AMAC Exclusive – By Claire Brighn
Amid widespread economic turmoil last year, and with little wiggle room in monthly budgets, many seniors visited food banks for the first time, found inflation fees tacked onto their nursing home bills, and were even pushed to the brink of poverty. While a few policy changes will thankfully bring some relief, 2023 is still shaping up to be another tough year for seniors. Here are five things to keep an eye on in the months ahead.
1. Persistent Inflation
While inflation fell to 6.5% in December from a peak of over 9% in June 2022, it’s still well above the Fed’s target rate of 2%. Although the Biden administration is adamant that inflation will continue its downward trend, other economists and financial experts aren’t so sure. Famed investor Michael Burry said in January that another inflation spike is “almost certainly” in the cards for 2023.
Major Wall Street firms like Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, and Deutsche Bank have also forecasted higher prices and an economic slowdown in 2023. In a recent press conference, Fed Chair Jerome Powell has hedged his optimism regarding inflation predictions for this year, saying that “it will take substantially more evidence to give confidence that inflation is on a sustained downward path.”
With Biden stubbornly refusing to take any responsibility for inflation and doubling down on liberal big-spending policies, seniors living on fixed incomes may unfortunately once again be hard-hit by rising prices in the months ahead.
2. Looming Threat of Recession
Inflation isn’t the only economic threat that the Biden administration has repeatedly downplayed and ignored. Many experts are also predicting a deep and prolonged recession in 2023, a prospect that could be particularly worrisome for Americans approaching retirement age. Waves of layoffs that began in the tech and financial sectors are now beginning to spread to other areas of the economy. One in three companies reportedly say they plan on laying off 30% or more of their workforce in 2023.
However, the Biden administration appears content to wave away recessionary fears even with more interest rate hikes on the horizon. When the country entered a recession last year – defined as two consecutive quarters of negative economic growth – the White House and their media allies engaged in an all-out effort to redefine the term in order to avoid negative headlines. If that response is any indication, Americans shouldn’t expect much action at all from the administration if things indeed do get worse.
3. 2023’s Social Security COLA Still Not Enough to Offset Inflation
According to a recent analysis from the Senior Citizens League, the 5.9% cost of living adjustment (COLA) to Social Security fell short of inflation by an average of 46% per month in 2022 – resulting in many seniors falling behind financially.
News of an 8.7% COLA for payments beginning in 2023 was a welcome relief for Social Security recipients. But with how high inflation was last year and the prospect of higher inflation numbers in the months ahead, many seniors are likely left wondering if it will be even close to enough to bridge the gap.
At the very least, it doesn’t seem likely that the 8.7% increase will allow seniors to offset their losses from last year. Nonetheless, the Biden administration has touted the change as a “major victory” for seniors.
4. Biden Looks to Make Retirement Savings “Go Woke”
At the tail end of last year, Biden’s Labor Department issued an alarming rule stating that “fiduciaries may consider climate change and other environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors when they make investment decisions.” By definition, “fiduciaries” investing money are supposed to act only in order to maximize returns on investment. However, studies show that “ESG funds certainly perform poorly in financial terms” – meaning the Biden administration sees no problem with putting woke ideology over the retirement investments of seniors. A number of Republican senators have already introduced a joint resolution condemning the rule.
5. Retirement Investments Face Another Tough Year
2022 was disastrous for retirement investments. 401k balances plummeted 23% year-over-year. According to one analysis released by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, “People between the ages of 55 and 74 lost, on average, over $100,000 in net worth due to falling asset returns between January and October 2022.”
As a result, many older Americans were forced to postpone their retirement plans or return to work just to make ends meet. With many economists predicting that a prolonged recession may be looming and stocks continuing to slide, seniors’ portfolios are likely in for another difficult year.
The new Republican House brings some hope that congressional conservatives can halt or reverse some of the disastrous policies that have devastated the financial lives of many seniors over the past two years. If President Biden has any aspirations of running for a second term and hanging on to the White House in 2024, it will require him working hard to make amends with older Americans, who at this moment are likely none too pleased with his tenure.
Claire Brighn is the pen name of a conservative researcher and writer with previous domestic and foreign policy experience in the Executive Branch.
Time to clean house up in Washington that goes for both parties they have been up there way to long they have lost touch with the people of this country nothing but corruption up there they spend money because all they think they have to do is raise taxes on us. The spending has to stop time to take care of this country not allow people from every country to just walk right in then give them a free airplane ride to hide them in this country this used to be a great country but look at it now.
BEEP Joe Biden and every one that voted for the POS.
