By Mathew Ingram; Fortune ~ Oct 25, 2016
And it’s not good.
As Randall Stephenson continues the campaign to sell his proposed $100 billion purchase of Time Warner, the AT&T CEO has gone to great lengths to say he has no plans to bestow TV shows and other content from Time Warner with preferential treatment on AT&T’s network.
AT&T, once known informally as Ma Bell, is a storied American brand that goes back under a succession of names to the late 19th century, after Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone.
1. 1876
Bell Invents the Telephone
Alexander Graham Bell invents the telephone in Boston. The first words were to his assistant: “Mr. Watson, come here. I want you.” A year later, the Bell Telephone Company is formed.
By Tali Arbel; The Associated Press ~ Oct 24, 2016
NEW YORK (AP) — AT&T is following in the footsteps of its rival Comcast in snapping up its own entertainment conglomerate – in this case, Time Warner. But what’s happened in the aftermath of Comcast’s 2011 purchase of NBCUniversal may cast a shadow over AT&T’s deal.
By Rob Kozlowski; Pensions & Investments ~ Oct 24, 2016
AT&T Inc., Dallas, agreed to purchase Time Warner Inc., New York, potentially creating a combined company with about $89 billion in retirement plan assets.
The $85.4 billion purchase is expected to close at the end of 2017, AT&T announced in a news release.
As of Dec. 31, AT&T’s defined benefit plan assets totaled $42.2 billion, according to the company’s most recent 10-K filing, and defined contribution plan assets totaled $39.5 billion, according to the company’s most recent 11-K filings.
From William Baldwin; Forbes ~ Oct 23, 2016
Working past 60? Be prepared to get shortchanged on your Social Security benefit. You’ll be pouring in thousands of dollars in contributions and getting only a few extra dollars a month.
This is an old problem, but now it’s easy to see exactly how it affects you and what a change in your earnings history would do to your benefit. Click here to get a downloadable spreadsheet that shows how your benefit is calculated.
By Brenton Smith, Orlando Sentinel – Oct 21, 2016
AARP recently reported that fewer than 3 percent of the questions directed during our presidential primaries focused on Social Security.
That is a stark contrast with the program’s size and importance. Today the program accounts for nearly 25 percent of the federal budget, and serves nearly 16 percent of Americans. Even under the best circumstance, the system deserves the full attention of the politicians and voters.
Stuard Silverstein, FairWarning – Oct 19, 2016
When the Republican-controlled Congress approved a landmark program in 2003 to help seniors buy prescription drugs, it slapped on an unusual restriction: The federal government was barred from negotiating cheaper prices for those medicines. Instead, the job of holding down costs was outsourced to the insurance companies delivering the subsidized new coverage, known as Medicare Part D.
US News & World Report ~ Oct 17, 2016
Washington, D.C. – Oct. 17, 2016 – U.S. News & World Report today released the 2017 Best Medicare Plans. The new ratings are a resource for Medicare beneficiaries and their families searching for the best coverage options during the annual open-enrollment period, which began October 15 and runs through December 7, 2016.
The Best Medicare Plans include Honor Rolls of the Best Medicare Advantage Plans and Best Part D Plans, which highlight insurance companies that consistently offer highly rated health coverage to those 65-and-older. The plan ratings and Honor Rolls are offered through the U.S. News Health Insurance site, which helps health insurance buyers of all kinds navigate the options available to them.
By Michelle Andrew; Kaiser Health News ~ Oct 14, 2016
The incredible shrinking provider network is nothing new in marketplace plans. One way insurers have kept premiums in check on the individual market is by reducing the number of providers available in a plan’s network. Earlier this year, the federal government said that it would introduce a tool this fall to help consumers who are shopping on HealthCare.gov gauge how narrow a plan’s provider network is compared with others in the area.
By Steve Vernon; CBS News ~ Oct 13, 2016
Here’s your chance to save hundreds or even thousands of dollars in the next several weeks. That’s because it’s Medicare’s open-enrollment period, which offers you the potential to do some smart shopping for your health care coverage.