Swing-state voters are open to several ideas to keep Social Security benefits flowing for decades — as long as it’s the wealthy footing the bill, according to the latest Bloomberg News/Morning Consult poll.
An overwhelming 77% of registered voters in the seven states that will decide the 2024 presidential election like the idea of a billionaires tax to bolster Social Security shortfalls, the poll found. More than half say they approve of trimming benefits for high-earners, and for taxing wages for Social Security beyond the first $168,600 in earnings as done under current policy.
The poll was conducted among registered voters in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin between April 8-15.
Across-the-board changes — raising the retirement age to 69 from 67 or introducing a new formula that results in less generous benefit payments — were less popular. Around one-fourth of poll respondents supported those policies, while about a third support increasing payroll taxes.
The poll demonstrates the difficult task Congress will face in the coming years as it grapples with how to shore up the social safety net program for aging Americans. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that starting in 2034 Social Security recipients will only receive about 75% of their promised payments if lawmakers don’t act.
“A lot of people want the government to take action, but they’re not really sure how,” Matt Monday, a senior manager for Morning Consult, said in an interview. “But the things that they do feel sure about is that someone else should do it,” he said, pointing to the wide popularity of the billionaires tax.
President Joe Biden’s billionaires tax would place a 25% levy on households worth more than $100 million. The plan taxes accumulated wealth, so it ends up hitting money that often goes untaxed under current laws. The president has also proposed higher payroll taxes on those making more than $400,000 as a way to strengthen the Social Security trust fund. Conversations in Washington about large-scale plans to find new ways to fund Social Security have become more pressing with projections showing the program is becoming increasingly unsustainable. But changes to Social Security are politically risky because older Americans, who are directly benefiting from the payments, are an important voting bloc for both parties.
Benefit programs for elderly Americans are one of voters’ top priorities in November — only the economy, immigration, abortion and protecting democracy were chosen more often when respondents were asked what single issue was most important to their voting decision.
The poll also found that swing state voters trust Biden more than Republican presumptive nominee Donald Trump to preserve Social Security and Medicare, with 45% trusting Biden and 39% trusting Trump.
Trump has not articulated a clear vision for the benefit programs. His campaign website says he will “always protect” Social Security without providing details. In a March interview, he said “there is a lot you can do in terms of entitlements in terms of cutting,” but later walked back that statement, saying he would never do anything to “jeopardize or hurt” the payments for older people.
Republicans in Congress have proposed raising the retirement age and using a new cost of living adjustment metric that would result in lower payments over time. Nikki Haley, who challenged Trump for the GOP presidential nomination, proposed scaling back Social Security benefits for future generations and higher income retirees.
Methodology
The Bloomberg News/Morning Consult poll surveyed 4,969 registered voters in seven swing states: 801 registered voters in Arizona, 802 in Georgia, 708 in Michigan, 450 in Nevada, 703 in North Carolina, 803 in Pennsylvania and 702 in Wisconsin. The surveys were conducted online from April 8-15. The aggregated data across the seven swing states were weighted to approximate a target sample of swing-state registered voters based on gender, age, race/ethnicity, marital status, home ownership, 2020 presidential vote and state. State-level data were weighted to approximate a target sample of registered voters in the respective state based on gender, age, race/ethnicity, marital status, home ownership, and 2020 presidential vote. The margin of error is plus or minus 1 percentage point across the seven states; 3 percentage points in Arizona, Georgia and Pennsylvania; 4 percentage points in Michigan, North Carolina, and Wisconsin, and 5 percentage points in Nevada.
The Financial Accounting Standards Board released a proposed accounting standards update containing a set of targeted improvements to the FASB Accounting Standards Codification.
The amendments in the proposed ASU involve incremental changes to the codification and would affect a wide range of topics. They would apply to all reporting entities within the scope of the affected accounting guidance.
The proposed ASU would address 34 issues, including issues related to:
Removing the term “amortized cost” from the Master Glossary;
Clarifying the calculation of earnings per share when a loss from continuing operations exists;
Clarifying the calculation of the reference amount for beneficial interests;
Clarifying the guidance for the transfer of receivables from contracts with customers; and,
Clarifying the accounting for certain receivables by not-for-profit entities.
Spend management solution provider Ramp announced the release of Ramp Treasury, which can act as a business or investment account for users.
Specifically, Ramp Treasury lets businesses store cash in a business account that earns 2.5% interest, or in an investment account with the potential for higher yields, all within the same platform they already use to pay their bills.
