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Old 10-30-2013, 09:15 AM
 
31,680 posts, read 40,970,152 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GreenGene View Post
To put a positive spin on it ... something's better than nothing!

And if the chained CPI goes through, we'll be looking back on 1.5% as the good ol' days.
And young future SS recipients will see hope that progress is being made to keep SS viable for them. That is if they favor the current system.
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Old 10-30-2013, 09:31 AM
 
Location: High Cotton
6,125 posts, read 7,460,144 times
Reputation: 3657
Quote:
Originally Posted by GreenGene View Post
To put a positive spin on it ... something's better than nothing!

And if the chained CPI goes through, we'll be looking back on 1.5% as the good ol' days.
A positive spin can be put on literally anything, whether the spin is acceptacle or not...


Con: You walk down the street and a drunk driver hits you. You are paralyzed for the rest of you life.
Spin: You should be happy that you didn't die!
Spin: Assuming you went to a hospital and your medical bills were paid, wages were given to nurses and doctors so they can buy food and pay their bills!
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Old 10-30-2013, 09:48 AM
 
Location: Mass
22,184 posts, read 14,736,566 times
Reputation: 6771
Default Social Security benefits to go up by 1.5 percent

Social Security benefits to go up by 1.5 percent: Associated Press Business News - MSN Money

The predictions were true!
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Old 10-30-2013, 10:11 AM
 
Location: Sacramento
14,044 posts, read 27,165,238 times
Reputation: 7373
Us retirees are doing better than a very large percentage of the citizens, most who are struggling while working too.

At least we have a lot of time to lament stuff such as the increase in SS.
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Old 10-30-2013, 10:20 AM
 
Location: Mass
22,184 posts, read 14,736,566 times
Reputation: 6771
It will be interesting to see how much medicare increases.
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Old 10-30-2013, 10:32 AM
 
11,558 posts, read 12,021,989 times
Reputation: 17747
Quote:
Originally Posted by bobrainman View Post
Yes, and thankfully, Part B premium is to remain the same for 2014 as it already is for this year. That will help! (that was stated in the article, and let's pray it is true!)
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Old 10-31-2013, 11:25 AM
 
Location: Ohio
24,623 posts, read 19,105,746 times
Reputation: 21738
Okay, so BLS finally released the CPI-W and it's a lock at 1.5%

If you want to do this, it is really easy.

Social Security has CPI-W published here....

Consumer Price Index (CPI-W)

If you want to get your data from BLS, please remember this is CPI-W, and not CPI-U. For those who know how to manipulate the BLS data series, you can use CWUR0000SA0.

The BLS website can be a bit intimidating, but if you go to this page...

BLS Series Report : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Cut-n-paste CWUR0000SA0 into the box, click on the "Next->" button to get to the Format Options Page, and then ----if you want adjust the years...you can go back to 1913--- then click on "Retrieve Data" and a table will open up. Click on the link to get the Excel Spreadsheet.

Officially...

Mircea
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Old 10-31-2013, 12:30 PM
 
Location: Ohio
24,623 posts, read 19,105,746 times
Reputation: 21738
Quote:
Originally Posted by highcotton View Post
Social Security Benefits Up Just 1.5% in 2014

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)
Social Security benefits will rise only 1.5% next year, one of the smallest increase ever in the program's annual cost-of-living adjustment.

Quote:
Originally Posted by MadManofBethesda View Post
I'm sure it wasn't appreciated. Just as I'm sure that the author of the AP article wouldn't appreciate your snide comment that it looks like "someone" (who shall remain nameless, article author) didn't do so well in basic math. Especially, given the fact that no math error was made.

BTW, to what drama are you referring? It was a simple factual statement that 1.5% is among the lowest COLA increases. Any "drama" would be manufactured by an individual reading something into that statement, such as the poster who originally commented on the AP's "error" and you when you agreed with that poster.

Once again, it comes down to reading comprehension.
If you want, ask the moron from AP to come here and debate me on the issue....and it isn't a snide remark, it is a fact.

That is slanted, biased, prejudiced, bigoted classic propaganda journalism.

I'm a better journalist than that AP writer ever hopes to be a thousand lifetimes. I'll prove it.....

Social Security COLA increase set at 1.5% for 2014

....see?

Where is the bias? The slant? The spin? The prejudice? The bigotry? The propaganda and disinformation?

Nowhere to be be found. I took a completely neutral approach. I did not falsely imply or mislead readers by suggesting that COLA is a guaranteed automatic entitlement, nor did I falsely imply that there was something inherently wrong with a 1.5% COLA increase, or did I mislead and lie to people by indicating that "just 1.5%" was somehow substandard or deficient in some way.

