Social Security?

[Tuckerman]

No one seems to talk about it any more WTF? I guess this means Im still going to be giving money to the feds and not expect any kind of return. All the people who should care must be too busy drinking, jobbing or chilling with the kidz to notice. When they do notice it will be too late. What do you all think? your the age group that should care.

[cj001f]

I'm planning on the Tooth Fairy. About as dependable.

[Buster Highmen]

Have a read here before you make up your mind:

http://www.thebattleforsocialsecurity.com/

[Buster Highmen]

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20041227/baker

[Buster Highmen]

http://dir.salon.com/story/news/feat...ial/index.html

[DJSapp]

I've honestly given up hope on the system. I know most of my friends have, and we just accept the fact that it just won't be there in 40 years. We are all saving accordingly, and if the system comes through, then we'll be the guys with the hookers, viagra and blow at shady acres.

[Buster Highmen]

http://www.prospect.org/web/page.ww?...articleId=8944

[Buster Highmen]

I've honestly given up hope on the system. I know most of my friends have, and we just accept the fact that it just won't be there in 40 years. We are all saving accordingly, and if the system comes through, then we'll be the guys with the hookers, viagra and blow at shady acres.

Why do you think this way?

[Squatch]

i remember when i was young and naive I thought that social security was like a savings account. Boy, I thought that would be a good way to do it. But I'm older now, I know it's better to spend it now.

[Buster Highmen]

No one seems to talk about it any more WTF? I guess this means Im still going to be giving money to the feds and not expect any kind of return.

You've been snowed by the machine.

All the people who should care must be too busy drinking, jobbing or chilling with the kidz to notice. When they do notice it will be too late. What do you all think? your the age group that should care.

I think that the same machine that convinces Americans that the Iraq war was well founded and that Saddam supported Al Qaeda and had WMD at the time of the latest invasion does an amazing marketing job.

[cj001f]

Why do you think this way?

The politics of the past 6 years (perhaps 26 years?) - borrowing on the future and never planning for when the bill will come do.

America's infrastructure - roads, air, Social Security, medicine - is aging, creaking, failing and growing ever more expensive. Americans ability and will to pay for it is shrinking. Someday the bill will come do and we'll have to do without, or pay through the nose. I don't see much desire for the sacrifices required for the latter.

[smitchell333]

If you're under 55 you're smoking crack if you think there'll be anything like the current system for you when you retire. Mathematical improbility.

[13]

I've honestly given up hope on the system. I know most of my friends have, and we just accept the fact that it just won't be there in 40 years. We are all saving accordingly, and if the system comes through, then we'll be the guys with the hookers, viagra and blow at shady acres.

Bwa. That's pretty much how I look at it too.

[Buster Highmen]

If you're under 55 you're smoking crack if you think there'll be anything like the current system for you when you retire. Mathematical improbility.

The proposed system of privatization of retirement accounts will have much, much higher costs and risks than the current system. Put that in your klein bottle and smoke it.

[cj001f]

Put that in your klein bottle and smoke it.

It's always on the other side of my Mobius Strip.

[Buster Highmen]

The politics of the past 6 years (perhaps 26 years?) - borrowing on the future and never planning for when the bill will come do.

A self fulfilling prophesy.

America's infrastructure - roads, air, Social Security, medicine - is aging, creaking, failing and growing ever more expensive. Americans ability and will to pay for it is shrinking. Someday the bill will come do and we'll have to do without, or pay through the nose. I don't see much desire for the sacrifices required for the latter.

America's ability is as great as the people who believe in it.

[Buster Highmen]

Just read the book, "The Battle For Social Security" before you let some shallow half news based on Prescott Bush's political agenda decide for you.

[Obstruction]

Social Security is govermental artifice. The idea that there was distinct and involuble funding for it has been fiction for a number of years. It will be funded, just out of another on of Uncle Sam's pockets. (And we will get hosed in some other fashion.)

If you are really worried about retirement spend a little extra time and make sure that your pension and private retirement savings are rock solid. (That's where the bulk of your dough will come from any way.)

