Missouri Social Security Benefit

The latest on flooding

Grant Gibbs approached Court 2 at the Omaha Sports Academy on Thursday night, a shiny smile on the Creighton junior-to-be’s face. He exchanged hellos and handshakes with some buddies before his Metro Summer League basketball game. Even came over to say hey to a reporter. When asked if he was ready to roll, Gibbs’ expression only grew...

Trails close: The Iowa Riverfront Trails north and south of the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge have been closed, said Art Hill, a spokesman for the City of Council Bluffs. The bridge, which connects Council Bluffs and Omaha, remains open. Stretches of Indian Creek Trail and Lake Manawa Trail in Council Bluffs also are closed.

Sewer backups: Omaha officials are trying to determine if residents who live in areas other than parts of north and South Omaha are at risk for sewer backups in their basements. Marty Grate, environmental services manager with the Public Works Department, said Wednesday he's working with consultants to determine what neighborhoods, based on historical data, are likely to be vulnerable in the event of heavy rain. So far, officials have identified parts of the city susceptible to backups, especially properties in the low-lying areas near the city's wastewater facility and the Missouri River. Grate hopes to have the information in the next day or two.

Business alert: Members of the Omaha Coalition of Citizen Patrols were handing out fliers Wednesday to businesses in the 11th and Nicholas Streets area, urging them to prepare for standing water. Officials said the area, which is north of Cuming Street, is low-lying and deemed vulnerable by the city's engineering department to surface-pooling waters. Standing water may appear at businesses because recent rains and rising Missouri River floodwaters have left the storm-sewer system full. City officials said they have installed pumps to help relieve the pressure in the sewer system, and additional pumps are on order. Businesses were urged to develop a flood communication and evacuation plan; take steps to remove possessions from basements and low areas; and look for opportunities to protect structures from floodwaters. Dumont said the volunteers received a positive response for their efforts from the businesses.

Jail break: The Iowa Department of Corrections will send six inmates and guards to sandbag near Onawa rest stops along Interstate 29.

Insecure About Your Social Security? - Kansas & Missouri Estate ...

I am part of that generational elephant moving through the garden hose of American demographics. Yes, I am a baby boomer, born in 1959. Accordingly, I have watched (with particular interest) all of the shenanigans politicians, of all stripes, have played with the social security "lock box" throughout my adult working years. Do I expect to ever collect any of my "contributions" when I retire, or just plain can't work anymore? It all depends.

Enough about me, aleady. Should you count on Social Security for retirement income?

Who knew that question would even be asked, let alone become so politically charged? The mainstream media today frightens people with blaring headlines that Social Security is bankrupt, and you are unlikely to receive a dime… countered by reassuring comments that the system has a multi-trillion-dollar surplus.

So – which is it? Is Social Security a pipe dream, a shell game, a bankrupt program from which you will never receive benefit? Or is it a social safety net for those whose working years are over? A recent Morningstar article tries to answer those questions, and provides insight as to whether you should count on it.

According to last year's Gallup poll, 60 percent of Americans don't expect to receive Social Security benefits once they stop working. Younger generations are even more pessimistic, with 77 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds reporting that Social Security either has "major problems" or is actually in a state of crisis. Those feelings are not unfounded. True, Social Security now pays out more in benefits than it takes in by taxes, and much of the fund itself exists in the form of Treasury bonds rather than actual cash.

But maybe things aren't quite so bad.

Many analysts, including Morningstar, insist that Social Security isn't insolvent. But it is a very different beast to different people, depending on their age.

Without question, the value of Social Security benefits to your eventual retirement income is decreasing. Gradually increasing the age when seniors can file for full benefits – the so-called Normal Retirement Age (NRA) – essentially amounts to phased-in benefit cut of 20 percent, according to [the National Academy of Social Insurance ]. Additionally, dramatic increases in healthcare costs have had and will continue to have an increasing drag on Social Security income, as Medicare Part B premiums are deducted from Social Security payments.