These slight of hand numbers don’t make sense. To say inflation decreased is convey prices have dropped or that my money is buying more, but it isn’t. Once something has increased in price, the new starting point begins there. My wallet says so.
In my opinion, Biden doesn’t care about anyone, only himself. It’s
a shame that a lot of seniors are going thru this.
I am proof that what this column said is correct. I am 85 years old and I am asking for financial help from the government for the first time in my life. My bills keep getting higher. My money is so small and my meager investments i have to shrink because otherwise I can’t pay my bills.
What is wrong with voters? Why aren’t they voting 100% for conservatives?
I have used the same broker since 1068 and he always grows my money.. In 2009 I lost big time and I had no income to invest low. Thanks Obama. And now Biden is bringing me down again.
How can global warming nonsense and lies about abortion rights be enough to overcome the bad stuff?
So many of my intelligent liberal friends vote left. I don’t understand them.
I understand very little these days. There are many candidates on our side but for me the known quantity is the best. Trump did the most for us and got more great things done than anyone since Reagan.
So Trump 2024. And please vote conservative for everything from now on. This Democrat party has to be voted out.
For folks like me who refused to be forced into wearing masks or into injecting anything into our bodies we will also refuse all this other spoon-fed nonsense. I will never again trust the gov’t or the medical establishment as it is. We won’t be in fear of the few and continue to make donations and help our folks in need. To all that much has been given much is required, Luke 12:48. Let’s make our Father in Heaven proud! For me and my household, we will serve the Lord. Let’s start a new (old) movement! Amen!
He doesn’t give a Fat Rats Butts, it’s no skin of the nose he has a big fat retirement from Government and millions he has bilked out of Russia and China, he doesn’t care about us peasants
The only way to bring America down is to make every one poor.
It’s all a plan. Are you ready for what is coming?
I am retired and am fortunate that I do not have many costs in my old age. However, it does not take a rocket scientist to appreciate how destructive the Biden policies are for senior citizens. Inflation, dwindling investment funds, and rocketing consumer costs are making the future for senior citizens increasingly less secure. For all of his talk, Biden’s actions show a lack of respect and concern for the plight of those Americans with very limited monetary funds. Many seniors are barely keeping their heads above water. Biden’s vision for our future, in general, is full of empty promises and broken commitments.
Brandon needs to be exposed and held accountable by congress; he needs to be personally called to testify to answer for all the anti-American policies that he has put in place that are jeopardizing the sovereignty and economic strength of our Republic.
When I was very young, my family made fun of plans, engineering and budgetary, that looked so good on paper but could not work in real life. This is a great illustration of that truth. We are having more and more trouble meeting living expenses.
After having a conversation with my financial planner, it was recommended that I wait another year before retiring since my accounts lost just as this article indicated! Will I ever be able to retire? I just turned 67 and I’m getting tired of the stress of my computer programming job. My time is not my own and I spend more time fixing other folks problems cuz younger folks aren’t being prepared for real life in this country! This is the left’s fault and Biden doesn’t care!
Fiscally responsible citizens budget to allow for speed bumps.
Irresponsible people spend everything they get and their speed bumps are chasms.
69.8 million Americans receive some type of social security payment.
Most of them received unexpected stimulous payments. Where did that money go?
I am one of them. Never asked for stimulous and because I live within my means
that was “pennies from heaven” for me. I did not return the payments because
I recognized they were certainly going to increase inflation.
I suppose the National Debt can continue increasing for a long time.
But, what could be accomplished with 835 million dollars?
THAT is the amount of interest spent on the National Debt … EVERY DAY!
Politicians are very good at spending.
It is up to voters to encourage them to become better at saving.
You are probably right. This well might be the last generation that are able to retire, thanks to the commie democrats. By the time they are done there won’t be any thing left of the USA.
Articles like this are plentiful. What I am looking for seems not to be available. I want a bullet list of concrete actions I can take today to protect my family and home. Anyone reading this that can offer suggestions? Now that would be a dynamite article to run across.
Hey, your generation is allowing this to happen…chew on that for awhile.
Step one in fixing the problem with inflation. #1 Make politicians financially responsible for their actions. (If you come into government service with $50K, you, including family and friends, leave government service with $50K.) Remove the incentive for politicians to become crooks and crooks from going into politics. As a government employee, you become criminally and financially liable for gross misconduct and fiscal irresponsibility.
By long-time definition, we are ALREADY in a recession. The major question: Will Senile Joe push into a depression? If one is seeking good for America, Biden has the most INCOMPETENT Cabinet, from top to bottom, in the history of the country.
