For a single person with average earnings, initial benefits were intended to replace about 40 percent of income.

There is also disagreement about where the initial economic benefits of the removal of national trade and investment barriers will fall.

Yet too many homeowners lose some of the initial benefit by taking a "wait and see" approach.

Currently, workers' anticipated initial benefits rise each year in step with the national average wage.

The surgery followed similar operations elsewhere that in recent months have shown dramatic initial benefits in some patients.

Under current law, initial benefits for retirees are set by a formula based on the growth in wages throughout the economy.

In its place would be a formula setting the initial benefit based on how fast prices rise.

Growth in initial benefits should be linked to the consumer price index - not to wage growth.

In reality, there was both initial benefit and ultimate disadvantage in this.

Under current law, initial benefits are computed for each group of workers as they reach normal retirement age.