Methods and apparatus are provided for improved iterative error-erasure decoding. A signal is decoded by obtaining a plurality of symbols associated with the signal and one or more corresponding reliability values; generating at least one erasure list comprised of L symbols and at least one shortened erasure list comprised of L′ symbols, where L′ is less than L; and constructing an erasure set by taking erasures from at least one of the erasure list and the shortened erasure list. A signal is also processed by generating one or more reliability values using a soft-output detector; generating an erasure list of symbols by comparing the reliability values to at least one reliability threshold value (or by sorting); and performing error erasure decoding using the erasure list. The size of the erasure list can optionally be adjusted using feedback information.