Columnists

Social Security benefits are part of the retirement plan of almost every American worker. If you’re among the many people covered under Social Security, you should know what your future benefit may be. Monthly benefit payments will likely be an important part of your retirement income. We base your benefit payment on how much you…

Our nation has seen – for the good or for the bad – the age of railroads pass. But that doesn’t mean we don’t witness our share of online train wrecks. The worst come when uninformed folks decide to tackle important public issues on social media, and a single inflammatory post can become a playground…

Rather than focusing on one subject, I will shoot from the hip this time. The following are a few random problems on which to ponder. Please investigate further. In 2025 the Trump tax cut will expire. If Congress is Republican, there is an excellent chance the cut will be extended, but if Congress is Democrat,…

So I was watching a rerun episode of a long-running, animated program the other night, and the matriarch of the cartoon family made essentially the following remark: ‘I learned that one person can make a difference, but most of the time they probably shouldn’t.’ The observation caps an episode during which the character has led…

Some people who receive monthly Social Security benefits or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments may need help managing their money. When we receive information that indicates you need help, we’ll work with you to find the most suitable representative payee to manage your benefits. A representative payee is someone who receives your monthly benefit payment…

When you’re a kid, your parents aren’t really people. They don’t have wants, desires or dreams. They vacillate wildly and arbitrarily from knowing everything about the world when you’re younger to — seemingly always about 14 years in or so — knowing absolutely nothing about anything. My dad turns 79 today. Which I’m sure he’s…

Recently I was elected to a couple of prestigious positions in the journalism community. Over the summer I was elected to the Board of Directors of the International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors followed by an election this past week as treasurer for the Missouri Press Association. You might wonder how do I have time…

Retirement is not one-size-fits-all. It can mean different things to different people. Perhaps you have not applied for Social Security retirement benefits because you’re still working or are delaying applying so you can get the higher benefit. If you’re age 70 or older, you should apply now for the benefits you’re owed. Your benefits will…

Stuck to the bottom right corner of my computer screen is a black-and-white photo of my wife and myself, our engagement picture as it ran in the paper. When I say stuck, I mean that the photo stays attached to the corner of the monitor screen because a piece of clear tape affixes it. Before…

The founders did a darn good job with creating our political system, but they erred twice in my opinion. One oversight was in not naming term limits for members of the House and Senate; the other was not placing age limits on the same bodies, SCOTUS and the presidency. I realize at the time the…