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• Government, Taxes & Other Disasters
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• Q&A (from print)
• Social Security
• Taxes & Other Disasters

• Medicare, the Biggest Threat to Our Retirement Standard of Living

  By Scott Burns and Laurence J. Kotlikoff A recent column predicted that seniors would get the largest Social Security benefit increase in 25 years next January--- about 6 percent. It quickly drew fire from older readers. The 6 percent increase, they pointed... Posted Sep 12 2008, 03:00 PM by admin with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: Medicare & Generational Storm, Retirement, Taxes & Other Disasters

• Retirement Living Expenses vs. Health care Expenses

  A recent column, "Life is less expensive for older couples," brought a divided reader response. Carl J., a Houston reader, wrote: "It is the first time that I have seen something resembling the truth about retirement. I don't know where these people are... Posted Jun 06 2006, 10:53 AM by scottb with | with no comments Filed under: Medicare & Generational Storm, Retirement

• Making Good Use of an Expensive Universal Life Policy

  Q. We bought a universal life policy about 18 years ago in the amount of $155,000. Now the policy is being eaten up by charges as I get older. The cash value is now about the same as when we began, about $39,000. The cash value will be wiped out in about... Posted Mar 23 2006, 12:21 PM by scottb with | with no comments Filed under: I Bonds & Tips, Medicare & Generational Storm, Q&A (from print), Retirement

• A Model Government Plan

  "How does the federal Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) compare with industry plans?" So asks F.C., a San Antonio reader. Answer: It compares very, very well. Indeed, in "The Coming Generational Storm" (MIT Press, $17) Professor Laurence J. Kotlikoff and I suggest... Posted Aug 02 2005, 02:49 PM by scottb with | with no comments Filed under: Medicare & Generational Storm, Retirement, Social Security

• Squeezing the Working Generation

  The recently released 2005 Social Security Trustees Report, a 225 page document that will never be confused with the eagerly awaited "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince," contains a table you can use to foretell an important part of your future. Modestly... Posted Apr 21 2005, 02:02 PM by scottb with | with no comments Filed under: Medicare & Generational Storm, Retirement, Social Security

• Using A Life Annuity To Solve A Family Problem

  SANTA FE. The man sitting across from me at Zia Diner is Charles Padilla. He is a friend and neighbor, a man I have admired since we met over five years ago. Unlike me, a seasonal visitor from Texas, Charles can trace his roots back 200 years. His vision... Posted Aug 17 2004, 10:31 AM by scottb with | with no comments Filed under: Medicare & Generational Storm, Retirement

• The Billions Always Start With Pizza.

  Some things are inevitable. Like the word "topless," spelled in neon, in front of a strip joint. Or "American workers aren't saving enough" on the executive summary of retirement research. So it is with a new study from EBRI, the Washington, D.C. based... Posted Feb 15 2004, 03:06 PM by scottb with | with no comments Filed under: Medicare & Generational Storm, Retirement

• Mother, Daughter, Granddaughter

  It was a simple column. A woman in her late fifties asked if I could "explain today's economic realities to an 86 year-old." The 86 year-old was her mother. So I detailed some of the differences between generations. A torrent of reader rage followed.... Posted Jun 10 2003, 11:48 AM by scottb with | with no comments Filed under: Government, Taxes & Other Disasters, Medicare & Generational Storm, Retirement