I'm hoping people can comprehend that.

Quote:
Originally Posted by seeth View Post
You did not read my words carefully. For ever $10 COLA dollars I get, $20 goes out. My rent goes up, food stamps go down. I make less when given more.
Quote:
Originally Posted by seeth View Post
Thank you for this information, but for some reason in CT, there is none of this. They will take up to $2, on each $1 of COLA, after CT agencies get to me.
My pleasure. I cannot speak to your specific situation, as I am not an expert in HUD. However, I can tell you that cities and/or counties often operate a "Metropolitan Housing Authority" and that many States have a subsidized housing program, or a supplement to either HUD or to a MHA, and that cities, counties and States also operate joint programs with HUD.

It may be that in your situation, you have HUD with a supplement from either your State or your county/city, and the lesser levels of government may actually be the ones collecting the amount. If it is a concern, you might want to consider contacting your local HUD office.

Comprehending...


Mircea
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Old 10-31-2013, 01:38 PM
 
Location: Ohio
24,623 posts, read 19,105,746 times
Reputation: 21738
Quote:
Originally Posted by luvmyhoss View Post
the problem as I see it is by what means are they going to test us?
Quote:
Originally Posted by NewToCA View Post
Also, I expect means testing to become part of the formula too, especially for those not yet receiving benefits.
You already are means-tested, and the means they are using is a tax on Social Security benefits when income exceeds $25,000 for a single person annually, and an higher rate for married couples.

The means test is the Taxation of Benefits, and the money collected goes directly to the Social Security Administration.

The amount gained is dependent on the month in question. Generally, SSA collects about $15 Million per month through means-testing, but you'll note that for April 2013, SSA collected $6.034 Billion via means-testing (because of the tax filing deadline).

On chained CPI....

Quote:
Originally Posted by GreenGene View Post
And if the chained CPI goes through, we'll be looking back on 1.5% as the good ol' days.
Quote:
Originally Posted by NewToCA View Post
I have little doubt chained CPI is going to be a reality for cost of living increases within the next few years.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lenora View Post
It is my strong belief that the Chained CPI will replace the CPI-W.
Y'all need to print this...

Quote:
Originally Posted by BLS2753 View Post
Chained CPI is the least of potential evils. It's the equivalent of loosing a slice of bread, when there are entities that want to take away your entire dinner.
....and tack it to your refrigerator door.

Chained CPI is a Red-Herring, and probably because no one understands it, and the fact that bigoted AP reporters spew propaganda doesn't help.

Those of you who have issues with the CPI-thing, there's a very simple solution.....it's called the Constitution of the United States of America.

Before you read that most excellent document, you might want to learn the differences between the three different organizational structures of government, namely, the Federal System, the Confederal System, and the Unitary System (and no ---- we don't use Wikipuki to do that).

There are 1,539 separate functioning economies in the united States.

These 1,539 separate functioning economies are unique in many respects. For example, in one of those 1,539 separate functioning economies, if you as a single person have an annual income of $9,101 then you DO NOT qualify for HUD subsidized housing assistance.....you will be flat out rejected.

Yet...as bizarre as it may be....you can live in one of the 1,539 separate functioning economies and as a single person, you can earn as much as $53,490 and move into your tax-payer subsidized HUD housing tomorrow.

Why is that?

Why would a single person be rejected for earning more than $9,100 in one place, but gladly accepted earning $53,490 in another place?

Because there are 1,539 separate functioning economies in the united States....and the Cost-of-Living in the united States varies that much....

.....$44,390

So, in one part of the united States, earning the federal foisted minimum wage...

$7.25/Hour * 40 Hours = $290 per Week * 52 Weeks = $15,080 = REJECTED/DENIED HUD BENEFITS

Why?

Because the Cost-of-Living is so damn low, that the federal minimum wage gives you Middle Class Life-Style.

So.......$1,100 per Month Social Security = REJECTED/DENIED HUD BENEFITS in some areas of the united States...

...but you're going to give those people a 1.5% Cost-of-Living increase?

Why? They don't necessarily need it. And the person living in the area where a single person can have an annual income up to $53,490 and have tax-payers pay their rent.....are they even going to notice a 1.5% increase?

In many parts of the US, the Cost-of-Living has declined, not increased. Remember the CPI-W is merely the average of 87 US cities...meaning some are less, and some are more.

For those who don't like it.....start obeying and complying with your Constitution, and the first thing you need to do is divest the federal government of Social Security and transfer that program to your State (or Commonwealth) and then you won't have these problems.

