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☆ Fixing Social Security funding woes requires addressing immigration 'fraud,' Vance said. Here's what experts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-01 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

Trump in March said on social media platform Truth Social that Democrats are "killing Social Security and Medicare by allowing the invasion of the migrants." The earnings suspense file is an electronic holding file for wage items where names and Social Security numbers on Form W-2s do not match the Social Security Administration's records, an agency spokesperson said via email. "Immigration, in general, has a very positive role," said Sam Gutterman, chairperson of the American Academy of Actuaries' Social Security committee. The Social Security Administration in an email explained that there are strict rules about who can legally receive benefits and Social Security numbers. "The Social Security Act does not permit payment of benefits to noncitizens residing in the U.S. if they're not lawfully present here," a Social Security spokesperson said.

Persons: Sen, JD Vance, Alex Wong, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris —, Vance, Harris, Tara Watson, Watson, Andrew Biggs, General, Jeffrey Brown, Brown, I've, " Biggs, Sam Gutterman, Renata Miller, they're, actuary, Stephen Goss, Goss Organizations: Radford University, Getty, Social Security, Medicare, Republican, Trump, CNBC, of Homeland, Brookings Institution, Immigration, Immigrants, American Academy of Actuaries, Taxation, Social, someone's Social, American Enterprise Institute, Social Security Administration, Social Security Administration Office, Finance, American Academy of Actuaries ' Social Security, Department of Health, Human Services, HHS, Department of Homeland, SSA Locations: Radford , Virginia, U.S, misdirection

☆ How to live happily past 100, according to 7 of the world's oldest people
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Serafina Kenny | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A healthy 30-year-old woman today has up to a 22% chance of living to 100, according to the Stanford Center on Longevity. In contrast, a woman born in 1920 had around a 2% chance of living to 100, according to actuary Mary Pat Campbell. AdvertisementElizabeth Francis receiving her 'Oldest living Texan' plaque. Centenarians in the world's Blue Zones, where people live to over 100 more often than in other populations, also tend to eat plenty of vegetables and whole foods. Practice moderationJohn Tinniswood, from the UK — who is currently the oldest living man at 111 years old — and Japanese Kane Taneka — who was the second oldest person in recorded history when he died at 119 in 2022 — both do everything in moderation.

Persons: —, Jim Crow, that's, Mary Pat Campbell, Jack, Jack Van Nordheim, Elizabeth Francis, Emmanuel Rodriguez, LongeviQuest Van Nordheim, Francis, collard, expectancies, Van Nordheim, Katie MacRae, Bolton Clarke, MacRae, Janet Gibbs, Gibbs, Joyce Preston, who's, Von Nordheim, Preston, centenarians, John Tinniswood, Kane Taneka —, Yumi Yamamoto, Yamamoto, Kikue Taira, Nomoto Organizations: Service, Business, Stanford Center, Longevity, Research, LongeviQuest Locations: Southern California, birdwatch, Australia, Japan

☆ As Social Security faces looming fund depletion, there's fierce debate over whether a commission can help
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-15 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

"A vote for a commission is a vote to cut Social Security," the man shouted before he was escorted off the floor. How the last major reforms, in 1983, came togetherPresident Ronald Reagan signs the Social Security Act Amendment into law on April 20, 1983. The changes involved taxes on Social Security benefits, increases to payroll tax rates, a future increase to the retirement age and a near-term postponement of cost-of-living adjustments. Social Security Commission Chairman Alan Greenspan, left, shakes hands with Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, prior to a Social Security hearing on Feb. 15, 1983. Lawmakers divided on best path forwardToday, lawmakers are divided on the best path forward to address Social Security.

Persons: —, Scott Peters, Peters, Bill Huizenga, Joe Manchin, Mitt Romney, — Rep, John Larson, Connecticut —, It's, " Larson, Larson, Nancy Altman, Ronald Reagan, Alan Greenspan, Greenspan, Jim Baker, Reagan, Tip O'Neill, Robert M, Ball, O'Neill, Sen, Charles Grassley, Bob Dole, John Danforth, Altman, Bruce D, Schobel, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, California —, they're, Hakeem Jeffries, Conn, Brian Higgins, Jimmy Gomez, Jeffries, Dan Kildee, Richard Neal, Tom Williams Organizations: iStock, Social, Social Security, AARP, CNBC, Rep, Democratic, Corbis, National Commission, Social Security Reform, Greenspan, Federal Reserve, House, White, Finance, Economic Policy Institute, Republican, Greenspan Commission, Senate Finance, Bettmann, Getty, Congress, Democratic House, White House, Democrats, Security, Capitol Visitor Center, CQ, Inc Locations: Sens, R, Utah, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Iowa, California, D

