Changes Affecting Social Security Beneficiaries 2022

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Social Security Beneficiaries are going to pleased to hear that they’re going to be getting a raise in their paychecks, the largest increase for retirees in almost 40 years.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) announced Wednesday that benefits for approximately 70 million Americans will increase by 5.9 percent next year. This is the largest increase in almost 40 years for retirees. The increase is the result of a 5.9 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), and beneficiaries will begin receiving the additional checks in January 2022. According to the SSA’s press release, SSI beneficiaries will receive increased checks beginning in late December. The COLA is calculated using the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation measurement tool (BLS). By contrast, Social Security payments increased by 1.3 percent in 2021. Indeed, the increase in 2022 will be the largest since a 7.4 percent increase in 1982. According to the latest BLS data, inflation increased by 5.4 percent annually in September, the highest rate since July 2008. If you’re struggling financially as prices rise, you might consider taking out a personal loan to cover expenses, consolidate high-interest debt, or even fund home renovation projects while interest rates are at record lows.

How much is the average Social Security income increase in 2022?

According to the SSA, the average Social Security recipient’s monthly retirement income will increase by an average of $92, bringing their total check to $1,657 per month. Married couples will see an average payment increase by $154, bringing their monthly benefit to $2,753. Historically, the average annual increase has been much lower. In 2021, the 1.3 percent increase would add an average of $20 to retired beneficiaries’ monthly premiums. Around half of all seniors rely on Social Security benefits for at least half of their income, and about a quarter rely on them entirely. If you receive Social Security benefits and are having difficulty making payments due to the economic downturn this year, consider taking out a personal loan while interest rates are at record lows.

Tax Maximum Increased by Social Security Administration

However, the Social Security Administration announced more than just a payment increase. Average wages are also increasing, prompting the department to raise the maximum amount of earnings subject to Social Security tax to $147,000, up from approximately $142,000.

In 2022, the social security tax rate will remain at 6.2 percent for employees and 12.4% for self-employed individuals.

President Joe Biden campaigned on the promise of raising the Social Security income tax threshold to $400,000, which would generate an additional $700 billion in revenue over ten years.

Social security paychecks to increase at highest rate in nearly 40 years | Fox Business

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Can an Attorney Help Me After Being Injured in a Truck Accident in Orange County?

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Any time you have been involved in an accident, it can lead to months or sometimes even years of dealing with multiple parties to be fairly compensated. When you are involved in an accident with a large truck or commercial vehicle, things only get more complicated.

WHY BEING INVOLVED IN A TRUCKING ACCIDENT IS COMPLICATED

Commercial trucks can weigh up to 20-30 times what a standard passenger vehicle weighs. As a result, when commercial trucks become involved in accidents, the destruction is generally much more severe than that of a passenger vehicle accident. Passenger vehicles are more likely to be completely totaled in a truck accident and there is also a far higher likelihood of severe injury. It is also more rare for a truck accident to only involve one other part besides the truck. The more parties that are involved in an accident, the more complicated things become.

TRUCK ACCIDENTS ARE SCRUTINIZED MORE CAREFULLY

Commercial truck drivers have a number of additional restrictions placed on them that the drivers of private passenger vehicles do not. For instance, they are only allowed to drive a certain number of hours at a stretch and they have to take a certain number of mandatory breaks. Conversely, however, they are often under tight delivery deadlines. When delays happen, they may frequently cut down on the number or length of breaks that they take in order to meet their deadlines. When this results in an accident, however, insurance companies may attempt to blame the driver and refuse to cover the accident. This leaves all of the victims of the accident trying to regain compensation from the driver rather than the insurance company.

WHY YOU WANT TO CALL AN ORANGE COUNTY TRUCK ACCIDENT ATTORNEY

The bottom line is, truck accidents are costly and no one wants to pay for them. Because truck accidents in and of themselves already involve multiple parties (the truck driver, the company they work for and the insurance company), each will play their own role in trying to prove they are not responsible for the damages. As soon as an accident occurs, it often triggers a type of shell game of buck-passing, with all parties attempting to place responsibility for the accident on someone else. An Orange County Truck Accident Attorney can help give you the muscle you need to ensure you are fairly compensated for the accident.

