Nancy J. Altman
Nancy J. Altman is a writing fellow at the Independent Media Institute. She has a 40-year background in the areas of Social Security and private pensions. She is president of Social Security Works and chair of the Strengthen Social Security coalition. Her latest book is The Truth About Social Security. She is also the author of The Battle for Social Security and co-author of Social Security Works!
Articles by this author
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Views Wednesday, October 17, 2018 The Future of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid Is on the Ballot This November Everyone who cares about their Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid needs to vote on November 6. If Republican politicians and the donors who own them retain full control of Congress, they are determined to finally succeed in their longstanding goal of ending all three programs. Right-wing... Read more |
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Views Friday, October 12, 2018 Seniors Are Getting Slowly Strangled by Social Security’s Flawed Math—Here’s How to Fix It As a result of inflation, people on fixed incomes find that their incomes decline in value over time. One extremely important feature of Social Security is that its benefits are adjusted every year automatically to offset increases in inflation so that the modest, but vital, benefits do not erode... Read more |
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Views Saturday, September 01, 2018 This Labor Day, Gear Up to Stop Trump and GOP War on Workers Labor Day is traditionally a time to honor workers and their invaluable contributions. But this year, it’s also a time to recognize the fact that American workers are under attack from the Trump administration, Republicans in Congress, and the billionaire donor class that owns these politicians... Read more |
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Views Tuesday, August 14, 2018 The Truth About Social Security: Setting the Record Straight President Franklin Roosevelt signed our Social Security system into law eighty-three years ago today, on August 14, 1935. It has stood the test of time. Social Security protects us against the economic consequences of risks to which all of us are vulnerable. Rich or poor, any of us can suffer a... Read more |
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Views Monday, July 30, 2018 It’s Medicare’s 53rd Birthday—It’s Time Everyone Had It On July 30th, 1965, Medicare became the law of the land. For over a half century, it has stood as a shining example of government at its best. Today, it efficiently provides high-quality health care to nearly 50 million seniors and nearly 9 million Americans with disabilities. After decades of... Read more |
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Views Wednesday, May 02, 2018 Social Security’s Customer Service Budget Finally Got An Increase – But It’s Only a Starting Point Social Security doesn’t add a penny to the deficit. Neither does the cost of administering the program – the field offices, telephone lines, employee salaries, and other expenses. All of it comes from Social Security’s dedicated revenue and accumulated surplus, which is $2.9 trillion and growing... Read more |
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Views Friday, March 23, 2018 Lesson From Special Election: Run on Social Security, Medicare and Lower Drug Prices Though you wouldn’t know it from the media coverage, Democrat Conor Lamb — the upset victor in the most recent congressional special election — strongly supports expanding, not cutting, Social Security and Medicare. He is also a strong proponent of using the power of the federal government to lower... Read more |
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Views Tuesday, February 13, 2018 The Latest Devious Republican Attack On Social Security Ever since Social Security came into existence, Republican politicians and their billionaire donors have attempted to destroy it. As an effective and incredibly popular government program, it is anathema to the GOP's anti-government ideology. But precisely because it is so popular, including with... Read more |
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Views Monday, June 26, 2017 The Overlooked Trumpcare Threat: A Medicare Time Bomb Just over two years ago, Donald Trump gave a speech announcing his run for the presidency. In that speech, he promised that he would not cut Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid. That promise became a centerpiece of his campaign. It was a key way for Trump to differentiate himself, as a matter of... Read more |
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Views Tuesday, May 02, 2017 Social Security Has No Place In Budget Discussions As Congress and the Trump Administration begin releasing their proposed budgets for FY18, Americans will be eager to know how their elected representatives fund important programs that they deserve and have paid for with their tax dollars. They will also want to know whether their elected... Read more |