Comments on: Economic Stimulus Plan Offers Nothing to Retirees

By: betty

betty — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 03:53:52 +0000

_Where are the AARP lobbyists? What about people not old enough for Social Security yet and living on a pension or money from employer 457 investments? WE PAY TAXES and get no consideration whatsoever!!!!

Tax rebates should be for everyone who pays taxes, regardless of the type of income they have.

By: Steve

Steve — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 01:45:09 +0000

Looks like the Seniors voices are being heard!

Senators consider rebates for retirees

By ANDREW TAYLOR, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 2 minutes ago

WASHINGTON – Retirees living off Social Security are frustrated that they won’t get tax rebate checks through a bipartisan economic stimulus package before the House. Senate Democrats Friday began efforts to include them.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080125/ap_on_go_co/economy_stimulus

By: Allen McKenas

Allen McKenas — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 21:10:31 +0000

I can not believe politicians are so profoundly STUPID as to ignore the millions of VOTING retirees. If there actually are reasons for this snub, they should make them evident before the whole kit-and-kaboodle get canned in the next election!

By: David Krause

David Krause — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 19:56:08 +0000

Even Ron Paul last night, on the Republican debate, says seniors get screwed, because REAL inflation is around 10% and we got a measly 2.1% increase this year. Hell, my local school levy just ate up my whole years increase.

By: J.D. Fournier

J.D. Fournier — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 02:10:30 +0000

Three points to the above comment. (1) Overall there has been no sizable inflation. Yes, food and energy are up. However other retail goods are not up (clothing, housing, etc.) despite higher energy costs. Now that food is energy (ethanol) look forward to that being a problem, until the ethanol craze is over. (2) A slowly falling dollar is not bad for us. It makes our exports cheap and imports expensive, so buy American. This will lead to our companies prospering internationally. Luckily, we are mostly a self sufficient nation, except in energy. We need to import oil because of current energy policies. (3) It may be too late for some retirees, but you point to why you cannot plan to live on “fixed” income. You at least need to have planned ahead to grow with inflation. That means keeping a portfolio invested partly in inflation protected securities (like stocks). If your return is based solely on pension, social security, or bonds then you are not inflation protected. For those who can, be sure to move a sizable portion over to equities now while the market is still down.

By: Steve

Steve — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 20:11:54 +0000

The Fed is cutting rates to bail out Wall Street and the US economy by injecting cheap money into the system, however the rest of the world is catching on leading to the drop in the US Dollar (aka inflation). Inflation is a huge risk to retirees living fixed incomes.

Gold topped $900 an indicator that people think inflation is here and a continuing risk….http://www.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idUSN2438694420080124