☆ 37-year-old Microsoft Excel world champion: Here are my best spreadsheet tips for budgeting and productivity
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Tom Huddleston Jr. | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Andrew Ngai is a 37-year-old Australian actuary with an unexpected side gig: Microsoft Excel world champion. Ngai has competed against fellow Excel enthusiasts since 2018, and won his third straight Excel championship at Las Vegas' HyperX Esports Arena last month, taking home a prize of $3,000. Those challenges have ranged from creating complicated financial models to, in one case, analyzing fictional asteroid mining data from a space-themed multiplayer role-playing game called Eve Online. You don't have to be an actuary or Excel champion to use the software to become more productive at work or create a budget that can save you money, he says. Here are Ngai's top tips for Excel users at any level of expertise to use the program for budgeting and productivity:

Persons: Andrew Ngai, Ngai, Ngai —, he's, Taylor Fry Organizations: Microsoft, Las, YouTube, ESPN Locations: Las Vegas, Sydney

☆ This low-stress, in-demand job can be done remotely and pays more than $100K/year—it’s ‘a winner,’ says expert
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( Gili Malinsky | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A majority, 64% say pay and benefits are critical factors in accepting a job offer, according to a 2022 Gallup poll of 13,085 U.S. employees. The job often requires a bachelor's degree, specifically focused on a field like mathematics or statistics, and experience in the role. "There might be more of a need to assess what the risk would be like, say, for tornadoes, floods, hurricanes, etc." The Labor Department's Occupational Information Network ranked 873 occupations based on stress tolerance, or whether or not the job "requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations." Check out:10 low-stress jobs that pay more than $100,000 per year and how to get themThe least stressful job that pays over $100K, according to data—and how to get itHow to spot red flags of a stressful job before you even take it

Persons: Gallup, Vicki Salemi, Warren Buffett Organizations: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Actuaries, Actuarial Society, Labor, Occupational

An upswing in the use of GLP-1 drugs has had a notable impact on the higher growth of pharmacy benefit costs under such health insurance plans, Mercer said. GLP-1 drugs, which work by suppressing hunger and making a person feel full longer, are typically priced around $1,000 per patient per month. While employers cover the use of GLP-1 drugs as a treatment for diabetes, the debate around providing coverage for them as an obesity treatment lingers. "It may take another couple of years for price increases stemming from higher healthcare sector wages and medical supply costs to be felt across all health plans." Despite rising health-plan costs, large employers have avoided shifting additional costs to employees through higher deductibles, co-pays, or out-of-pocket maximums in 2023.

Persons: Victoria Klesty, Mercer, Health Actuary, Sunit Patel, Eli Lilly's, Patel, Beth Umland, Khushi Mandowara, Leroy Leo, Pooja Desai Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . Food, Drug, Health, Reuters, Novo Nordisk's, Mercer, Thomson Locations: Oslo, Norway, August31, Victoria, United States, Bengaluru

☆ Canada warns of economic uncertainty if Alberta quits national pension plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Susana Vera/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOTTAWA, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Canada will face rising economic uncertainty if the province of Alberta carries out a threat to withdraw from the Canada Pension Plan (CPP), federal Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said on Friday. Alberta Finance Minister Nate Horner later on Friday said the province would not leave fellow Canadians without a stable pension and its associated benefits. "For the past several weeks, Alberta has been having an open discussion about the possibility of establishing an Alberta Pension Plan that will benefit our seniors and workers," he said. The so-called Alberta Pension Protection Act would require Albertans to vote in favor of a pension plan for the province during a public referendum before the provincial government would seek to withdraw assets, the statement said. "Alberta would need to negotiate complex time-consuming portability agreements with the CPP and with the Quebec Pension Plan," she said.

