Social Security

[Norm Sauceman]

We are not going to be able to invest %100..we are only going to be given some of it...We will just be given an opportunity to invest SOME of it ourselves to invest SOME of it... read up on it a bit.. He is not giving it ALL to us...and it is ONLY VOLUNTARY..

YOU ..DO ..NOT ..HAVE ..TO ..DO ..IT ..IF ..YOU ..DO ..NOT ..WANT ..TO..

V..O..L..U..N..T..A..R..Y..
http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

I do not think it will not be fine at its current rate.. and I am not willing to gamble on that at all.. I would be willing to gamble PART of my Social Security with some relatively safe investments like I did with my 401K.. I did pretty well with mine.. You just have to watch it..

All I did was made sure if the rate dropped a certain amount that I would move it to another that was better...

If we are given that kind of freedom, I would really like..

I don't know what it was, but right after 9/11..I mean within a couple of weeks when the stock market went back up and everything was trying to resume... I put all my investments into an account that was the safest amount..almost like a low-interest savings account (about 2-3 percent interest).. Many of my co-workers left theirs where they were... I was the only one who came out not a big looser in that.. I tried to tell them.. Although they did recover, I was actually to come out of it with larger gains..

So, long story short. We are going to be given the opportunity (if we want to, we do not have to) to invest some of our Social Security benefit in the Stock Market.. If I am given the opportunity to and have the freedon like I did with my 401K, I would really like to do it.. If the government only has one or two options, I would not like that at all...

[wtnhunt]

[ QUOTE ]
So i dont see any reason to change it we will be fine

[/ QUOTE ]
You dont just ignore problems like this. Not doing anything about ss and letting it continue at the rate is going would be a huge mistake.

[ QUOTE ]
So, long story short. We are going to be given the opportunity (if we want to, we do not have to) to invest some of our Social Security benefit in the Stock Market.. If I am given the opportunity to and have the freedon like I did with my 401K, I would really like to do it.. If the government only has one or two options, I would not like that at all.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yep, it is all in planning stages from what I understand at this point.

[Mathews XT Man]

I disagree. We killed off our work force with abortion, whos gonna pay into the system?? It used to take 1.3 workers per retiree, now its 3.4..........try paying your bills at 80% of what you owe the store......when you cant meet your obligations, guess what......? YOUR BAMKRUPT!!! Let me put my money where I know I'll get it back plus interest! Do you realize that NO government employees collect SS???? Thats right, they HAVE private accounts!!! If it works for them, it will work for me!!!

[David_218]

Unless things change on Wall Street, investing S.S. funds in the stock market will be like gambling. The S & P 500 Index is only yielding 3% per year at this point in time.

[James7xChamp3]

[ QUOTE ]
Do you realize that NO government employees collect SS???? Thats right, they HAVE private accounts!!! If it works for them, it will work for me!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

That is not true. Under CSRS (old system) it is true, but under FERS since 1983 or 84) we do get SS plus we have TSP in which I invest 15% of my pay into 5 or 6 different funds. I can put it all into 1 fund or divide it up into differnet ones. This is what the President was referring to. For long term investing, it's a very good system IMO. What I like best, is I choose where to invest my money.

I'd like to say one thing while on the topic of SS. It would get fixed FAST if everyone was apart of it. I'm talking the Congress, Senators etc. SS does not affect them one bit. They represent us, and should be apart of SS if we are to get true representation. Their retirement system is a sham! They even vote on their own raises/increase etc. Take that away, and see how fast SS gets fixed!

[Norm Sauceman]

[ QUOTE ]
Unless things change on Wall Street, investing S.S. funds in the stock market will be like gambling. The S & P 500 Index is only yielding 3% per year at this point in time.

[/ QUOTE ]

3% is a lot better than nothing, plus it is just a part of my Social Security..the rest is in the Social Security vault collecting NO interest....Think about that 0%.

[wtnhunt]

Three percent is a lot better than getting a negative or no return at all on the money you put in.

[David_218]

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Three percent is a lot better than getting a negative or no return at all on the money you put in.