Recent Changes That May Affect Social Security Beneficiaries in 2019

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Every year on October the Social Security Administration (SSA) announces the changes to the Social Security program. The latest adjustments are set to take effect Jan. 1, 2019 according to the SSA’s annual fact sheet. Increased payments start on Dec. 31, 2018.

All beneficiaries will receive a 2.8% increase in payments. The change will affect more than 67 million Social Security beneficiaries in 2019 due to a 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) increase. This rise in benefits is meant to counteract the effect of inflation. The (BLS) Bureau of Labor Statistics determines the (CPI.W) Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers. The calculation ensures that everyone’s Social Security check has the same value it did the year before.

The 2.8% bump in 2019 means a 0.8% increase over last year’s 2% COLA, which was the most significant increase since 2012 where benefits went up 3.6%. The 2.8% adjustment equates to $39 per month for the average Social Security recipient. The average monthly payout is going up from $1,422 in 2018 to $1,461 in 2019.

The maximum taxable earnings will increase to $132,900. All employees were required to pay a 6.2% Social Security tax in 2018 on income up to $128,400. Earnings above that number were not subject to the tax. The tax rate will stay at 6.2% in 2019. However, the tax cap will increase to $132,900.

The full retirement age will continue to increase. The earliest anyone can start claiming Social Security retirement benefits is 62. Claiming before the full retirement age will result in a permanently reduced payout. The new full retirement age is 66 and four months. Those who are turning 62 in 2019 will have a retirement age of 66 and six months. Full retirement age increases every two months each year until it gets to 67.

Social Security benefits for retirees are partially or fully withheld depending on how much a person earns. Income limits will increase slightly in 2019. Before reaching full retirement age, the earnings limit was $17,640 in 2019. After that, $1 will is deducted from payment for every $2 that exceeds the threshold. The 2019 deadline is $600 higher than 2018’s limit of $17,040.

Social Security disability thresholds are scheduled to increase in the next few years. Over ten million Americans qualify for disability payments, and those thresholds are rising in 2019. The legally blind will collect a maximum of $2,040 a month which shows an increase of $70 per month over 2018. Non-blind persons have a maximum benefit increase of $40 a month to $1,220.

COLA notices can be viewed online. Most Social Security recipients can see their COLA notice online through their mySocialSecurity account starting in December. Notices will still be mailed this year. However, recipients will be able to choose whether to receive their notification online or by mail in the future.

It is smart to remain aware of the changes that could be announced in the coming months. Social Security is a complicated system that is designed to accommodate as many people as possible. Also visit your local Social Security Offices in your area for more information about potential benefits or eligibility.  Each person must learn what they are qualified for so that they receive maximum benefits.

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Could a Passenger in Accident File a Personal Injury Claim?

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If you live in Washington State and have been injured in a car accident while a passenger in the vehicle, you have legal rights, compensation is not limited to those who are driving cars at the time of the crash. So long as you can prove that a party to the accident was negligent, you can obtain a legal recovery.

Negligence is the basis of all personal injury law. To demonstrate that a party to the accident was negligent, you must make a showing that the other party owed a duty of care. When you are driving a car, it is axiomatic that you owe the duty of care to other drivers as well as passengers. The, it must be proven that the burden of responsibility was breached. This is usually judged by the standard of the actions that a reasonable driver would take under the circumstances. For example, a responsible driver would not be traveling at an excessive rate of speed, nor would they be texting while they are driving.

Once it is shown that a driver did not uphold the duty of care, a plaintiff must prove that they suffered an injury. Once an injury is confirmed, then it must be demonstrated that the driver’s actions were the proximate cause of the plaintiff’s injury.

In Washington, various factors could affect a driver’s liability to a passenger in a car. First, a passenger cannot only bring legal action against the driver of the other vehicle but also the driver of the car in which the passenger was traveling. When one drives a passenger, they owe a duty of care to the passenger in their vehicle to act as a reasonable driver would.

The second consideration is that Washington allows for judgments in proportion to the driver’s share of liability. For example, if one were injured as a passenger in an accident where both drivers were equally liable, then each of the drivers would owe half of the compensation to the injured passenger. This is called comparative negligence and is outlined in the Revised Code of Washington section 4.22.005. If a passenger sues only one driver, they may not achieve the full amount of recovery. Revised Code of Washington section 4.16.080 states that a personal injury action may be brought no later than three years after the accident.

