The Daily 3: The Iran war means government can't afford Medicare—but payroll taxes fund most of it; 28% cuts loom; and more

Catch up in minutes with your daily briefing on the Social Security, Medicare & Retirement news that affects you most.  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

April 10, 2026   |   Read online Friday briefing: : Iran war linked to Medicare cuts; Social Security's 86-year perfect record threatened; MA payment hike better than expected; and more Catch up in minutes with your daily briefing on the Social Security, Medicare & Retirement news that affects you most. What to Know for Friday, April 10, 2026: 1: The Iran war the means government can't afford Medicare — but payroll taxes fund most of it (Image Credit: AP Images) Real problem: rich don't pay fair share into Social Security: Social Security faces a 19% shortfall in 2034 mainly because the wealthy have captured a larger share of income since the late 1970s but don't pay payroll taxes on income above $184,500 — a RAND study found if income distribution had stayed like the 1950s-60s, payroll tax revenue would exceed the $250 billion annual deficit. Solution: uncap payroll tax and tax capital income: Removing the $184,500 payroll tax cap would bring in $3.2 trillion over a decade — and taxing income from capital (the richest 1% hold $54 trillion in assets) at the same rates as wages would keep Social Security solvent while meeting other needs. Young people still support Social Security despite fears: Polling shows young voters continue supporting Social Security and Medicare and "never bought the arguments for privatization" — as they reach middle age, support grows even stronger, making "tax the rich to save social insurance" smart politics that splits Republicans. ➜ Read the full article from The American Prospect here. 2: Social Security has never missed a payment in 86 years — but 2032 insolvency could mean 28% cuts (Image Credit: Getty Images) Insolvency doesn't mean benefits stop entirely: When trust funds run dry around 2032, Social Security will still collect payroll and benefit taxes that cover most costs — but without action, the Congressional Budget Office says benefits would drop 7% in 2032 and average 28% lower between 2033-2036. 28% cut would slash average check to $1,495/month: The current average monthly benefit of $2,076 would fall to about $1,495 under automatic cuts — a huge blow especially for seniors who rely heavily on Social Security, though far better than losing checks entirely. Fix will likely require tax increases: Social Security faced similar problems in the 1980s and the government modified it to continue full payments — solutions this time will probably mean raising payroll taxes, eliminating the $184,500 income ceiling to tax the wealthy more, or increasing benefit taxes on seniors. ➜ Read the full article from the Motley Fool here. 3: Trump administration finalizes 2.48% Medicare Advantage payment hike — much better than feared 0.09% (Image Credit: Reuters) Insurers dodged a bullet on payment rates: The government will increase average Medicare Advantage payments by 2.48% (over $13 billion) in 2027 — far higher than the proposed 0.09% hike floated in January that had pummeled health insurer stocks. Stock prices surged on the news: UnitedHealth and CVS Health shares rose more than 9% in after-hours trading Monday, while Humana jumped around 12% — the higher payments help insurers offset rising medical costs from delayed post-pandemic care and expensive GLP-1 drugs. Could mean lower premiums and out-of-pocket costs: Sufficient government payments allow plans to keep premiums low for seniors and reduce patient costs, which attracts and retains members — CMS Administrator Dr. Oz said the updates "keep coverage affordable and ensure patients get real value from their plans." ➜ Read the full article from CNBC here.   Free Medicare Help with Chapter 90% of American seniors are on the wrong Medicare plan. Thankfully, Chapter is here to help! They can help you switch to the right plan and save $$$. Chapter saves the average senior $1,100 per year! Plus, it is 100% risk-free! Give them a call to find out how much you could save: 539-205-2147. askchapter.org/insider Here’s What You Missed on YouTube: Check out our new YouTube videos for Friday, April 10th. Your EBT Card Is Changing in 2026 — Here's What It Means for Your Benefits Your EBT Card Is Changing in 2026 — Here's What It Means for Your Benefits Visit our YouTube Channel Retirement Navigator Podcast 🎙️ Episode #6: Rethinking Retirement — Income, Purpose, and “Unretirement” featuring journalist and podcast host, Richard Eisenberg Retirement Isn't What It Used to Be — And That Might Be a Good Thing What if retirement didn't mean stopping completely? In this episode of Retirement Navigator, Kwame sits down with Richard Eisenberg — one of the most trusted voices in personal finance — to talk about "unretirement," Social Security timing, Medicare pitfalls, and how to make your money last through a retirement that could span 40 years. If you're 55+ and wondering whether your plan is solid, this conversation is exactly what you need to hear. 👇 Hit play now & be sure to subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@TheRetirementNavigator Episode 6: Rethinking Retirement: Income, Purpose, and “Unretirement” The Daily 3 Deal List—Week of April 6th This newsletter is for information only. Always confirm your options directly with Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, or a qualified advisor before making big decisions about your benefits. *View our Advertising Disclosure   Update your email preferences or unsubscribe here © 2026 Benefits Insider 228 Park Ave S, #29976, New York, New York 10003, United States Terms of Service

