So I was already paranoid...

[Wifezilla]

Don't hold back. You are 100% correct. SS wasn't meant to be the sole source of income or support for the retired.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Social Security would be doing just fine if it weren't for the baby boomers and the longer life expectancy now.

Actually, SS would be just fine if people would use it as it was originally intended, supplemental income, to go with your regular retirement.

SS was not created to be your entire retirement, it was to be a back up or a supplement to retirement.

I could say a lot more about this, but

How you use it doesn't effect SS. It does effect how useful it is for those that receive it. I hope it is still around in 17 years when I retire.

You missed my point. If people did what they could to have other money to retire on instead of choosing to just collect the SS, there wouldn't be as many people on it, and there wouldn't be as much trouble with it as there is now.

Why should the younger hardworking peoples tax money go to pay for your retirement when you could have been tucking some money back in a nest egg using income you worked for. It's so easy to sit back and blame "baby boomers" and others for SS problems, but it isn't just them.

And if we didn't let every child who's might have some developmental problems (and I am not talking about real handicaps or severely handicapped children, either) but made their parents work jobs, then that is that much more that would still be in the SS fund.

SS was supposed to kick in for retiree's after their actual retirement money was gone, NOT to be their ONLY source for retirement.

ETA: and the disability form of SS is supposed to be for people who are truly handicapped to the point that they cannot work a job, not for a 5 year old child who's hyper because their parents never spanked them!!!!!!!! You can't tell me that a child who has hyper activity (and no other physically compromising handicap) can't grow up and join the workforce!

 

[FarmerChick]

Social Security would be doing just fine if it weren't for the baby boomers and the longer life expectancy now.

Actually, SS would be just fine if people would use it as it was originally intended, supplemental income, to go with your regular retirement.

SS was not created to be your entire retirement, it was to be a back up or a supplement to retirement.

I could say a lot more about this, but

How you use it doesn't effect SS. It does effect how useful it is for those that receive it. I hope it is still around in 17 years when I retire.

I agree....I need it in 18 years and I don't think it will be around for me....so you bet I am taking my own retirement in my own hands. Never trust the govt. with money...HA HA HA--especially mine!
But it won't be the first time I paid my fair share and not got anything back..HA HA


You are right...it is simple. Mismangement of funds, more people drawing longer, less money with workers contributing, etc. Not a good scenario at all.

 

[dacjohns]

When social security tanks a lot of federal retirees will be hurting. The civil service retirement system has changed to the federal employees retirement system which is a three part system which includes social security. The previous system did not include social security.

It's big, not just because of baby boomers and a longer life span.

 

[Big Daddy]

Why should the younger hardworking peoples tax money go to pay for your retirement when you could have been tucking some money back in a nest egg using income you worked for. It's so easy to sit back and blame "baby boomers" and others for SS problems, but it isn't just them.

SS was supposed to kick in for retiree's after their actual retirement money was gone, NOT to be their ONLY source for retirement.

I've been paying SS tax since I was 13. So I'm not planning on spending other peoples money. I'm planning on spending the money that I and my employers contributed. SS is not supposed to kick in when your retirement is gone. It's supposed to be there when you retire. Some people are not able to save a big nest egg. If you are able to then good for you. There are millions of people that are retired and live on their SS. They live a very meager existence for the most part. Yes there are also people on disability. Some of them have serious disabilities like retardation or diabetes with their feet cut off. Some have missing limbs or serious mental issues. naturally there is some fraud going on but for the most part they are legit. Sorry you live in a world with people that aren't as well off or as perfect as you.

 

[Tallman]

Why should the younger hardworking peoples tax money go to pay for your retirement when you could have been tucking some money back in a nest egg using income you worked for. It's so easy to sit back and blame "baby boomers" and others for SS problems, but it isn't just them.

SS was supposed to kick in for retiree's after their actual retirement money was gone, NOT to be their ONLY source for retirement.

I've been paying SS tax since I was 13. So I'm not planning on spending other peoples money. I'm planning on spending the money that I and my employers contributed. SS is not supposed to kick in when your retirement is gone. It's supposed to be there when you retire. Some people are not able to save a big nest egg. If you are able to then good for you. There are millions of people that are retired and live on their SS. They live a very meager existence for the most part. Yes there are also people on disability. Some of them have serious disabilities like retardation or diabetes with there feet cut off. Some have missing limbs or serious mental issues. Sorry you live in a world with people that aren't as well off or as perfect as you. I hope you don't claim to be a Christian.

Big Daddy has it right. We are talking about money that we put into the system, and we have every right to expect it to be there for our retirement. What I find as an outrage is that this money is now being subject to tax.

One of the problems in the area of SS is the idea that there is this a separate account within our government that is earmarked for SS. Not true. Our politicians have access to SS money, and they have already used it for all kinds of projects; therefore, the money is gone! I believe very strongly that we will get our SS money; however, it just won't buy much due to the hyper inflation that is coming.

 

[VT-Chicklit]

Tallman Wrote:
Big Daddy wrote:
Quail_Antwerp wrote:
Why should the younger hardworking peoples tax money go to pay for your retirement when you could have been tucking some money back in a nest egg using income you worked for. It's so easy to sit back and blame "baby boomers" and others for SS problems, but it isn't just them.

SS was supposed to kick in for retiree's after their actual retirement money was gone, NOT to be their ONLY source for retirement.

I've been paying SS tax since I was 13. So I'm not planning on spending other peoples money. I'm planning on spending the money that I and my employers contributed. SS is not supposed to kick in when your retirement is gone. It's supposed to be there when you retire. Some people are not able to save a big nest egg. If you are able to then good for you. There are millions of people that are retired and live on their SS. They live a very meager existence for the most part. Yes there are also people on disability. Some of them have serious disabilities like retardation or diabetes with there feet cut off. Some have missing limbs or serious mental issues. Sorry you live in a world with people that aren't as well off or as perfect as you. I hope you don't claim to be a Christian.

Big Daddy has it right. We are talking about money that we put into the system, and we have every right to expect it to be there for our retirement. What I find as an outrage is that this money is now being subject to tax.

A part of the problem is that people believe that the money that they are getting from SS is what they put into SS. In actuality, most people who collect SS are getting back much more in money and bennefits than they actually put in during their working life. Another reason why SS is going insolvent is because the Government has been using the money from the SS trustfund for things other than SS for many years, and it has finnally caught up with us. The money that everyone has been putting into SS was not invested or banked inorder to get interest or better rates of return, it was handed over to the government who promptly spent it on one piece of pork or another. It is almost time to pay the piper. This is another reason why I am concerned with the Government handleing health care. They will spend the money that we will be paying into the system (IT IS NOT FREE) on other things and not solely on health care. Washington has never met a dollar that it could not find a use for!

 

[FarmerChick]

SS came from Englands old laws.

read the "why" it came about....old time history is interesting.

http://www.ssa.gov/history/briefhistory3.html

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Not worth my time or effort.

 

[reinbeau]

This is a hot-button discussion and it will be shut down if people don't keep it civil.