iamwhatiseem
Diamond Member
Personally, I would like to see SS be turned into a real pension fund that invests in stocks, bonds, real estate, etc., as well as the government giving me the option to invest my savings on my own if I so choose. But until that happens ...
1) Over the next 75 years, Social Securitys shortfall is equal to about 0.7 percent of GDP. Source (PDF).
2) For the average 65-year-old retiring in 2010, Social Security replaced about 40 percent of working-age earnings. That replacement rate is scheduled to fall to 31 percent in the coming decades. Source.
3) Social Securitys replacement rate puts it 26th among 30 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development nations for workers with average earnings. Source.
4) Without Social Security, 45 percent of seniors would be under the poverty line. With Social Security, 10 percent of seniors are under the poverty line. Source.
5) People can start receiving Social Security benefits at age 62. But the longer they wait, up until age 70, the larger their checks. Waiting to 66 means checks that are 33 percent larger. Waiting to 70 means checks that are 76 percent larger. But most people start claiming benefits at 62, and 95 percent start by 66. Source.
6) Raising the retirement age by one year amounts to roughly a 6.66 percent cut in benefits. Source.
7) In 1935, a white male at age 60 could expect to live to 75. Today, a white male at age 60 can expect to live to 80. Source.
8) In 1972, a 60-year-old male worker in the bottom half of the income distribution had a life expectancy of 78 years. Today, its around 80 years. Male workers in the top half of the income distribution, by contrast, have gone from 79 years to 85 years. Source.
Eight facts and three thoughts about Social Security - Ezra Klein - The Washington Post
What...so SS can become a vehicle for stock managers to dump crappy stocks into like 401ks?
Pheh...no thanks