If the LAZY youngsters got off their lazy donkeys and their “electronic crap,” they could eventually retire!
PLAY ON BUTTHOLE!!!!!! LMAO!!!!! WE AND EMPLOYERS GOT TAXED OVER DECADES OF CONTRIBUTIONS. YOU WONDER WHERE THE MONEY WENT WHEN IT WAS MANAGED BY THE GOVERNMENT. NO FXXXING WONDER IT IS LOSING GROUND. 2.7 TAXPAYERS PER EACH RECIPIENT OF SS. 7,500,000 NOT EVEN WORKING BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT GIVEAWAYS. GET TO WORK YOU LAZY SLOBS.
Having read most of the comments posted here so far, I feel I have to point out what many seem to be unintentionally missing. The thing everyone has to remember here is that systematically undermining the overall economy and societal norms was an essential part of the Democrat strategy in 2020. Everything being done to date has been intentional in order to justify the wholesale transformation of the country into the sort of dysfunctional socialist Utopia the left in this country has yearned for well over 100 years now. Is it painful and destructive? You bet it is. That is part of the transformative process in order to gain acceptance for what is coming next.
You don’t transform a nation by leaving everything that works intact and only focusing on fixing a few problems that exist. That’s what you do, if you want to make the country stronger. Which is NOT the intent of the Democrat Party. For the kind of wholesale transformation that the Democrats have in mind, you have to inflict a lot of pain, so that when the government gives you a few crumbs every now and then you’ll be grateful that the pain has eased up somewhat for a few seconds before the punishment resumes.
To achieve the sort of massive changes the Democrats have in mind, you have to break things, Lots and lots of things! You have to create pain and suffering that is widespread and long lasting, so a gullible and trusting public will look towards the government to “make everything better”. The magic fix is always just one more election away in politics. In the case of Democrats, Dementia Joe’s SOTU speech was literally the laundry list of ruinous policies and proposals that the Democrats are gearing up to run on in 2024 as a means to “fix everything”. If you think no one will vote for the insane policies Joe spoke about in 2024, then you didn’t learn anything from 2020 or 2022. Sure the Democrats cheated like crazy in both elections to put them over the finish line, but the bottom line is there were still millions upon millions of “useful idiots” out there willing voting for this garbage.
I am 72 and had to take a part time position to help make ends meet.There is not much left in my savings and have taken out of my retirement. It upsets me to see these people here illegally getting everything free when I had worked my entire life as a medical professional. Because of that I needed surgery and still have severe pain.
I know of two persons who were lazy and now on disability with free medical, dental, groceries and renting new vehicles every two years and the bought a condo! The one had a blockage in one artery and had a mild heart attack with a stent ( my husband, who died over 10 years ago , had open heart surgery for three vessel bypass and went back to work). Also the one had surgery on their shoulder which hasn’t prevented her from activities. Our government needs to stop using our taxes to support persons like this.
It is also my understanding that many of the Muslims in Michigan are not working so are we also Supporting them. No interest in assimilating! I am tired and in pain and after working the medical profession with long hours, call time, holidays and weekends it is depressing and this administration is more interested in CRT, LGBTQ and permitting schools to teach gender change.
Most of these racial issues and BLM started with the Obama administration. I take people at face value not by the color of their skin.
Biden talks about unity and yet every speech is filled with lies (which he has been telling since college) and plagiarism.
We are no longer “One Nation Under God” but our country is in dire straits filled woth violence and hatred.
I suppose we seniors should all do YOU a favor and just cease to exist…good grief we MAY or MAY NOT be able to retire at the rate things are going. I have no idea of your age but my husband and I have been working hard towards retirement. Looks like one or both of us may need to go back to work what with the huge increases in energy and food costs.
Your comment was callus to say the least.
Sara Huckabee had it right. It’s the crazies on the progressive left vs. the normal people (the rest of us) and somehow the crazies are in charge. We cannot let that stand.
Biden is far too stupid to destroy anything. He’s a puppet for the democraps. America isn’t what we knew and it’s fast becoming socialist. This was a well planned takeover. Even Reagan was in on it by taxing SS. I’m ready to leave this country even though I was born And raised here.
“One in three companies reportedly say they plan on laying off 30% or more of their workforce in 2023.” That is one devastating estimate! This is what happens when the Commander in Chief can’t make the connection between giving monetary handouts to millions of people (essentially giving them permission to stay home, play video games, and collect other people’s money) and private companies being forced to greatly increase wages.