Persons: Finance Chrystia Freeland, Susana Vera, Chrystia Freeland, Freeland, Nate Horner, Justin Trudeau's, Danielle Smith's, Smith, Trudeau, Pierre Poilievre, Maiya Keidan, David Ljunggren, Kirsten Donovan, Paul Simao Organizations: Finance, IMF, World Bank, REUTERS, Rights OTTAWA, Canada, federal, Alberta, Liberal, Danielle Smith's United Conservative Party, Conservative Party, Thomson Locations: Marrakech, Morocco, Canada, Alberta, Quebec, Toronto, Ottawa

☆ Canada says Alberta leaving CPP would add to economic uncertainty
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Susana Vera/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOTTAWA, Nov 3 (Reuters) - If the Canadian province of Alberta carries out a threat to withdraw from the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) it would add to economic uncertainty and hurt everyone in the country, federal Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said on Friday. The so-called Alberta Pension Protection Act would require Albertans to vote in favor of a pension plan for the province during a public referendum before the provincial government would seek to withdraw assets, said the statement. But when asked whether she found it realistic that Alberta was entitled to 53% of CPP assets in 2027, according to a study commissioned by the Alberta government, Freeland said she did not. Freeland also cautioned that the Alberta government would need to negotiate how Canadians could live and work anywhere in Canada without jeopardizing their retirement. "Alberta would need to negotiate complex time-consuming portability agreements with the CPP and with the Quebec pension plan," she said.

Persons: Finance Chrystia Freeland, Susana Vera, Chrystia Freeland, Freeland, Danielle Smith's, Smith, Justin Trudeau, Pierre Poilievre, Maiya Keidan, David Ljunggren, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Finance, IMF, World Bank, REUTERS, Rights OTTAWA, Canada, federal, Conservative Party, Thomson Locations: Marrakech, Morocco, Canadian, Alberta, Canada, Quebec, Toronto, Ottawa

☆ Will Social Security be there for me when I retire? Here's how the agency's chief actuary answers that common question
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Today, Social Security has two trust funds that have a total of $2.8 trillion in reserves and function like savings accounts for the program, according to Goss. When more money is needed to pay benefits beyond what is coming in through payroll taxes, the trusts funds are available. Retirement benefits taken at age 70 are 76% higher, adjusted for inflation, than retirement benefits taken at 62, Kotlikoff's research found. "The decision to wait is really buying longevity insurance from Social Security," Kotlikoff recently told CNBC.com. With that information, the Social Security Administration provides estimates of how much in benefits you may receive if you become disabled, retire or die, thus leaving benefits to eligible survivors.

Persons: Thomas Barwick, Goss, Laurence Kotlikoff, Kotlikoff, CNBC.com Organizations: Social Security, actuaries, Republicans, Democrats, Laurence Kotlikoff Boston University, Boston University

☆ Insuring your home in Colorado can cost $40,000 as the climate crisis wreaks havoc on the market, one insurance CEO said
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Dan Latu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

AdvertisementAdvertisementThis as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Oscar Seikaly, CEO at NSI Insurance Group, which is based in Florida but underwrites policies nationally, about skyrocketing insurance premiums and how unpredictable disasters around the country raise prices for everyone. Over the past 10 years, insurance premiums have changed dramatically. AdvertisementAdvertisementTake the average house in Aspen: You have $5 million for the house, $3 million for the contents, another $2 million for loss of rents. All these insurance companies have to buy from reinsurance companies and there's only three or four main ones in the world. When you buy a $5 million house or a $10 million house, paying $30,000 or $20,000 a year is not going to make a difference.

Persons: Oscar Seikaly, Seikaly, —, that's Organizations: Service, NSI Insurance Locations: Aspen, Florida, California, Colorado, Northern California

☆ I built my dream job creating drone videos for hotels and fancy Airbnbs in Mexico. 'Everyone wants drone footage.'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Dan Latu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

She now has her dream job in Puerto Escondido, Mexico, where she's become a go-to content creator. Her drone was a key investment and it got her a job shooting some of the top Airbnbs in Mexico. It's supposed to be some of the top Airbnbs in Mexico designed by really famous architects. AdvertisementAdvertisementI've connected with a big Instagram page that shoots all of the best Airbnbs all over Mexico. I follow real-estate pages, which are huge, because I have a drone and a lot of agents really like drone footage.

Persons: Samantha Weiss, she's, I'm, I've, Weiss, It's, it's, He's, he's, there's, we're Organizations: Service, Puerto Escondido Locations: Puerto Escondido, Mexico, Wall, Silicon, Airbnbs, Stamford , Connecticut, Southeast Asia, Thailand, Turkey, Albania, Puerto, Mexico City

A Huge Threat to the U.S. Budget Has Receded. For decades, runaway Medicare spending was the story of the federal budget. Budget news often sounds apocalyptic, but the Medicare trend has been unexpectedly good for federal spending, saving taxpayers a huge amount relative to projections. In a recent letter to the Senate Budget Committee, economists at the Congressional Budget Office described the huge reductions in its Medicare forecasts between 2010 and 2020. Medicare is growing more slowly than ever, but still more quickly than the rest of the federal budget.

