base the annual boost on an index that more accurately reflects of the costs of older Americans - the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly. In addition, the legislation would require an annual minimum COLA of no less than 3%..Pay special attention to the bathroom. Bathrooms are second to kitchen remodels for raising the selling price of your home. Modernizing the fixtures is a good idea, but don't rush to throw out that antique claw foot tub, check with your agent first. There are companies that can refinish those old tubs. Repair or replace leaky toilets and faucets. Repair or replace chipped tiles, replace caulking and grouting where necessary..Majority Of Retirees Would Raid Savings Or Borrow For Financial Emergencies Says New Poll By The Senior Citizens League
