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What to Know for Thursday, April 30, 2026: |
1: New bill would boost Social Security for parents who stayed home with kids — but needs Republican support |
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(Image Credit: Getty Images) |
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Up to 5 years of caregiving would count toward retirement benefits: The Social Security Caregiver Credit Act would give credits for up to 60 months (5 years) of staying home to care for children or dependent relatives like a disabled spouse or elderly parent — currently these unpaid caregiving years count as zeros when calculating your 35 highest-earning years, lowering your retirement payments. Could help 11 million stay-at-home parents get higher checks: If you spent years raising kids instead of working, those caregiving years would finally count in your benefit formula instead of dragging down your average — countries like Germany, Canada, and Sweden already provide pension credits for caregiving years. Faces uphill battle in Congress: The bill has only 2 Democratic co-sponsors and would need Republican support to pass both chambers — likely opposition argument is that Social Security is already facing insolvency by 2032 and can't afford to expand benefits for more people, even though the credits would recognize unpaid work that kept families together.
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➜ Read the full article from Newsweek here. |
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2: May Social Security payments run later than usual — here's when yours arrives by birthday |
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(Image Credit: Getty Images) |
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Payment dates: May 13, 15, or 28 depending on birth date: Born between 1st-10th get paid May 13, born 11th-20th get May 15, and born 21st-31st get May 28 — SSI recipients and those who started collecting before May 1997 (or receive both Social Security and SSI) get paid May 1. If payment doesn't arrive, call your bank first: Contact your financial institution directly to check for internal delays before calling SSA's national hotline at 1-800-772-1213 — local Social Security offices may be faster than the national number since the agency is "experiencing higher-than-normal call volume due to several layoffs in 2025." Check if your local office is open before visiting: The SSA has temporarily closed several locations in April, with some remaining closed for in-person meetings until further notice — visit the SSA website and search for closures or delays in your area before making the trip.
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➜ Read the full article from Parade here. |
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3: Fixing Social Security could cut federal deficit in half — and restore confidence in your benefits |
Social Security's 1.3% GDP deficit is half the problem: The federal government's "primary deficit" (before interest payments) is 2.6% of GDP, but Social Security's projected 75-year deficit averages 1.3% of GDP — eliminating Social Security's shortfall would cut the federal government's primary deficit in half. Bipartisan support means fixing it could actually happen: Workers, retirees, poor and affluent, Republicans and Democrats all enthusiastically support Social Security — fixing it sooner rather than later "would keep more options open, distribute the burden more equitably across generations, and most importantly, restore confidence in the nation's major retirement program." Healthcare costs and revenues must also change: The other half of the deficit problem requires "reining in our health costs that make Medicaid and Medicare so expensive," plus gradually increasing tax revenues as percentage of GDP — revenues have stayed "absolutely flat despite the aging of the population," which "makes no sense when more people need retirement income and health care."
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(Image Credit: Getty Images) |
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➜ Read the full article from the Center for Retirement Research here. |
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Here’s What You Missed on YouTube: |
Check out our new YouTube videos for Thursday, April 30th. |
Why Your Social Security Check Looks Different This Month — Every Reason Explained |
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The Retirement Navigator Podcast |
🎙️ Episode #7: The Conversation With Your Aging Parents You Keep Avoiding — And Why It Can't Wait featuring Carol Bradley Bursack from Minding Our Elders |
When Caregiving Becomes Your Life — Real Advice for Families Who Didn't See It Coming |
Most people don't plan to become a caregiver. It just…happens. A diagnosis. A fall. A surgery that doesn't go as expected. And suddenly, you're navigating something you never prepared for. |
In the latest episode of Retirement Navigator, Kwame sits down with Carol Bradley Bursack — author, dementia support group facilitator, and someone who spent 15 years providing daily care to multiple family members at once. Carol doesn't just talk about caregiving in theory. She lived it, and she shares the kind of honest, grounded wisdom you can only get from someone who's truly been in the trenches. |
This is one of the most heartfelt and practical conversations we've had on this show—you don’t want to miss it! |
👇 Hit play now & be sure to subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@TheRetirementNavigator |
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Episode 7: The Conversation With Your Aging Parents You Keep Avoiding — And Why It Can't Wait |
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The Daily 3 Deal List—Week of April 27th |
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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. |
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