poverty

Why Inflation Matters for Social Security

Posted on 12/13/2012 by | Social Security | Comments

Bulletin Today | Money & Savings | PoliticsOne of Social Security’s great strengths is that it offers meaningful protection against inflation. Each year, the program considers how prices are rising [as measured by the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers]. If prices go up, the Social Security benefits people have earned tend to be adjusted as well. For a typical household, this protection is huge – a point I tried to emphasize in my book, “Social Security for Dummies.” It helps people keep …

Digging Deeper on Changes to the Social Security COLA

Posted on 12/1/2012 by | AARP Blog Author | Comments

Money & Savings | PoliticsNo one with any common sense wants to see our politicians take us over the fiscal cliff. And I think most people with common sense also realize that Social Security, and the tougher issue of Medicare, are worth thoughtful debate and discussion so these vital programs can be put on stronger footing for future generations. However, when budget cutters take aim at today’s Social Security recipients, it’s time to ask questions and dig deeper into the fine print. A proposal …

New Census Measure Puts Number of Nation’s Poor at 49.7 Million

Posted on 11/15/2012 by | General News | Comments

Bulletin TodayBy Hope Yen of The Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The ranks of America’s poor edged up last year to a high of 49.7 million, based on a new census measure that takes into account medical costs and work-related expenses. The numbers released Wednesday by the Census Bureau are part of a newly developed supplemental poverty measure. Devised a year ago, this measure provides a fuller picture of poverty that the government believes can be used to assess safety-net programs …

Caring for the Poor and Disadvantaged – an Act of Kindness

Posted on 10/18/2012 by | Philanthropy & Fundraising | Comments

Volunteering | Your LifeCarlos Slim, the richest man in the world, was recently quoted as saying “We have seen donations for a hundred years … and the problems and poverty are bigger. They have not solved anything.”  I’m perplexed by this statement. If you are a type A personality (like I am), you may think to yourself that Slim may be right.  Though global poverty has decreased over the last five years, according to a Brookings Institute study, the number of fragile states is …

Visiting Southeast Asia to Seek Solutions to Isolation

Posted on 09/19/2012 by | Volunteering | Comments

Relationships | Volunteering | Your LifeThis is a guest post by Beth Casey. Beth is a program manager for AARP Foundation’s Isolation Impact Area team, which works to combat and prevent isolation in people age 50 and over. The challenges of the developing world are not so different from those faced by Americans age 50 and over, particularly the low-income segment of the 50+. Throughout the world, older adults struggle to live their lives with dignity and purpose – to continue to put food on …

Poverty More Likely As Adults Age

Posted on 04/30/2012 by | Money and Work | Comments

Bulletin Today | Home & Family | Money & SavingsOur fears about outliving our savings could become a reality if we live long enough. According to a new report,  about 11 percent of adults older than 65 lived in poverty in 2009, the latest year studied. But by age 85 and up, that figure rose to nearly 15 percent. Getting by on the bare minimum proved to be a greater struggle for those ages 50 to 64 as well. Poverty rates rose to more than 12 percent in 2009 from just under …

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