Workers, retirees need more income

By: | TriCities.com
Published: November 05, 2009

I am confused. We have been told that Social Security and federal retirees will not receive a cost of living adjustment next year and probably not for the next two or three years because the cost of living has gone down. We are also told that the cost of living adjustment for federal employees is going up by 2 percent next year. The COLA should be consistent regardless of whether you are retired or working.
My personal inflation rate is higher as a retiree than it was when I was working. Most of my personal purchases have increased in price.
I pay more for food, electricity, insurance (car, home and health), co-pays, deductibles, taxes, drugs and many other things than I did last year while interest income has decreased.
I think the true inflation rate for most retirees has increased more than for most people who are still working. A lot of the calculations for determining the inflation rate are based on things that have dropped in price but are not purchased frequently by retirees. The drop in real estate prices hurts the finances of many retirees because they are selling their homes and rather than purchasing them. Low interest rates negatively impact those who saved for retirement and depend on interest payments from those savings for some of their retirement income.
The dropping of energy prices helps some retirees, but not all, because it has dropped for only some types of energy. If you heat with electricity, the increase in electric rates have been more than savings from other fuels.
The lower price for cars and gasoline has a limited impact for a retiree because they typically drive less than someone who is still working.

Ken Osborne
Marion, Va.

Workers, retirees need more income

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