Description: An article from The Actuary that highlights Stephen C. Goss, chief actuary at the Social Security Administration, who was recently awarded the National Academy of Social Insurance's NASI first ever Robert M. Ball Award for outstanding achievements in social insurance. According to NASI, Goss exemplifies 'public service' at its very best. The Actuary asked Goss if he could give a little more of himself and answer some questions about his career, which, of course, he did.

Description: The author notes that “there is reason to expect 1981 to be the biggest year for Social Security legislation since 1977, perhaps even since 1972. The author further notes that the Congress will be forced to act to bring the system into financial balance. The article discusses some of the actions apt to be considered for legislative action including inter-fund borrowing, general fund borrowing, general revenue financing, changes in retirement age, changes in indexing, move towards universal coverage, and others.

Description: This article is a review and discussion of the 1976 “Report of the Consultant Panel on Social Security to the United States Congressional Research Service.” The report contains the results of another government-initiated study of the OASDI system which puts forth a second solution to a problem first publicly identified by the 1975 Advisory Council on Social Security, a problem which has come to be known as the “decoupling issue.” Because the solution proposed by the actuaries and economists making up this consultant panel is significantly different from that of the Advisory Council, this report has inspired some degree of friendly debate among actuaries and others interested in the technicalities of the OASDI benefit formula. Panel members are Peter A. Diamond, James C. Hickman, Ernest J. Moorhead, and William C. Hsiao, Chairman.

Description: Discusses and critiques the book Social Security: Perspectives for Reform.

Description: A comparison of Social Security benefits, for a hypothetical new entrant to the program, between the 1972 Social Security Act and the 1977 Social Security Act.

Description: The Social Security Act provides that, on or before April 1 of each year, the Board of Trustees of the OASDI trust funds and the two Medicare trust funds should submit to Congress reports presenting statistical operational data, future cost estimates, other actuarial analyses, and financing recommendations. The 1975 Report shows the worsening financial plight of the program.

Description: This article compares various Social Security reform proposals and offers a framework for viewing proposals that provides an analysis of the options on the basis of specific sets of principles and assumptions. From: The Actuary, September 1999 – volume 33 - Issue 7.

Description: This article summarizes the Social Security changes that were signed into law P.L. 93-233 on Dec. 31, 1973. These changes were principally intended to advance the payment of part of the automatic benefit increase that would have been payable according to the provisions enacted in 1972.

Description: This is a brief summary of a Brooking Institution study entitled 'The Payroll Tax for Social Security. The study argues that the payroll tax should be eliminated as a source of financing of Social Security on the grounds that it is regressive and is especially burdensome to the poor.

Description: This article explains the changes to Social Security as of the end of 1967.