Users can create as many business accounts as they need versus having to juggle multiple accounts and passwords. They can also set a target balance for their Ramp Business Account and top up from their checking account. Upon opening a Ramp Business Account, Ramp will pay users a monthly cash reward, calculated as a percentage of their deposited funds. They begin earning on the first dollar they deposit, and there is no cap to how much they can earn. Earnings are disbursed automatically by Ramp each month. Earnings are paid as cash, versus statement credits or rewards requiring redemption. Instead, the customer can transfer earnings from their Ramp Business Account to be used as cash elsewhere.
Customers can transfer funds in and out of a Ramp Business Account via externally linked commercial or business bank accounts. Funds that are moved may settle as quickly as the same day, but could take as long as five business days. Funds in a Ramp Business Account can be used to pay Ramp statements, Ramp Bill Pay and employee reimbursements. Payments to Ramp statements settle instantly. At this time, the Business Account cannot be used to deposit checks, receive external payments, receive transfers from bank accounts that are not linked to Ramp, or make payments outside of the Ramp platform.
The Ramp Investment Account, meanwhile, allows businesses to invest cash in the Invesco Premier U.S. Government Money Portfolio (FUGXX), a money market fund. Securities products and brokerage services are provided by Apex Clearing Corporation, an SEC-registered broker-dealer. The Investment Account is not a deposit product, not insured by the FDIC, and may lose value.
The launch is part of Ramp’s ambitions to automate more areas of the financial tech stack beyond payments.
“The old treasury playbook meant either constant micromanaging of cash positions and payment dates … or just accepting you’ll lose out on interest. The new playbook is refreshingly simple: let technology do the heavy lifting, so you don’t have to,” said Ramp CEO Eric Glyman. “This is why we created Ramp in the first place. We find every cent you deserve so you can focus on moving your business forward. It’s all about the timeless principle of making every dollar and hour work harder, and go farther.”
While the service acts a lot like a bank account, Ramp is not a bank and therefore is not subject to all the same rules and regulations of a bank (though the accounts are FDIC insured, according to the website). The Business Account is a deposit account offered through First Internet Bank of Indiana, which is the one who provides the bank services. There are no account opening or management fees, no deposit minimums, and no withdrawal restrictions.
Ramp Treasury allows for unlimited same-day ACH, international wires and domestic wires. It also offers alerts before funds are low or if cash is available to invest. The solution provides support for fully integrated workflows from beginning to end, meaning that cash transfers and earnings automatically sync with a connected ERP system and get categorized in the correct general ledger accounts. The security features allow only authorized people to transfer or release money, and the software provides a comprehensive audit trail. Ramp also makes Ramp for Accounting Firms.
Accounting and contract management solutions provider FinQuery announced a major reshuffle of its executive team, including a new CEO, COO and executive chairman. Joe Schab—the president and chief operating officer—has been appointed to the role of chief executive officer, effective immediately.
“It’s an honor to be appointed CEO of FinQuery,” said Schab. “I’m incredibly proud of the positive impact we’ve made on our customers, helping them simplify complex accounting processes and gain unparalleled visibility into their committed spend. I’m eager to continue building on this success and deliver even more impactful solutions that meet their evolving needs.”
Meanwhile, George Azih, founder and now-former CEO, will transition to the role of founder and executive chairman, where he will continue to provide strategic guidance and support the company’s growth.
“Joe has been an invaluable partner in building FinQuery into the successful company it is today,” said Azih. “A deep understanding of the technology industry coupled with his strategic vision and operational expertise make him the ideal leader to guide FinQuery through its next phase of growth. I am confident that under Joe’s leadership, FinQuery will continue to innovate and deliver exceptional value to our customers.”
In addition to Schab’s promotion, FinQuery also announced the promotion of Justin Smith from chief financial officer to both CFO and COO. Smith will assume responsibility for overseeing the company’s financial and operational performance. It is unknown who the replacement CEO will be.
Overall, according to Azih, these changeups in the leadership reflect a natural evolution in people’s roles through the years.
“This transition is about aligning titles with the roles that have already been shaping FinQuery’s success,” he said. “Joe has been serving as president and COO for several years, playing a pivotal role in driving our strategy and operations. His promotion to CEO is a natural evolution, recognizing his outstanding leadership and vision. Similarly, Justin’s move into the dual roles of CFO and COO reflects how closely these two functions have become aligned in recent years, as we prioritize both financial strategy and operational excellence to deliver greater value to our customers. As I step into the role of executive chairman, my focus will remain on guiding FinQuery’s strategic vision while empowering this exceptional team to continue simplifying complex accounting processes for our customers.”
FinQuery, formerly LeaseQuery, has spent the last few years growing well beyond its original focus on lease accounting, prompting a rebrand early last year. The transition to FinQuery mirrors the company’s expanded vision toward providing comprehensive financial solutions. While lease accounting software remains a core part of its offering, FinQuery represents a more holistic approach to financial management. To this end, the company recently released a prepaid and accrual accounting solution as well as a contract management solution.