Persons: Ronald Reagan, Barack Obama, that’s, ”, David Cutler, Cutler, haven’t, I’ve, Melinda Buntin, Buntin, Simpson, Bowles, aren’t, Trump, Joshua Gordon, Mitt Romney’s, “, Sherry Glied Organizations: Medicare, ”, U.S, Budget, Harvard, Obama, Affordable, Senate, Congressional, New York Times, Office, White, Office of Management, Johns Hopkins, Social Security, Congress, Federal, Veterans, NASA, Wagner School Locations: Iraq, Afghanistan, N.Y.U, Washington

☆ How the War in Ukraine Turned Tennis Into a Battlefield
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Michael Steinberger | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

She asked about the situation in Ukraine and how much money Svitolina had raised for relief efforts. The Russians had just ramped up their attacks on Odesa, and I asked Svitolina about her grandmother. “I was super happy that kids in Ukraine could watch and get inspired,” she said. The foundation was sponsoring several junior tennis tournaments in Ukraine later in the summer. “I cannot even imagine how hard it is for the kids,” Svitolina said.

Persons: Elina, ”, ” Kachanov, Svitolina, Venus Williams, Billie Jean King, ” King, King, Dasha Kasatkina, Alex Karp, Margaret Brennan, ” Svitolina, “, Anna Popovchenko Organizations: All England Club, Wimbledon, Court, Palantir Technologies, Atlantic Council, CBS Locations: Kharkiv, Britain, London, Ukraine, Washington, Ukrainian, Kyiv

☆ A Minnesota Couple Welcomed Two Bundles of Joy: A New Baby and a $185,000 Kitchen
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Vaishnavi Nayel Talawadekar | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

When a young couple—an actuary and a manager in technology transformation, both in their early 30s—purchased a circa-1970 home in Minnetonka, Minn., for $450,000 in 2019, they knew they’d struck a real-estate jackpot, at least in terms of location. The interior, however, tempered the win. It was cramped, dated, and lacked energy. Recognizing that they needed help, they turned to Instagram.

Persons: —, they’d Locations: Minnetonka, Minn

☆ As the Social Security reform debate heats up on Capitol Hill, leaders weigh if raising taxes is the answer
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

When it comes to Social Security benefits, a key deadline is looming: Benefits may be reduced in the next decade if no action is taken sooner. The latest projections from the Social Security trustees show the program's combined funds may run out in 2034, at which point 80% of benefits will be payable. The fund used to pay retirement benefits may run out even sooner — in 10 years in 2033 — at which point 77% of those benefits would be payable. Social Security is a "pay as you go" program, Social Security Administration Chief Actuary Stephen Goss said at Wednesday's Senate hearing. More from Personal Finance:Social Security beneficiaries may see a lower cost-of-living adjustment in 2024Here's the inflation breakdown for June, in one chartSocial Security phone disruptions have led to longer wait timesIn 2023, up to $160,200 in earnings are subject to Social Security payroll taxes.

Persons: Actuary Stephen Goss, Goss, " Goss Organizations: Social Security, Capitol, Senate, Finance, Social

☆ Home insurers reconsider policies in Florida and California due to severe weather
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailHome insurers reconsider policies in Florida and California due to severe weatherNancy Watkins, Milliman Principal and Consulting actuary, and Carmen Balber, Consumer Watchdog executive director, join 'Last Call' to discuss insurance agencies reconsidering policies in disaster prone states like Florida and California.

Persons: Nancy Watkins, Carmen Balber Organizations: Consulting, Consumer Watchdog Locations: Florida, California

CNN —Like many adults, a lot of teenagers don’t know what they want to do when they grow up. Even when they think they do, they may not have a realistic grasp of whether a given occupation or job is likely to be economically viable for them over time. After assessing all those elements, the role is assigned a CFI score — the higher the number, the more economically viable a job is. The gap between popular occupations and viable onesThe Gallup-Amazon report identifies, among other things, how wide the gap is between a given career’s economic viability score and how popular its ranking is among 15-year-olds. For instance, among jobs that largely employ people without a bachelor’s degree, 27 careers score at or above the average score for positions typically filled by college graduates.

Persons: don’t, “, ”, Jonathan Rockwell Organizations: CNN, Gallup, Amazon, CFI, ” Gallup

☆ As possible Social Security benefits cut looms, GOP senator says lawmakers are working on a 'big idea' fix
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Nicholas Kamm | AFP | Getty ImagesSocial Security's trust funds have a new projected depletion date that is about a decade away. The idea calls for creating an investment fund separate from Social Security and allowing the investment to earn returns over a period of 70 years, Cassidy said. It would target the Social Security trust funds' biggest weakness, which is that it has "the absolute worst investment strategy you could have right now," Cassidy said. 'Big idea' inspired by private pensionsThe idea for investing Social Security's funds in the market is inspired by private pension funds, which already buy securities outside of Treasurys. Possible changes to fix Social Security generally include tax increases, benefit cuts or a combination of both.

