The fuc'n thing is good 'till the year 2036 and then could pay 75% through 2085 without adjustments. How many of you have your finances in that good of shape?
It is not a Ponzi scheme. It has been a way for this country to not address the fact that SS overpayment has made it possible for us to overspend on Defense without having any reprecussions.
Do you folks even understand how the tax system works? The Defense Department is spending the fuc out of your retirement savings and we have not adjusted for the fact that people are living longer.
http://www.ssa.gov/oact/trsum/index.html
Social Security expenditures exceeded the program’s non-interest income in 2010 for the first time since 1983. The $49 billion deficit last year (excluding interest income) and $46 billion projected deficit in 2011 are in large part due to the weakened economy and to downward income adjustments that correct for excess payroll tax revenue credited to the trust funds in earlier years. This deficit is expected to shrink to about $20 billion for years 2012-2014 as the economy strengthens. After 2014, cash deficits are expected to grow rapidly as the number of beneficiaries continues to grow at a substantially faster rate than the number of covered workers. Through 2022, the annual cash deficits will be made up by redeeming trust fund assets from the General Fund of the Treasury. Because these redemptions will be less than interest earnings, trust fund balances will continue to grow. After 2022, trust fund assets will be redeemed in amounts that exceed interest earnings until trust fund reserves are exhausted in 2036, one year earlier than was projected last year. Thereafter, tax income would be sufficient to pay only about three-quarters of scheduled benefits through 2085.
Originally Posted by WTF
This statement would be accurate if the money was set aside in an investment that someone else owed the US. The money is in Tbills which means that we have borrowed it from ourselves. The only way to redeam those tbills is to raise taxes, lower benefits, or massivly cut other spending.
Raising taxes is forcing new investors to put more money in to support the ponzi scheme. They will not get a reasonable return on that investment.
Lowering benefits is changing the promised investment return. This has already been done once and will likely be done again. Many investors will never get a reasonable return on their investment. This is most likely what will happen.
Cutting spending in other areas of the budget would over time require the elimination of all non entitlement and some military spending. Not going to happen.
You may not like the ponzi scheme description but, since the congresses of the last 30+ years have spent the money, it fits.
And finally Yes I understand how Social Security works very well. I also understand basic math which most people that do not recognize the problem apparently don't.