[Micheal]

Well, they announced yesterday that those on SS will be getting a 1.7 percent increase come January.....
According to those that keep track it amounts to an AVERAGE of bout 20 bucks per individual.

Wow! guess it's better than nothing?

 

[Belfrybat]

Yes, it is a lot better than nothing, and I for one, am glad it is as large as it is. Mine should be around $19.00, and that buys a lot -- a half a tank of gas, or a week's worth of vegetables, or a week's worth of electricity, or 20 cans of Chef Boyardee ravioli -- almost a whole month's worth!!! The latter is a terrible addiction of mine.

 

[MoonShadows]

Hey...1.7 increase is better than any raise I've received at work in the past few years...and, we have a union!

 

[Nevada]

Well, they announced yesterday that those on SS will be getting a 1.7 percent increase come January.....
According to those that keep track it amounts to an AVERAGE of bout 20 bucks per individual.

Wow! guess it's better than nothing?

I'm guessing that inflation is more like 7%. Yes, 1.7% is better than nothing but we need to make this up sooner or later.

 

[Janis R]

Last time SS gave us a raise my husband was $2.00 over the limit to receive assistance for his meds, lost food stamps.

 

[sisterpine]

Some good some bad news.....just like life huh.

 

[Darren]

Face it. If the feds admitted what the real inflation rate was, Congress would have a big problem on their hands. Over the years they've become really good at sweeping inconvenient things under the rug. Works for them. Doesn't work for us. It's pretty obvious the governed don't count.

 

[1shotwade]

last year it was only 1.3% BUT, the year before was 4%.Every little bit helps!

Wade

 

[Belfrybat]

last year it was only 1.3% BUT, the year before was 4%.Every little bit helps!

Wade

And there was nothing the two years prior to the large increase. So, would we rather have 1.7% or nothing?

 

[mnn2501]

Why the official government inflation rate is completely bogus:

The all-items inflation rate represents everything people spend money on: haircuts, plane tickets, medical care, clothes -- you name it. But, that number is puffed up by the pesky necessities -- food and energy. So those two categories are discarded when calculating the core inflation rate.

and

Food prices increased at nearly twice the rate of core inflation over the past year, rising 1.8 percent compared to the core inflation rate of 1 percent for the year ending in January.

But that's nothing compared to fuel costs. "The big culprit has been energy prices, which are up 7.3 percent" over the same time frame.

emphasis mine

from: http://www.bankrate.com/finance/personal-finance/is-inflation-higher-than-you-think-1.aspx

 

[ceresone]

Seniors get a 1.7% raise, just enough to cut help on med's, etc. Then, last night on the news, I saw Pasta had raised prices by 7%-and--this is only one item.
Frankly, most of us would have been better without a raise!

 

[Nevada]

Seniors get a 1.7% raise, just enough to cut help on med's, etc. Then, last night on the news, I saw Pasta had raised prices by 7%-and--this is only one item.
Frankly, most of us would have been better without a raise!

We're not going to be able to avoid inflation. The government needs it to dwarf debt. Our only hope is that we get enough raises to keep our heads above water. If inflation is inevitable then raises are a good thing.

 

[haley1]

Like moon said, more then we are getting in the working world.
For the last 40 years there has been talk of ss going under and everyone should save up for retirement. Why don't people save up more? Why do some retires still have mortgages?

 

[Nate_in_IN]

That's odd. The amount taken FROM my paycheck has gone up 12.4%.

 

[Nevada]

Like moon said, more then we are getting in the working world.
For the last 40 years there has been talk of ss going under and everyone should save up for retirement. Why don't people save up more? Why do some retires still have mortgages?

It's not easy to convince people in their 20s & 30s that retirement is ever going to happen.

 

[haley1]

It's not easy to convince people in their 20s & 30s that retirement is ever going to happen.

I'm glad my parents taught us to when we were young, guess lots of this again comes to parenting.... or kids not listening

My parents are in late 70's and early 80's and still have 3 acres of garden and make over 20k a year selling at farmers market...... and complain they saved up to much for retirement because they have to cash out investments when they don't want to to avoid penalties

I want them to take more trips and spend it and enjoy themselves

 

[ET1 SS]

I dont pay into Income taxes, so I guess I am fortunate. [my pension is not large enough to be taxed]

Fortunately I have found that my pension, though being small enough to not be taxed, is enough to support a family [so far]. So I can not complain.

Gardening helps.

 

[ceresone]

And--it's impossible to predict accident's-and cancer-which devastates savings FAST!

 

[ET1 SS]

And--it's impossible to predict accident's-and cancer-which devastates savings FAST!

Good point.

I just had prostate surgery on the 14th of October. From the first blood test that indicated an issue, through all the scans, biopsies, surgery and hospital stay, beginning to end it took 10-weeks. So far only the first co-pay bill has arrived.

I suspect there to be many bills arriving in the next few weeks.

 

[Bentley]

Good point.

I just had prostate surgery on the 14th of October. From the first blood test that indicated an issue, through all the scans, biopsies, surgery and hospital stay, beginning to end it took 10-weeks. So far only the first co-pay bill has arrived.

I suspect there to be many bills arriving in the next few weeks.

ET1 SS, sorry to read about your PCa. I went through the same thing in 2010. Interesting thing was that my psa was still low at 3.07. But it had gone up slightly so I was uncomfortable with my family docs recommendation to wait another year. Went to see my Uro, who did " the" finger exam and felt a nodule. The rest is history...biopsy.." You've got an aggressive cancer sir". Surgery to remove the Prostate. Pathology confirmed a Gleason 9.... Dang it! Anyway, 2010 through 2012 was spent doing Lupron hormone therapy. So far my psa has been non detect. Thank the Lord!

What was your gleason and psa? Was your Cancer contained in the prostate ?

Hope you are doing well. If you want to read about other fellows situations check out www.healingwell.com. Go to forums, then choose Prostate cancer, and then there is tons of posts to read.

Good luck