No Cost-Of-Living Raise This Year For Seniors

Although the Social Security Administration has informed Congress that they will not make an official announcement about cost of living increases until later this week, experts are widely expecting the agency not to recommend any adjustment to benefits. The administration has to wait until after October 15th to make a final decision so they can review the September Consumer Price Index (CPI).

According to Huffington Post.com, the CPI would have to show a remarkable uptick in price to effect the SSA's decision not to provide the annual cost of living adjustment (COLA) which, by statute, is based on the rate of inflation.

If there is no measurable increase in the cost of living, then there is no adjustment, a rationale that unsurprisingly placates roughly zero beneficiaries.

Social Security recipients eagerly anticipate the annual increase. Touching a senior's COLA is a political third rail. Florida GOP challenger Dan Webster found that out the hard way when he suggested the federal government "take back some of the COLAs for the entitlement programs." Under withering fire from the elderly, he quickly backed off the suggestion, saying that he meant his comments to apply to federal workers -- who, of course, are not paid by "entitlement programs."

The backtracking largely got him out of the jam, but Democrats will be in their own fix when the announcement is made public. The COLA announcement will come as little surprise, since inflation has remained relatively low all year as a result of Federal Reserve efforts.

Obama extends benefits of gay federal workers

In a move that goes beyond the memo President Obama signed last June which permitted same-sex partners to use the government’s long term care insurance and other fringe benefits, he extended the range of benefits to same-sex partners of eligible federal workers to include access to medical treatment, relocation assistance, credit unions, and fitness centers. These benefits do not cover uniformed members of the military, however, but the House is working on a repeal of the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” law, so there is a chance they will cover same-sex couples of military personnel next year.

This extension of benefits comes in perfect alignment each year with June now being the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered Pride Month declared by Obama. Obama also ordered federal agencies last year to identify other benefits that could be offered to same-sex partners. Unfortunately, he is prevented by federal law from providing full federal benefits to same sex-partners. Read the full article here.

U.S. Unemployment Now Lasts Longer Than Benefits: Chart of Day

According to Bloomberg, for the first time in U.S. history, the average amount of time it is taking the average American to find a new job now exceeds the length of time they are eligible for standard unemployment benefits. Their report suggests that the average duration of unemployment stands at 26.2 weeks, while unemployment benefits typically only last 26 week. This new revelation comes just days after it was reported that the jobless rate rose to 9.8% in September.

Congress has extended unemployment benefits twice -- first in July 2008 and then as part of the stimulus bill signed in February. Currently, the unemployed are eligible for a total of 46 weeks of benefits, and those in states where the unemployment rate is more than 6 percent are eligible for 59 weeks.

Those additional benefits expire at the end of the year, and about 1.3 million people will exhaust them by then, according to the National Employment Law Project. An extension of benefits, which was passed by the House of Representatives, is being held up in the Senate by lawmakers who object because their states would be excluded from the plan.

The purple line on the chart shows 5.4 million people have now been out of work for at least 27 weeks, representing 35.6 percent of the total number of unemployed, the most since the agency began keeping statistics in 1948.

Reasons to be a Multiple Unit Franchise Owner

WatchMeFranchise.com, a blog sponsored by RDTC Inc., posted an interesting article last week on reasons why it is beneficial to be a multiple unit franchise owner. Check out a portion of the article below, or check out WatchMeFranchise.com for the full version.

1. More Profitable

The biggest reason to open multiple units of a franchise is because you have the opportunity to make much more money. There is only so much money to be made from owning a single location, but if you begin to expand then the income possibilities are essentially limitless.

2. Franchise Incentives

Depending on the franchise you own, there may be incentives offered by the franchisors for owning multiple units. Incentives could be a reduced price, free services for your store, or even prime store locations. Franchisors will usually offer these incentives for multiple-unit owners, as it saves them time and money as well for you to have multiple locations.

3. Advertising Savings

If you own multiple franchises, you can save on advertising by running one set of ads, but providing two (or three, or four, etc.) contact sections. You have probably seen this in ads all over the place, but had never considered it as an advantage to the franchise owners.

4. Multiple-Unit Management

Managing one store can be hard enough at times; so many people get quite concerned about the idea of managing multiple stores. However, most multiple-unit franchise owners will decide to hire a store manager for each location. That way, as the owner, you become more of an over-seer and will not need to handle as many day-to-day operations.

5. Higher Success Rate

It has been proven that multiple-unit franchise owners have a much higher success rate than that of single-unit owners. While all franchises have a statistically higher success rate than other small businesses, multiple-unit franchisees have an even higher success rate.

Returning Veterans Becoming Franchise Owners

According to US Franchise News, there is an increasing number of veterans returning from the Middle East who are looking to purchase small business franchises. Currently there are over 350 veterans who own a small business franchise in the United States as a result of the Veterans Franchise Initiative (VetFran), which offers discounted franchise fees to veterans who want to purchase a franchise business. The program was given the Support Sector Champion Award from the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs at the nation’s capital. "The VetFran program is our way of saying thank you to veterans for their service," said Matthew Shay, president of the IFA. "They deserve our help in pursuing the American dream of business ownership because without them to protect our nation, such opportunities would not exist."

The Roni Deutch Tax Center is also a proud member of the VetFran program. To learn more about the special benefits we offer to veterans, please check out the Roni Deutch Tax Center Franchise website.