Oh and my personal opinion, privitizing social security is one of the dumbest fucking ideas that this administration has championed (and te competition for that honor is brisk.)

[Buster Highmen]

It's always on the other side of my Mobius Strip.

And on the other side of that is projective space.

[DJSapp]

Why do you think this way?

Baby boomers retiring at 65, most will live and kill the system with newfangled drug and medical costs for an additional 15-20 years. Our nation's infrastructure is crumbling (the original interstate system that was built in the 50-60's had a 50-75 year design life). This will cost hundreds of billions to repair. Cities are decaying, urban planning is failing, people are multiplying. We are outsourcing our lowest paying jobs (essentially cutting out the feeders into the system, they work long and die early). The current system will not be able to handle this influx of people while the budget is diverted to maintaining the nation. The system may still exist, but I foresee minimum retirement age to be at least 70-72 by the time I get there.

What it comes down to is planning that the system will be gone, and perhaps we will be plesentally suprised if it still exists. Call it a half-empty view.

[13]

Baby boomers retiring at 65, most will live and kill the system with newfangled drug and medical costs for an additional 15-20 years. Our nation's infrastructure is crumbling (the original interstate system that was built in the 50-60's had a 50-75 year design life). This will cost hundreds of billions to repair. Cities are decaying, urban planning is failing, people are multiplying. We are outsourcing our lowest paying jobs (essentially cutting out the feeders into the system, they work long and die early). The current system will not be able to handle this influx of people while the budget is diverted to maintaining the nation. The system may still exist, but I foresee minimum retirement age to be at least 70-72 by the time I get there.

What it comes down to is planning that the system will be gone, and perhaps we will be plesentally suprised if it still exists. Call it a half-empty view.

While I don't agree with some of the specifics you outlined the "half-empty" view is one I've adopted in the case of SSI.

[CUBUCK]

Social Security is govermental artifice. The idea that there was distinct and involuble funding for it has been fiction for a number of years. It will be funded, just out of another on of Uncle Sam's pockets. (And we will get hosed in some other fashion.)

If you are really worried about retirement spend a little extra time and make sure that your pension and private retirement savings are rock solid. (That's where the bulk of your dough will come from any way.)

Oh and my personal opinion, privitizing social security is one of the dumbest fucking ideas that this administration has championed (and te competition for that honor is brisk.)

I personally like the idea of controlling my own retirement savings rather than the government. If it were up to me I would phase out the whole damn program. Would love to see a politician bite the bullet and suggest getting rid of it but I know better than to expect that.

[cj001f]

I personally like the idea of controlling my own retirement savings rather than the government. If it were up to me I would phase out the whole damn program. Would love to see a politician bite the bullet and suggest getting rid of it but I know better than to expect that.

Except on the whole most people can't manage their own retirement. Pretty much defeats the purpose (except to satisfy ideological onanism) - unless you are a wall street type salivating over a new crop of rubes.

Buster-
I missed out on the boundless optimism assigned at citizenship.

[Buster Highmen]

Baby boomers retiring at 65, most will live and kill the system with newfangled drug and medical costs for an additional 15-20 years. Our nation's infrastructure is crumbling (the original interstate system that was built in the 50-60's had a 50-75 year design life). This will cost hundreds of billions to repair. Cities are decaying, urban planning is failing, people are multiplying. We are outsourcing our lowest paying jobs (essentially cutting out the feeders into the system, they work long and die early). The current system will not be able to handle this influx of people while the budget is diverted to maintaining the nation. The system may still exist, but I foresee minimum retirement age to be at least 70-72 by the time I get there.

What it comes down to is planning that the system will be gone, and perhaps we will be plesentally suprised if it still exists. Call it a half-empty view.

Can you back any of this up? It will fail if we let it, like we're doing.

[CUBUCK]

Except on the whole most people can't manage their own retirement. Pretty much defeats the purpose (except to satisfy ideological onanism) - unless you are a wall street type salivating over a new crop of rubes.

Its not nearly as difficult as you make it sound.

I'm not suggesting an overnight swap but if you started teaching personal finance in middle school and high school I think you would be able to begin to give people the tools necessary to control their own financial futures.