35 US States had social-security-like programs, and then Emperor Roosevelt nationalized them into one....and how's that working out for everyone? It could be working better, but not if the federal government continues to run it.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bideshi View Post
I predict that the incessant downward pressure on wages and benefits throughout society will have a restraining effect on the rise in cost of living. It could turn out that the chained CPI will not hurt us as badly as we imagine.
Well, there's a failed prediction guaranteed and destined to fail....it already has failed.

When Center-Mass shifts from Southeast Asia to Southwest Asia, and then as development expands in Central Asia, it will constantly strain the demand-side of the equation, causing prices to continue to rise.

That condition will persist until Center-Mass reaches the Indian Ocean Basin.

Economically....

Mircea
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Old 10-31-2013, 02:09 PM
 
Location: Ohio
24,623 posts, read 19,105,746 times
Reputation: 21738
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fran66 View Post
In any case, I'm done. I did what I set out to do -- to make people realize that no matter what the 2014 SS COLA is -- it's pretty insignificant.
I missed the part where you showed that section, paragraph or sub-paragraph of the law that says you are guaranteed a COLA increase.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Fran66 View Post
What I'm not wrong about is an incorrect rate of inflation. I don't personally know anyone (personally) who doesn't know that it's much higher than the official one.
Sorry, but you are wrong. People's perceptions are grotesquely flawed, which is why we gather hard concrete data instead of asking people if they think prices are rising.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Fran66 View Post
You know the answer. No one -- no one -- wants the old and elderly around. Not even their kids want them around.
What I'm hearing is that you failed to raise your children properly and instill conservative values in them, and now you're complaining because they are doing exactly what you taught them to do.

Quote:
Originally Posted by newenglandgirl View Post
Some corporations have been quoted as not wanting or needing a subsidy. As an aside, do you see a whole lot of hiring at home lately?

Ex-Shell CEO Says Big Oil Can Live Without Subsidies - NationalJournal.com
Would you like to guess why they are called Royal Dutch Shell?

That's because Shell is a foreign oil company, from the Netherlands and not a US oil company.

Quote:
Originally Posted by newenglandgirl View Post
Contemplate the paltry COLA.....
...which is paltry only for some Americans, typically those that live in areas where there is an high Cost-of-Living.

Quote:
Originally Posted by newenglandgirl View Post
... and the threats to SS and Medicare in the context of the fact that some $92 billion is spend annually on corporate subsidies. What is the total budget for SS?
I can only address your question in general terms. To give you a direct answer, I would need to know specifically which subsidies you are referring.

Because we have a lot of bigoted journalists (like the AP journalist), some subsidies truly are "pork" but some subsidies have the effect of lowering the price for you the consumer.

Case in point being the ethanol subsidies. Those subsidies were rebates to you, and when they ended, gasoline prices increased, because the price of ethanol increased, because ethanol was no longer being subsidized.

Eliminating the oil subsidies would result in an increase in gasoline prices, perhaps even oil prices.

As an oil company, I bid on the right to explore geologic tracts of land in other States. In other words, I just don't buy a plane ticket to Uzbekistan, rent a Land-Rover and start driving around looking for oil.

It costs $10s of Millions, even $Billions just for the right to poke my nose around, and if I find oil, I get nothing. Then I have to bid on the royalty rights, and then I have to bid on the drilling rights, etc etc etc.

It is not free.

What you all ignore is the fact that other oil companies...like Total (France)... are subsidized by their respective governments, and then you have government-owned oil companies...like Norway's Statoil....that are subsidized 100%.

We ain't talking about Chevron poking around Oklahoma for oil and competing against Marathon, or Exxon who are also poking around Oklahoma.

This is global.....I notice lots of people have trouble grasping the concept of "global."

You might want to think about US oil companies competing globally against subsidized foreign oil companies, many being State-owned.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Fran66 View Post
On Nov.1, food stamps are going to be cut. People are angry -- but how much 'hell-raising' have you seen?
Perhaps subconsciously those people know they are wrong....which is why they are not protesting. Just be glad I'm not running the show, because if I would be, no one in the US would get Food Stamps unless they resided in a non-related multifamily household.

Quote:
Originally Posted by TuborgP View Post
You might want to include the following in your readings especially in you missed it during the 2012 cycle.
Those are horrid ideas that won't work, and seriously, the CBO?

The UE Rate was 5% in October 2012? Really? I blasted the CBO for that stupidity waaaay back in 2010.

Only a stupid moron would have the dumbness to make an idiotic claim that the UE Rate would be 5% by October 2012. I won't even go into CBO's totally failed predictions on Obamacare.

Significantly....

Mircea
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