If you have been injured in a car accident in Vancouver, it is essential that you contact a Vancouver car accident lawyer immediately to discuss your legal options. The lawyer can explain to you in greater detail how the laws of negligence work in Washington. The attorney can also go over with you the process that would need to be followed to receive compensation and can inform you about your chances of obtaining and legal recovery.

Virginia Takes Speeding Very Seriously

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While speeding tickets are among the most common types of traffic tickets distributed, many other traffic offenses warrant for a ticket. Some of these offenses include parking on a red curb, running a red light, driving too slow, and reckless driving. If you are given a traffic ticket for a traffic violation, there will be a fine printed directly on the ticket as well as a court date if you need to appear in court, this is not always the case. There will also be a date on which the fine is due, and if you fail to pay your fine on time you could face additional charges and a warrant may be put out for your arrest.

The state of Virginia takes speeding very seriously. The standard traffic ticket is $6 for every mile over the speed limit, $7 for every mile over the speed limit in a school or work zone, and $8 for every mile over the speed limit in a residential area. On top of that, there is a $200 fine as well just for receiving the ticket. The state of Virginia also adds on a $62 fee for every traffic conviction.

If you are pulled over for going 20 mph over the posted speed limit, or over 80 mph in any given area, you will be charged with reckless driving and the fines will skyrocket. You could be charged with up to a $2500 fine, and you could even face jail time. A reckless driving charge is a class one misdemeanor.

Not only will you be fined for speeding, but you will also be ticketed for driving too slow. You can be fined $30 on top of the $200 ticket charge and $62 traffic conviction charge. Driving slow causes a lot of issues such as creating unneeded traffic and backups on the road, as well as accidents.

Virginia Driving Record Points

In addition to fines and penalties for receiving a traffic ticket, the state of Virginia uses a driving record point system. Depending on your case, you could receive 3-6 points on your driving record, and they will remain on your record for two years. This will make your insurance premium increase significantly and if the points accumulate you can have your license suspended or revoked.

If you choose a local Richmond traffic attorney could be assigned to your case, and they could get your points reduced or removed altogether. They can also negotiate your traffic ticket and the fines and penalties associated with them. Keeping your driving record clean is vital for many reasons, and a traffic attorney may be able to do that for you.

Understanding Personal Injury Regarding Truck Accidents

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There are few types of highway accidents that yield horrific results like a truck accident. When tractor-trailer rigs go out of control or cause accidents due to human error the results can be fatalities and extensive property damage as well as disrupting traffic, often resulting in hazards on the roadway. Big-rig trucks carry a variety of products that can be very dangerous when trucks roll over or jack-knife causing the tank to rupture. These accidents commonly leave multiple injured parties in their wake following the fact, and reconstructing the accident can be difficult.

There could easily be multiple negligent respondent parties involved in litigation who are attempting to defer responsibility to the other defendants. Both the driver and the shipping company could be held responsible for an accident, and sometimes product liability claims arise too when vehicle part malfunction causes an accident that appears unexplained. Sometimes even the local or state governments can be liable as well when road conditions are such that the court finds that the state has failed in maintaining the highway. What this means is the cases get complicated in many instances, and having an experienced truck accident attorney is vital to being compensated properly for all injuries and property damage to vehicles.

Damages resulting from a truck accident commonly include compensatory recovery for pecuniary expenses along with lost resources and property. Financial recovery for medical bills and lost wages are initial claims. A settlement for non-economic pain-and-suffering as a result of the injuries suffered in the crash is the final step. Punitive damages can also be available in very serious cases such as wrongful death claims that include gross negligence by any respondent party, which is often the result of a truck accident.

Punitive damages must be awarded by a jury, so retaining an attorney who is willing to take a truck accident injury claim to a complete trial can be very important for being made financially whole following a wreck involving a commercial vehicle. Even the potential of a punitive damage award can be solid leverage for an experienced a truck accident attorney who understands how to use this possibility in negotiating a significantly higher settlement than offered.

Truck accident cases are often strongly defended when the respondent insurance company is focused on protecting the company bottom line instead of providing effective compensation according to the law. It is always essential to have an aggressive truck accident attorney in Vancouver who is diligent in ensuring that all of your legal rights to financial recovery are respected, including minimizing any claim of personal comparative negligence in the accident.