Veterans benefits

The 10 Biggest Things Your Income Taxes Pay For

Now that tax season is over, it's natural to wonder exactly where the hard-earned dollars you paid in income tax over the past year actually went.

Here's How Washington Is Likely to Trim Our Social Security Benefits

When Congress and President Obama make a budget deal to avoid the fiscal cliff, they're likely to use something called "chained CPI" to tweak how Social Security calculates cost of living adjustments. Here's a plain English explanation of what that means, and how it will effect your retirement.

A Veterans Benefit That Far Too Many Vets Overlook

Only a third of elderly veterans are receiving the full health care benefits they're entitled to, according to the government, and Aid and Attendance is among the most overlooked. For those who qualify, the nearly $2,000 a month it provides could be godsend -- if they know to apply.

What's Going On With Next Year's Federal Budget?

It has been a long, confusing summer for the federal budget: The FAA shutdown, the debt ceiling crisis, the Deficit "Supercommittee." But all of that was just prelude to the battles ahead over the 12 major appropriations bills to fund the government's "discretionary" spending.

Digging Into the U.S. Budget: What We Spend, and How

Getting even a tentative handle on the multi-trillion dollar federal budget is no easy matter. Still, as the debate surrounding U.S. spending, taxes and the looming debt ceiling continues, it's worth asking: Exactly how does America spend all that cash, and what do the choices being debated really mean?