The private sector had already begun functionally “normally”, concerning Covid, before biden went to Washington. Those extended unemployment checks and other stimulus programs weren’t necessary. That and the woke agenda drove inflation; it was 95% biden’s fault. Companies across the board had to entice new employees with higher pay so they could stay open. Now, with a recession looming, what will these companies do with all those high-paid employees and falling revenues? As any business would do, they’ll layoff millions of employees. Welfare programs will be strained to the breaking point.
And what will biden do? Most likely, he’ll raise taxes! Oh, but don’t you worry, you under $400,000 households; “your taxes won’t go up one penny…not one penny!” Don’t you believe it.
The increased Social Security payment helped, but it’s still below the increase in inflation. I’ll be okay, but I plan to double my work load this coming year just to put away a little more. The vegetable garden will be much bigger this year.
Buckle up; it’ll be a turbulent ride. Remember the pain when the 2024 elections come around. And remember to vote as if your life depends on it!
the loser doesn’t care! he is selfish, a failure, full of himself, a joke, and a dumo! only those just like him think he’s wonderful
I received the COLA for my Social Security. BUT, My HOA had a $40 increase and I have Pest Control monthly that had a $5 increase. My Gas and Energy bills both had increases. Groceries and Fuel prices went up, while I’m losing money on my Retirement Account.
who said we are retired – we are now having to compete with you millenials, who don’t even want to work, so we can take care of ourseleves. many of you have mommy and daddy to help you. Plus many of us seniors have had 2 or 3 jobs thru out our lives to save so we could retire. you really have alot of nerve dissin us
YOU must be one of those sleazy morons that are enabling the other creepy, sleazy morons do this to our country! Take a long walk off a short pier, PLEASE!!
Biden’s War on Fossil Fuels is impacting all aspects of our lives. The cost of gas, all goods at stores cuz delivered by trucks, all farmers/ranchers have to pass on inflation costs to survive, etc. etc. and now that it is Winter in United States , everyone that I talk to has seen huge increases in electric & gas heat this winter. And what the heck caused, huge increase in rent for housing ?? Does seem like Biden wants this country to consist of ” the Rich & the poor”. And if he would study history, I think he will find that the Middle Class is the backbone of America being a great place to live.
Since POTUS and his family will not suffer financially in these times due to the huge amounts of money that China has bought him for, he could care less about seniors, or any other segment of the US population. Evidence of this is abundant, but look no further than his allowing a Chinese spy balloon to traverse the entire country, collecting all the data they were able to, until having the military shoot it down in the Atlantic Ocean. If he really cared, it would have been shot down over the Bering Straights!
Nobody cares this is what the woke generation wants they think they are saving the world through climate change. The schools have brainwashed the under 45 crowd and have turned them into socialists. Their religion is social justice and climate change. Very low information voters and Biden’s peoples know it and can lie anything they want and those idiots believe him.
In 2008 a “presidential candidate” promised to “fundamentally change America”. Apparently the majority either didn’t catch that or it didn’t register. The democrats want total control over this nation.
If one will think back to the 60’s when our manufacturing started leaving this country, Democrat Johnson who (conveniently) took over when JFK was “mysteriously” killed, was president. If my memory is correct that’s when our manufacturing started going off shore…lots of “tax incentives” (see bribery) for those businesses to leave. Detroit was the shining star of manufacturing…now much of Detroit is slums. Interesting that in the last few years one of the nations we were at war with in the 40’s now have many factories in this country. Possibly the only large auto maker left in this country…Toyota. Japanese engineering (and they’re darn good) but American made. So much of our “Big Three” are made in China (who’s dictator is NO friend of this nation) and Mexico, basically run by cartels.
I truly hope that this Republican majority with take the reins and not just run with it but Race with it and get this nation back on solid footing. If they don’t it will indeed get progressively worse.
The attacks on our oil and gas will not just affect us but has already affected our cross country truckers without whom this country will grind to a screaming halt…no fuel, no groceries, no necessities. Inflation, massive shortages, even more lowering of medical standards etc. Our nation is in deep trouble. I remember the presidential speech George Bush Sr. made when he became president. I watched that speech, it’s burned into my skull. To quote: “We must usher in the New World Order”. Yes, George Bush Sr.
At the time I got a weird feeling but didn’t know why. I certainly do now.
This article says it all.
Welcome to Obama 2.0 folks. If you liked the “Great Recession” during the stagnant Obama years you are getting the new and improved version courtesy of Obama’s behind the scenes policies put forth by his puppet, Joe Biden.
