Mr. Obama would raise the top income, dividend and capital-gains rates for "the rich, " substantially increasing the cost of new investment in the U.S. More radically, he wants to lift or eliminate the cap on income subject to payroll taxes that fund Medicare and SocialSecurity.
And while the village comprised of Medicaid, Medicare, and SocialSecurity is being trashed, the Republicans will use the savings to reduce corporate and personal income taxes at the top brackets and sack the SocialSecurity Trust Fund.
Be aware that taking money out of a retirement account or selling securities at a sizable taxable gain rather than pulling cash from a certificate of deposit, money-market fund, savings or checking account could result in higher taxes on SocialSecurity benefits if it bumps income above a certain threshold.