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A 3% return does not keep up with current inflation rates. I remember when the dow & S&P were both below 1,000 and investor's returns were a whole lot more that a lousy 3%. The REAL value of todays stock are greatly overpriced, and the P.E. Ratio is way lower than it was 20 years ago.

[Norm Sauceman]

OK, but how much of a rate of return do you get in your Social Security??? What is it up to now??? 0%?

[David_218]

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OK, but how much of a rate of return do you get in your Social Security??? What is it up to now??? 0%?

[/ QUOTE ]

The way the Social Security has been looted it is probably <0%!

[Norm Sauceman]

We NEVER got a rate of increase on Social Security..
N...E....V....E....R...

Social Security never paid interest...

[Norm Sauceman]

WHEW!!!!!

I...N...D....E...P...E....N....D....E....N...T.... .

[Mathews XT Man]

M....E.....T...O...O...

[stevebeilgard]

meeee threeeee. more facts. bushes changes are VOLUNARIIIIIIIILY! for you liberals, that means you don't have to do it. you can stay with the dependable, guaranteed social security. BUT, if you are a fool hearted gambler, you may, if you want, take up to 15% of you social security payments, and invest them in mutual funds. not the stock market directly, but only in mutual funds.

history lesson here: NO mutual fund ever in existance, has EVER lost money for an investor who has left his money in the fund for 10 years of more. in short, since bushes plan (what very little we actually know about it) says you MAY invest up to 15%, if you want, into a fund where you can't touch it for at least 10 years (that's why it's for folks under 55 only) you have a good chance of making money. in countries where it has been tried, most who invested are making triple (that 3 (three) times as much as the government plans.

sounds pretty risky to me......

has bush done anything.... anything at all good, in the past 4 years. not according to liberals (aka losers)

[buckee]

Y..o..u M...u...s...t B...e L...i...b...e...r...a...l .
Come to Canada and go home a republican. Great vacation

[slugshooter]

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not according to liberals (aka losers)

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Just an FYI, you won't get anywhere nor gain any respect in here from anyone by calling names.

[wtnhunt]

Actually if you look at ss and consider where it will be when say I retire, I am 35, I will likely get a negative return. With current inflation and a 0 percent return ss is a lose lose system for me any way I look at in its current state.

[slugshooter]

What's good for you may not be good for the next person, everyone has their own individual needs and situations. Some people may be better off investing part of their money in stocks or whatever the plan is, some people don't even need social security, but, until the laws are changed the super rich will still get a check unless they deny it. I would absolutely puke if Bill Gates starts accepting SS checks when he turns of age.There are some millionaires doing just that, they have a right to do it but they have no need, and thus, that's millions that could be going to people who might need it.

[wtnhunt]

I agree with you about those who do not need it sluggo. And you are also right that what may be good for us may not be good for the next person, but there has to be a better way than the current where you will end with a negative return on the money you pay in. Rather than bashing the idea of change why not try to come up with some bright ideas of how ss could be reformed in a manner that would be benefical to all those who need it.

[Texan_Til_I_Die]

I think everyone is overlooking something in this Social Security argument. Under the current system, your benefits ARE NOT guaranteed. Taxes are collected from those who are currently working and that money is then redistributed, minus a few hundred million dollars for administrative costs, to those who aren't working. There are at least two things that could happen that would cause the program to fail - 1) Congress could decide to cancel the program at any time. 2) For some reason (massive depression) there aren't enough workers available or the wages are too low to be able to supply the taxes required for the redistribution.
There are probably other scenarios for failure, but those were the first two that came to mind.

[stevebeilgard]

aka losers simply was a reference to the past election. hope no one took it personally. sorry

[AJ]

[ QUOTE ]
I would absolutely puke if Bill Gates starts accepting SS checks when he turns of age.There are some millionaires doing just that, they have a right to do it but they have no need, and thus, that's millions that could be going to people who might need it.

[/ QUOTE ]

WOW, this is pure left talk. Sounds like Hilary is adding posts.

So what if the rich earned their money, give it to those that were too _____

a. lazy
b. stupid
c. unwilling
d. all the above

to earn their money. I would be seriously ticked off if they tried to keep it from Bill Gates or any other rich person. They earned that money. That money is what they paid into the system, so why should they not get it when they come of age?