CSU forecasts “somewhat below-normal” 2026 hurricane season

El Nino is expected to be a factor and could be robust, with ramifications for storm formation and also higher windshear ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Web version |  Update preferences |  Forward CSU's April 2026 hurricane season forecast CSU forecasts “somewhat below-normal” 2026 Atlantic hurricane season The Colorado State University (CSU) tropical meteorology team has issued its first forecast for the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, calling for “somewhat below-normal” levels of activity, citing the potential for a robust El Niño and associated increases in vertical wind shear as key factors. The CSU April forecast calls for 13 named tropical storms in the 2026 Atlantic season, with 6 becoming hurricanes and 2 achieving Category 3 strength or greater to become major hurricanes. That’s below the 1991 to 2020 average of 14 named storms, 7 hurricanes and 3 major hurricanes. In addition the forecast calls for accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) at an index level of 90, again below the 1991 to 2020 average of 123. Read the full story. Other articles: Howden launches German HCMA unit to meet rising European ILS demand.   Cat bonds – Maintaining an equilibrium in value, for sponsors & investors.   Stone Ridge mutual cat bond and ILS fund assets near $6.5bn, highest since late 2018. Please share this with colleagues and friends if you think they would like to receive it. If you've been forwarded this but want to subscribe, visit Artemis.   You may be receiving this because you recently attended an industry event we partnered with, giving us permission to email you. If you don't want to receive our weekly ILS, catastrophe bond and reinsurance capital newsletter please Unsubscribe  or Edit your subscription here . © Steve Evans Ltd. - Artemis.bm

The Daily 3: Social Security delays getting worse—how to get your benefits on time; 64% wrongly believe benefits will disappear; and more

Catch up in minutes with your daily briefing on the Social Security, Medicare & Retirement news that affects you most.  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

