Federal Technology Staffers Resign Rather Than Help Musk and DOGE - More than 20 civil service employees resigned Tuesday from billionaire Trump adviser Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, saying they were refusing to use their technical expertise to “dismantle critical public services.” “We swore to serve the American people and uphold our oath to the Constitution across presidential administrations,” the 21 staffers wrote in a joint resignation letter, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press. “However, it has become clear that we can no longer honor those commitments.”

DOGE Wants Access to Your Tax and Social Security Data. These Two Laws are Supposed to Protect You - The courts will have to decide whether what DOGE is doing is legal. In determining that, they will have to assess whether any of several laws designed to protect your personal data at federal agencies and to protect the integrity of their systems have been violated. Two of the most frequently cited are the Privacy Act of 1974 and Section 6103 of the Internal Revenue Code. Read more.

Here’s What Upcoming Budget Negotiations May Mean for Social Security - As lawmakers in Washington, D.C., work to rein in government spending, some advocates and consumers are concerned that Social Security could see cuts. Last year, the Republican Study Committee, a large group of House Republicans, released a budget proposal to cut federal spending by $17.1 trillion over 10 years. However, a proposal to raise the Social Security retirement age to 69 was included. Currently, retirees are eligible for the full benefits they’ve earned at age 66 to 67, depending on their date of birth. With that change, anyone born after 1971 would see their benefit cuts an average of 13%, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

President Trump's Social Security Changes So Far: 4 Things You Should Know - So far in his second term, President Trump has made some changes on his own that affect Social Security either directly or indirectly. Here are four things you should know.

Judge Blocks Federal Agencies From Sharing Information With DOGE - The judge wrote that there would be "irreparable harm" in not stopping Elon Musk's DOGE from accessing sensitive records.

Scott Galloway warns Americans on Social Security, Retirement Risks - Most working Americans understand that monthly Social Security paychecks do not provide a sufficient amount of income to satisfy their desired lifestyle needs in retirement. They correctly respond to this awareness by finding other ways to save and invest for the future. Galloway believes that most people who collect Social Security take out two to three times the amount of money they contribute to it through the tax. People who are extremely well off, he suggests, do not necessarily deserve the money just because they have paid the tax during their working years. "It's a tax," he has said. "People who need it are entitled to it. So I think you've got to means-test it."

AFSCME Sues to Stop Unlawful Seizure of Social Security Data - AFSCME, the Alliance for Retired Americans and the American Federation of Teachers have sued to stop DOGE’s unlawful seizure of people’s personal, sensitive data from the Social Security Administration (SSA). “The Social Security Administration holds the financial future of millions of Americans within its doors,” said AFSCME President Lee Saunders. “Elon Musk is an unelected billionaire who has no right to access the benefits working people have paid into. We won’t allow him to undermine the promise that we can all retire with dignity one day; that if we ever get hurt on the job and are unable to work, we won’t go hungry. Social Security insurance belongs to taxpayers, not Musk — no matter how rich he is. We must stop him from gaining unfettered access to our future.”

The Perfect Storm at the Social Security Administration - Read Josh Marshall's reporting about an "upsetting wake-up call" about what's going on -- right now -- at the Social Security Administration staff level, including the toll-free number support staff trying to stay available to assist SS recipient.

New Social Security Chief Contradicts Claims That Millions Of Dead People Are Getting Payouts - Lee Dudek, the new acting SSA commissioner who was placed in the role by President Donald Trump, gave the clarification after Trump and billionaire adviser Elon Musk falsely claimed on social media and in press briefings that people who are 100, 200 and even 300 years old are improperly and routinely getting benefits. Read on AP.

Full List of Social Security Offices Closing After DOGE Cuts (Newsweek) - Trump, in collaboration with Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has directed the General Services Administration (GSA) to terminate leases on approximately 7,500 federal offices, including those of the Social Security Administration (SSA).

Anxiety Mounts Among Social Security Recipients as DOGE Troops Settle In - ProPublica reports that Elon Musk’s team has descended on an already understaffed Social Security Administration, which now faces further workforce cuts and closures of vital local offices. The consequences could be significant for millions of the most vulnerable Americans.

10 States Still Tax Social Security Benefits. Is Yours One of Them? Excerpts from Nasdaq.con Website, 02/16/24: "Missouri and Nebraska residents got some good news on Jan. 1, 2024, when their states officially ended their Social Security benefit taxes. Now there are only 10 states left that still take a cut of their seniors' Social Security checks. If you live in one of them, it's important to understand how your state government handles these taxes and what you could owe. The following 10 states still tax the Social Security benefits of some retirees:

• Colorado

• Connecticut

• Kansas

• Minnesota

• Montana

• New Mexico

• Rhode Island

• Utah

• Vermont

• West Virginia

It's worth noting that Missouri and Nebraska residents could still owe Social Security benefit taxes when they file their 2023 returns this year. However, they won't have to worry about this in future years."…

Our take: Taxation of Social Security Income (SSI) as part of the overall portfolio of taxation may appear significantly different and less desirable than the bulk of the states that do not tax SSI. Similarly, states that charge "no state income tax" can leave us thinking we're missing out if our home state does charge state income tax (for example). However, states (and other locales) can and do use a variety of mechanisms (high sales tax on purchases, higher fees on businesses to operate which get passed on the consumer, et al) to raise funds for government operations. Population densities matter, too, as the leverage of scale creates more taxpayers. However, that same density might create bidding wars on the limited supply of housing, etc. Best to peel back the layers and calculate total cost of taxation and residency in your desired area.

Read the full article

3 Signs You Should Apply for Social Security in 2024 - Excerpt from Motley Fool, 01/30/24: When to apply for Social Security is an individual decision, and the right answer varies from one person to the next. You must consider life expectancy and your financial situation when deciding when to apply. Delaying Social Security increases your checks slightly each month until you turn 70.

Our take: Without a crystal ball to precisely predict lifespan, there are situations where opting to start Social Security at 62, particularly for those with lower incomes, is a sensible choice. Many of us have witnessed cases where friends or family members passed away at ages like 63 or 66, and in hindsight, initiating Social Security benefits at 62 could have made a significant difference for loved ones or eased financial burdens.

Even within a single household where two individuals are eligible for Social Security, one might be a lower earner or not earning at all and opt to begin receiving a reduced Social Security benefit earlier, while the other might be a high-income earner and choose to wait. As noted, delaying until age 70 within the "age 62 to age 70" range increases the Social Security payout. However, once again, without a crystal ball, it's impossible to know for certain what the best course of action is. View full article.