I’d like to know what colleges & universities teach this kind of economics because they need to be unaccredited and shut down.
No where in the real world do these idiotic policies work. The people who worship at the Climate Change Cult need to be reeducated to realize that nothing we’re doing in this country is making any difference at all on the natural global climate of the earth.
We have been lied to about our affordable natural energy sources and through deliberate government regulations we are paying much higher energy costs than necessary to entice people to buy into the electric car dream. News flash! It will take a minimum of 25 years to make electric cars as convenient as our gas powered cars are today. It will take that long to build the infrastructure needed to make them practical.
Meanwhile the country as a whole is suffering higher costs of food and everything delivered by truck. For seniors on fixed incomes they cannot keep up with these inflationary costs. The 8.7% Social Security COLA can’t compete with 40% + inflation.
The Republicans better do something other than lip service to bring wasteful spending down before we go any further downhill with this over spent economy.
What a depressing article about the rising cost of, ……. well just about everything. Many of the contributors are writing that something has to be done to correct out national slide into a recession, or worse, a depression. Let’s consider some of the things that the average citizen might attempt to do to turn this ship around.
We can vote for the candidates who call for less spending of borrowed dollars. You know, the ones who promise to cut government support programs. Guess what, such candidates almost always lose their elections because the majority of the voters clamor for government assistance out of a sense of need, or a sense of liberalism.
We could demand that our children be taught what is expected of each adult citizen, i.e. to work to earn things such as food, shelter and clothing for themselves and their families. Alas, too late. The schools have been inculcating our children for decades with the idea that the government has the responsibility to help them through life no matter how much effort that they exert.
We could demand that our trusted political representatives honor their sworn duty to uphold the Constitution. OK, I wrote that with a wry smile on my face. In truth, one could flap one’s arms really fast and attempt to fly to the moon before the average politician would show a modicum of integrity.
Our “trusted” political representatives could teach the Ukrainians a thing or two about corruption.
This is the thing. We, as a society, are sliding into a socialist Utopia called Perdition. The majority of the voters are beguiled by Karl Marx’s ideals. At some point, our money system will collapse under the load of government “assistance programs”. The resulting chaos will impact on every one of us.
Try to imagine a society of 330-million people searching for loaves of bread that cost 1-million dollars on Monday and two-million dollars on the next day. That actually happened in Germany in November of 1923 when the German Mark experienced a 29,525% rate of inflation. A new leader promised a way out of the disaster in 1933. An even worse horror overtook the Germans in 1945.
Solutions? Sadly, three of the seven sins of mankind are becoming too tempting to resist. Envy, greed and sloth are corrupting the majority of the voters to the point that our economy will fail.
A failure so great that a general upheaval will manifest. The liberals will be running for their very lives trying to assure anyone who might listen that they never voted for the likes of obama, Hillary or the demented Biden.
After the carnage is over, the Constitution will be amended to show a few changes concerning
a balanced budget, term limits, voter ID, border security, etc, etc. The cost in human lives lost to bring about such a stable and just government? I would not be surprised if tens of thousands died in this struggle. Again, the cliche comes to mind, “Freedom is never free”.
On the other hand, we could just continue to do what we are doing, ignoring the breaking down of our society while we enjoy what is left of the glory of our exceptional nation. Our children, and their children? That concern doesn’t seem to be all that important, does it?
Well, old PT Biden certainly applauds millions of American being his sucka’s. Has there EVER been a more evil POS that PT Biden?
In other words, us older folks continue to get pounded by an out of control faux administration that couldn’t tell its head from the hole in its keister!
Biden is evil,and the world will be better off when he resides in hell
“… it will require him working hard …”
Really? Do you really think Biden changing his mind and agreeing to sensible laws and policies is hard work?
From last week my creamer has gone up $1.50 from 5.99 to 6.49. Along with everything else I buy. I’ve had to take a extra job. Joe Biden Sucks!
Nothing will change. This is the Biden and Democrat Party intentional Play Book. They don’t give a Damn about the average American!
I used to vote “the person
Personally, I think this country has priced themselves out of work. Greed from executive offices all the way down to what’s left of the labor force – it’s like this country is in a vicious circle. Everyone wants to make MORE, MORE, MORE
Why hasn’t this piece of blank blank blank been impeached¡?
He’s never worked a day in his life!
That’s the intent of all this turmoil in America. Take away financial security and force government authoritarian rule. This has been used over and over to spread socialsim and then communist rule. Fear is the factor this government is pushing, and losing financial security is one of the most powerful tools along with crime and youth indoctrination.
Crushing is putting it mild