CHICAGO (Reuters) – Last October seniors got some really good news about their Social Security cost-of-living adjustment. This October? Not so much.

This year seniors have benefited from the robust 3.6 percent 2012 Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). Adding to the good news, they learned Medicare premiums wouldn’t take much of a nick out of their inflation raise.

CHICAGO, Oct 11 (Reuters) – Last October seniors got some
really good news about their Social Security cost-of-living
adjustment. This October? Not so much.

This year seniors have benefited from the robust 3.6 percent
2012 Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). Adding to
the good news, they learned Medicare premiums wouldn’t take much
of a nick out of their inflation raise.

CHICAGO (Reuters) – Numerous surveys show that U.S. workers are deeply pessimistic about their ability to save enough for a secure retirement. But it turns out their bosses are pretty worried, too.

Only 14 percent of employees say they are confident they’ll have enough money to retire, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute.

CHICAGO (Reuters) – Premiums for many popular Medicare prescription drug plans will soar next year – but seniors don’t have to take the rate hikes lying down.

The annual plan enrollment period for Medicare Part D starts October 15 and runs through December 7, so seniors have time to shop around. Seven of the top 10 plans will have double-digit percentage increases next year, according to Avalere Health, a healthcare consulting and research company. More than 80 percent of Part D beneficiaries are in these plans; Avalere data shows that 5.9 million will pay double-digit increases next year if they don’t switch. That’s a whopping 29 percent of all Part D enrollees.

CHICAGO, Sept 14 (Reuters) – Is California about to set the
country’s retirement saving system on its ear?

The state has often set trends for the country in areas
ranging from the environment to food and popular culture. Now,
California is moving toward launching an innovative new approach
to retirement saving that addresses two key problems facing
Americans: the lack of workplace pension programs among small
businesses and the structural shortcomings of 401(k) plans.

CHICAGO, Sept 12 (Reuters) – Possible changes to Medicare
and Social Security have become the top political concern for
older U.S. voters this year – and not just because of the
effect on their own pocketbooks.

This is national Grandparents Week, a good time to ask how
the presidential candidates’ reform plans would affect not just
today’s older people but also their children and grandchildren.

CHICAGO, Sept 6 (Reuters) – Here’s the $64,000 question on
the Republican plan to voucherize Medicare: Can consumer choice
and market competition drive down Medicare costs?

The Romney-Ryan presidential campaign ticket thinks so. If
they are right, seniors might not have to pony up thousands of
additional dollars per year for the cost of Medicare beyond the
voucher’s value. If wrong, there will be a massive cost shift to
seniors to make up for the market’s failure.

CHICAGO (Reuters) – Prior to 2008, many baby boomers assumed they were set for retirement. They would fund those golden years by tapping into their homes if they hadn’t saved enough in their 401(k) plans.

But home equity no longer looks like a safe Plan B for a fast-growing group of pre-retirees and seniors.

CHICAGO (Reuters) – Now that the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled on healthcare reform, the front line of the battle moves to the states. Some are vowing to resist implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), while others are moving full speed ahead. And the stakes for uninsured Americans are enormous.

In states that do not implement their own public insurance exchanges, the federal government will step in. Federally sponsored exchanges will provide access to insurance for middle-income residents without employer-provided health insurance to buy policies with costs offset by subsidies.

CHICAGO, July 6 (Reuters) – Consumer advocates, government
regulators and watchdogs have been warning seniors for several
years about the risks associated with reverse mortgages. Now,
the red flags are being hoisted significantly higher.

The new federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)
has issued a report signaling a likely tightening of regulations
for reverse loans. Regulation of all mortgages was transferred
to the CFPB under the Dodd-Frank reform law. Congress also
instructed the agency to produce a detailed study on the reverse
loan market – and to issue new regulations if its research
uncovered unfair, deceptive or abusive practices.