Social security was designed as a retirement suplement, not a pension.

[Norm Sauceman]

Thanks AJ...

[OJR]

I agree with AJ completely! Whoever the rich are, they worked and earned every penny they have! The government didn't support them like a whole bunch of people who never earned a paycheck and then expect to be taken care of!!

If a multimillionaire draws social security, more power to them! They paid it all in so why shouldn't they be able to draw it??

AJ you are right on the mark!

[slugshooter]

I never said they couldn't, all I said was they shouldn't. I know how difficult it might be to confuse the two. What does a millionaire need with Social Security. If you had Bill Gates money, would you draw Social Security. In fact, when we started debating Social Security, many of you agreed that there are many people who shouldn't draw because they don't need it, but I guess since I said it it's a horrible thought. As far as people drawing that haven't earned it. Someone posted something on here about someone's widow drawing her dead husbands Social Security and she had no right. Well, lets see, she is probably old so she can't hold a job now, back when she was younger it wasn't considered ladylike to hold a job, you know, all that stay at home, bear my children, cook my food bs, you can't have a job. So, a woman who was raised and lived her life as a housewife, no formal education, no real job training, never really held a job, has no right to her husbands social security money now that he is dead. So what to do with her, maybe we should just line up all the useless old people and dispatch them, that would take care of Bush's Social Security dilemma. Sounds like purely right wing talk to me.

[wtnhunt]

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Someone posted something on here about someone's widow drawing her dead husbands Social Security and she had no right.

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Well, I believe that might have been none other than myself. I have to enlighten you here sluggo. This particular person I was referring to just happens to be my wifes stepfathers mother. Her husband passed away, she had 3 kids at that time. She should have kept drawing while the kids were school age, and then when they left home or were no longer in school her benefits should have ended and her gotten a job while she was still physically able to just like any other American citizen normally does. What happened, she never went to work. 2 of her 3 kids are living with her now with incomes. She is still drawing and never quit drawing. Talk about screwedup, she drew more than her husband ever even paid in. You wonder why the system is in the hole when the ss administration allows crap like this to happen. What floored me, she drew a back pay check about 8 or 9 years ago where she had been being underpaid due to increase in the amount of the benefits over the years and she got like a 30 grand check.

I remind you she herself never paid a dime. Her husband passed at a fairly young age. An age where she being like 8 years younger than him, she was still plenty young enough to have gotten out and gotten a job, but instead she has lived of the system, us TAXPAYERS. She not only has been drawing SS, but has been on freaking welfare and food stamps the entire time too, and gets state funded insurance, and medicaid to boot. It angers me to no end thinking about it. Her household income with her children living there, I know that they should not qualify, but somehow she still gets all her benefits we are paying for.

There are those out there with absolutely no motivation to get off their rumps and quit living off what the government is giving them and why in the heck would they even want to. Look at the motivation they have to be welfare bums. Sit on your rump, dont worry the democrat lawmakers will make sure you are taken care of http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif.

[slugshooter]

I agree in your situation there wtn, there is no excuse for her to draw since she is young enough or was, to go back to work, she is just worthless and lazy, but, she is entitled, Bill Gates is entitled, and you and I are entitled. In order to decide who is and who is not eligible would require enormous legislation that probably wouldn't pass.

[wtnhunt]

You know it really is terrible how the system allows people like this to get away with this type of thing. I mean a woman in her late 40's to early 50's should have had no problem finding work and could have paid in for her own SS, but instead in this situation she kept on getting benefits. I really dont know how,but the governemnt in a sense encourages people to not achieve in supporting them like they did her. Of course now she is in not a well enough state of health to work and it is too late, but how many tens of thousands are blown on one individual like this? Can you imagine multiplying that times all those similar cases you know are out there.

SS reform in my opinion really needs to take a good hard look at getting those who are cheating the system off the system, and those who are caught should have to payback retribution with interest.

[IADEERDUDE]

i look at it this way im 30 years old and i never planned on ever seeing any ss so ive been loading up the ipers benifits and playing in with the mutual funds and right now they are making some pretty good change so if they do offer that im in because its almost what im doing now