April 09, 2026   |   Read online Thursday briefing: Social Security delays worsening; 64% wrongly believe benefits will disappear; coffee and beef prices surge; and more Catch up in minutes with your daily briefing on the Social Security, Medicare & Retirement news that affects you most. What to Know for Thursday, April 9, 2026: 1: Social Security delays are getting worse — here's how to get your benefits on time (Image Credit: Getty Images) Unprecedented staffing collapse causes 2-3 month payment delays: After DOGE pushed out 7,500 employees in 2025 (hitting customer service and IT hardest), SSA now has fewer staff than 1967 when it served 52 million fewer beneficiaries — even after benefits are approved, it now takes 2-3 months to get into pay status, which is "just unprecedented." Do everything online and apply early: Set up an SSA online account now to apply for benefits, access statements 24/7, and guard against identity theft — apply for retirement benefits up to 4 months early and Medicare up to 3 months early, and never send original documents through mail since chaos means they can be lost. Call at 8am or contact your congressman: The toll-free line (1-800-772-1213) opens at 8am in your time zone when wait times are lowest — if problems are acute, contact your congressional representative's constituent services staff who can "poke the agency and get them to move things along." ➜ Read the full article from Morning Star here. 2: 64% of Americans wrongly believe Social Security benefits will disappear entirely when trust fund runs out (Image Credit: Reuters) The truth: 81% of benefits still payable from ongoing taxes: When the Social Security reserve runs dry around 2032, the program will still collect payroll taxes from current workers and can pay about 81% of full benefits — but nearly two-thirds of Americans mistakenly believe payments will cease completely. How you see the data changes what you believe: When study participants focused on graphs showing the reserve dropping to zero, 64% thought benefits would vanish — but when reminded that payroll taxes continue flowing in, the error rate dropped to 40%, showing messaging shapes public understanding. Fear drives costly early claiming mistakes: Roughly one-quarter of Americans ages 62-66 decided to claim Social Security early or plan to, thinking they should "grab the money while they can" — but waiting longer increases monthly checks (maxing out at 70), and based on average longevity, most people are better off delaying. ➜ Read the full article from USA Today here. 3: Coffee up 55%, ground beef up 31% — but eggs, bread, and pasta are getting cheaper (Image Credit: AARP) Proteins and beverages hit hardest by inflation: Coffee prices jumped 55.2% in two years (from $6.09 to $9.46/lb) due to poor harvests in Brazil/Vietnam and tariffs — ground beef rose 31.3% to $6.74/lb and steak climbed 21.1% to $14.19/lb because the U.S. cattle herd is at a 75-year low, with prices likely staying elevated through 2027-2028. Good news: eggs, potatoes, and bread dropped in price: Eggs fell 16.6% to $2.50/dozen (though still 73% higher than 2020), potatoes down 10.8% to 87¢/lb, tomatoes down 10.8% to $1.90/lb, bread down 7.8% to $1.85/lb, and pasta down 7.6% to $1.32/lb. Swap proteins and stack savings to cut costs: Making taco night now costs 18.6% more ($24.65 for a family of four), but swapping cheaper proteins or doing meatless meals 1-2 times per week makes "a noticeable difference" — combine coupons, store brands, bulk buying, and comparing unit prices for long-term savings. ➜ Read the full article from USA Today here.   Free Medicare Help with Chapter 90% of American seniors are on the wrong Medicare plan. Thankfully, Chapter is here to help! They can help you switch to the right plan and save $$$. Chapter saves the average senior $1,100 per year! Plus, it is 100% risk-free! Give them a call to find out how much you could save: 539-205-2147. askchapter.org/insider Here’s What You Missed on YouTube: Check out our new YouTube videos for Thursday, April 9th. Social Security Pays This Wednesday — Are You on the List? Social Security Pays This Wednesday — Are You on the List? Visit our YouTube Channel Retirement Navigator Podcast 🎙️ Episode #6: Rethinking Retirement — Income, Purpose, and “Unretirement” featuring journalist and podcast host, Richard Eisenberg Retirement Isn't What It Used to Be — And That Might Be a Good Thing What if retirement didn't mean stopping completely? In this episode of Retirement Navigator, Kwame sits down with Richard Eisenberg — one of the most trusted voices in personal finance — to talk about "unretirement," Social Security timing, Medicare pitfalls, and how to make your money last through a retirement that could span 40 years. If you're 55+ and wondering whether your plan is solid, this conversation is exactly what you need to hear. 👇 Hit play now & be sure to subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@TheRetirementNavigator Episode 6: Rethinking Retirement: Income, Purpose, and “Unretirement” The Daily 3 Deal List—Week of April 6th This newsletter is for information only. Always confirm your options directly with Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, or a qualified advisor before making big decisions about your benefits. *View our Advertising Disclosure   Update your email preferences or unsubscribe here © 2026 Benefits Insider 228 Park Ave S, #29976, New York, New York 10003, United States Terms of Service