Defend against scammers who target your Social Security number

An older woman sitting on a couch and talking on the phone.

by Cheryl Tudino, Social Security Public Affairs Specialist, special to RINewsToday Scammers are always finding new ways to steal your money and personal information by exploiting your fears.  The most effective way to defeat scammers is to know how to identify scams and to ignore suspicious calls and emails.   One common tactic scammers use is…

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Social Security learns from remote experience, plans field office openings – Herb Weiss

A stack of papers on a wooden table.

By Herb Weiss, contributing writer on aging issues On March 17, 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic rapidly spread throughout the nation, the Social Security Administration  (SSA) issued a press release announcing that its offices would only offer phone service and online services. However, in-person appointments at SSA were scheduled for critical issues, specifically for those who were without…

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A Sacred Trust – moves to strengthen Social Security – Herb Weiss

The capitol building in washington, dc at dusk.

By Herb Weiss, contributing writer on aging issues Almost two weeks ago, House Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee Chairperson John B. Larson (D-Conn.) threw H.R. 5723, the Social Security 2100: A Sacred Trust, into the legislative hopper. During its unveiling in the historic committee room of the House Ways and Means Social Security subcommittee, the…

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A call to Congress to strengthen, expand Social Security & Medicare – Herb Weiss

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By Herb Weiss, contributing writer on aging issues The 2021 Annual Report of the Board of Trustees of the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI)) and the Social Security Disability trust fund (SSDI), released last week, gives Congress this stark warning: the Social Security Trust fund is heading toward insolvency in 13 years while SSDI will…

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“There’s a New Sheriff in Town” at SSA – Herb Weiss

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“There’s a New Sheriff in Town” at SSA By Herb Weiss, contributing writer on aging issues Photo: Kilolo Kijakazi, Urban Institute President Joe Biden has asked two political holdovers from the President Trump’s administration, Social Security Commissioner Andrew Saul and his deputy, David Black, who had previously served as the agency’s top lawyer, to resign. Saul…

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AARP Fights Consumer Fraud – by Herb Weiss

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AARP Continues its Fight Against Consumer Fraud   By Herb Weiss  Every year, fraudsters continue to operate government imposter scams falsely claim to be from federal agencies, including the Internal Revenue Service, Social Security Administration, to get people to turn over money or personal information. Every year, hundreds of thousands of Americans continue to fall…

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Social Security ‘21 COLA Increase Anemic

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By Herb Weiss, contributing writer on aging issues With the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) announcement of next year’s Social Security and Supplemental Security Income’s (SSI) meager cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), over 70 million beneficiaries will only see an increase of 1.3 percent in their monthly checks in 2021.  Last year’s COLA increase was 2.8 percent, the…

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Social Security – the Third Rail in Politics

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By Herb Weiss, contributing writer on aging As Congress begins to hammer out the fifth coronavirus stimulus package to continue its efforts to jump start the nation’s economy, President Donald Trump warns he will not sign any bill that does not include a payroll tax cut.   “We’re not doing anything without a payroll tax cut,”…

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The Coronavirus and its Effect on Social Security

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By Herb Weiss, contributing writer on aging As the coronavirus (COVID-19) spreads across the nation, the Social Security Administration (SSA) and other federal agencies strive to cope with meeting the huge challenges they face resulting from the unexpected pandemic outbreak, attempting to juggle worker safety while maintaining their daily operations. On March 19, Key House…

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