☆ AIG Terminates Interim Finance Chief Mark Lyons
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Kathryn Hardison | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

American International Group Inc. said it terminated Mark Lyons from his position as the interim chief financial officer and executive vice president, global chief actuary and head of portfolio management after the company became aware that he violated his confidentiality and nondisclosure obligations. AIG said it entered into a settlement agreement with Mr. Lyons. Mr. Lyons joined the company in 2018 and previously served as the CFO. Mr. Lyons couldn’t immediately be reached for comment. AIG said Sabra Purtill has been named interim CFO and Turab Hussain has been named the interim global chief actuary.

☆ Oscar Health CEO Mario Schlosser shares how the health-insurance upstart plans to finally turn a profit after years of losses
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Oscar Health has bled money since it was founded more than a decade ago. Oscar Health, the 10-year-old health insurer, has never turned a profit. In an interview with Insider in November, Schlosser said Oscar had already done the legwork to turn a profit. Oscar is doing a better job at lowering patients' medical costs and is raising the prices of its health plans, he said. In 2013, Oscar met with outside actuaries to price its first health plans, Schlosser said.

☆ AIG Finance Chief Takes Temporary Medical Leave
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Kathryn Hardison | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

American International Group Inc. said Tuesday that Chief Financial Officer Shane Fitzsimons is taking a temporary medical leave of absence. Newsletter Sign-up WSJ | CFO Journal The Morning Ledger provides daily news and insights on corporate finance from the CFO Journal team. PREVIEWMark Lyons, who previously served as the company’s CFO, has been appointed as the interim CFO. Mr. Lyons will continue to serve in his role as the global chief actuary and head of portfolio management, the insurance company said. Write to Kathryn Hardison at kathryn.hardison@wsj.comCopyright ©2022 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

☆ 'It's a work in progress.' How Covid has changed the life insurance marketplace
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Kate Dore | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

But for the life insurance industry, experts say the long-term effects aren't yet known. Faced with a staggering loss of life, insurance firms saw payouts soar during the pandemic. The demand for life insurance policies also jumped as consumers rushed to protect loved ones. Individual U.S life insurance application activity increased by 3.4% in 2021, following a record-breaking year-over-year growth of 3.9% in 2020, according to the MIB Life Index's 2021 annual report. However, the life insurance industry is still wrestling with mortality changes and how these shifts may affect the underwriting process.

[1/2] A woman uses her mobile phone as she walks past in front of an Optus shop in Sydney, Australia, February 8, 2018. This week 37 countries, including Australia, will meet at the White House with the goal of tackling ransomware and other cyber crime. Australian cybersecurity insurance premiums rose by an average of 56% year-on-year in the second quarter, said insurer Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc (MMC.N). The average Australian cybersecurity base salary is A$105,000, according to jobs website Glassdoor. Neil Curtis, an Australian cybersecurity executive of U.S. technology contractor DXC Technology Co (DXC.N), who runs a programme retraining military veterans in cybersecurity, said he had requests for about 300 trained personnel in the next six months.

☆ U.S.-Based Pensions Rush to Assess Interest-Rate Risk
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Heather Gillers | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

General Electric, with operations including a gas-turbine plant in South Carolina, uses derivatives to hedge risks in the company’s pension portfolio. David Eisenberg got a call this month from a finance official at a U.S.-based multinational company. The executive wanted to know whether the company had derivatives in its retirement portfolio. “We explained that they don’t,” said Mr. Eisenberg, an investment adviser with Buck, a New York-based pension-actuary and human-resources consulting firm. “They were worried that if they were using derivatives they were exposed to risk.”

☆ Americans have largely avoided health care inflation so far – but that’s about to change
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Tami Luhby | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

About 155 million Americans have work-based health insurance, the largest source of coverage by far, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Delayed impact of inflation on health careWhile the cost of gas, food and other essentials can change quickly based on inflation and market conditions, health care operates differently. In fact, health care costs are bucking their own typical trend. Workers are projected to shell out an average of 2.6% more for health care this year, compared to 2021, Aon calculated. Increases expected to continueNext year will only be the start of an extended period of increased health care costs, experts said.

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