Three proposals for Personal Retirement Accounts were put forth by the Committee to Strengthen Social Security, appointed by President Bush. This book provides a detailed and candid assessment of those proposals - differentiating the good from the bad. In addition, How Social Security Picks Your Pocket exposes how Social Security is implemented - who wins, who loses, and how the game is played; and offers suggestions for improvements to the system. Issue-by-issue, the book gives a guided tour of a system of staggering waste and blatant inequities. You’ll learn how average retirees are robbed of benefits – benefits that are redirected to wealthier, non-paying beneficiaries. You’ll learn about the millions of people who pay lip-service to Social Security – but pay nothing else. They don’t participate in the system described as their "worst nightmare." The tour includes a visit with the teachers who become janitors for just one day, to qualify for $100,000 in Social Security benefits – each. The book also reviews the amazing 115% tax, inflicted on working seniors. Yes, these people can effectively pay more in tax than they earn. The tour also includes the growing disability programs. Are you a hypochondriac? Good! You just may qualify for disability benefits. (Check out section 12.07 of the Social Security "Blue Book.") Did you know that one third of all workers getting disability benefits claim to have a mental impairment? Are you up on the latest designer diseases? And, did you realize that only one in every five hundred disabled workers recovers and returns to work – despite our miracle cures, technology, and "reasonable accommodations"? You’ll need your "hard hat" when visiting Supplemental Security Income (SSI), which is a welfare program run by Social Security. It’s been classified by the GAO as "high risk" due to its habit of paying benefits first, and asking questions later (or never). SSI has its very own disability program, and should be in the Guinness book for once paying benefits to 181 members of one family – simultaneously. In this program, more than sixty percent of disabled beneficiaries are paid for claimed mental impairments. Be advised that the tour includes some unsavory neighborhoods, rife with crime and corruption. There is a discussion of the different schemes and scams used to rip-off the system, and the new and threatening trends on the horizon. The Social Security Administration claims that it can’t estimate the amount of fraud in its programs. This book challenges that claim. Of course, what Social Security tour would be complete without a discussion of insolvency, the trust fund, and Personal Retirement Accounts (PRAs)? Is the program really broke? Would PRAs help, or hurt? You’ll get the lowdown on these matters, plus insights into a great alternative plan that has been serving retirees longer than Social Security, right here in America. Comparing the benefits of this alternative plan to those of Social Security is an enlightening, if sobering, experience. The final stop on the tour is the author's dream plan for Social Security. It’s a little different than any other proposal. Is it "Shangri-La" or Sham-ri-La? That’s for you to decide. (view table of contents)

Who are the real voters? Drawing on authoritative nationwide surveys and a wide range of quips and quotes, the author outlines the profiles of the average Republican and Democrat, and details their lifestyles, ethics, intelligence, and achievements in a multitude of charts and statistics. A recognized whistleblower who identified $2BN in false Social Security claims, the author pokes fun while poking holes in our prejudices about both national parties. This work is intended as an informative, fair, and constructive book that can broaden your understanding of Democrats and Republicans. Also, notes the author, it will come in handy if you just need some ammo for that next encounter with your brother-in-law.Are Democrats more tolerant than Republicans? Are they more educated? Who spends more time at work and who spends more time watching TV? Why are Republicans happier? Who really benefits the most from Social Security? All of these questions, and many, many more, are answered in the new book, Democrats and Republicans Rhetoric and Reality. Comparing the conduct and achievements of the Democratic and Republican constituencies, it is sure to be controversial.The book contains many surprising findings. For example, Democrats and Republicans have different tendencies with regard to trust, self-esteem, apparent intelligence, political knowledge, mental health, happiness, work hours, and charity. These general differences are quantifiable and statistically significant. Although the book is aimed at the popular market, it has all of the supporting references and statistical significance of an academic work. Interspersed among the findings are quotations from pundits, politicians, philosophers, celebrities, fruitcakes, etc. Although some of this rhetoric is strident, the book's overall tone is objective a refreshing alternative to the bombastic polemics we often see in modern political works. The last chapter comprises several constructive lessons that can be learned from the various Democratic-Republican comparisons. This may be the most comprehensive and authoritative work written about the constituencies of our two major political parties, and is must reading for anyone who is interested in American politics.

Product Description: This is an opinionated book with an attitude. The author, a CPA and MBA, presents economic information in a conversational tone and meticulously backs up his views with references, charts, and quotes. Joseph N. Fried has published several books with Algora, explaining financial controversies and challenges for the general reader...read more