Who here is collecting retirement social security??

[MikeK]

You are considerably older than me. The first SS recipients were supported by a ratio of over 60 taxpayers to beneficiaries. We are now crashing through 3:1. The early folks in on a Ponzi Scheme generally cash out well before it craters.

Social Security has been flawlessly fulfilling its purpose for about eighty years now and there is no reason to believe it cannot continue doing the same without some devastating malfunctions in the economy or the social order.

I don't know what you mean by "craters," but the reason a Ponzi scheme fails is its source of revenue expires. In the example of Social Security that would mean no more workers contributing to the fund. Do you foresee that happening?

If so, why?

 

[RandallFlagg]

So should the FEDS mandate that we get a living wage also?
If everyone is getting 15 bucks an hour, where does that leave us retirees?
Doesn't that move the economy past us? We didn't even get a cola this year.
Down the road this doesn't help the 65 and old crowd

I've been collecting SSI for about 3 years now. You are absolutely correct. If the idiots out there are going to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour, they "should" double our monthly payments. Let's see. I paid into SS for 57 years (or thereabouts) and I will be dead and buried for 30 years before I could EVER collect what I am owed. Yes, OWED. It is not a government "entitlement". I paid into it my entire life and I was promised my money back in installments.

However, us "old" folks don't count anymore. I would prefer the government just cut me a check for what I am owed. I promise you, I could make money off their incompetence.

 

[MikeK]

Those who were offered participation in a 401K plan and elected not to deserve to eke out a living on Social Security - to the extent that any work they might ever have done qualified them.

Do you know what onanistic fantasies are?

 

[FaerieGodfather]

This entire thread is evidence of why Social Security needs to be replaced with a Universal Basic Income so that everyone who works can afford to save for their retirement.

 

[Shrimpbox]

I don't begrudge her ss, but I get aggravated when she complains that she didn't get a raise in some years, she has no consideration for the people who are paying her way or u derstanding of what kind of economy it takes to keep that payment coming. Same deal with Medicare. It has become an entitlement she feels she unquestionably owns but feels no responsibility for. Such an attitude seems pervasive among way too many seniors.

Why should she feel "responsible for" a program she paid into with the promise she'd benefit from her investment. She isn't humble enough for you? When her SS doesn't buy what it used to without a COLA because of the cockeyed way they estimate inflation, she should just be grateful she still gets anything? And yet you say you're about to start taking checks from the same economy she does? Seems to me if you begrudge her payments you shouldn't take any yourself ya hypocrite.

Well tom, I don't know if your avatar would approve of your language and attitude but you apparently didn't understand my post. My point was that when people were losing their jobs and their means of support, Grama was complaining about not getting a cola raise after decades of her living off of other people's contributions to ss. Gramas guaranteed income for so many years actually made her oblivious tot the suffering of others, as is th case with so many entitlements. It becomes about getting mine and the hell with anyone else, which unfortunately seems to be the American way anymore.

Now I haven't gotten a penny of ss yet. Not even any of the amount I have paid in. So I am a hypocrite because what?

 

[Shrimpbox]

Those who were offered participation in a 401K plan and elected not to deserve to eke out a living on Social Security - to the extent that any work they might ever have done qualified them.

Do you know what onanistic fantasies are?

No, what is an onanistic fantasy? I cannot find the word in websters.

 

[Stephanie]

I'm waiting for it in NINE MONTHS. get some before it goes bankrupt. because of these slimy people we stuck in our Government to LOOK out for us and Protect us. well, they've done a piss poor job.

 

[Shrimpbox]

Ok, masturbation fantasy, and that has what to do with the subject at hand, excuse the pun.

 

[MikeK]

I've been collecting SSI for about 3 years now. You are absolutely correct. If the idiots out there are going to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour, they "should" double our monthly payments. Let's see. I paid into SS for 57 years (or thereabouts) and I will be dead and buried for 30 years before I could EVER collect what I am owed. Yes, OWED. It is not a government "entitlement". I paid into it my entire life and I was promised my money back in installments.

However, us "old" folks don't count anymore. I would prefer the government just cut me a check for what I am owed. I promise you, I could make money off their incompetence.

I've been collecting Social Security for over fifteen years. I've already received more than I contributed and my doctor believes I'll be around for a while longer. So I really don't understand what your complaint is about.

Social Security is not an investment program. It is an insurance policy -- and a damn good one. If you are in reasonably good health you will do better with Social Security then you would have with any reasonably safe investments. But if you are thinking in terms of earning major dividends from investing, keep in mind that dividends occur in proportion with risk -- and most high return investments are analogous to the gaming tables at Las Vegas. The big thing about Social Security is it's a sure thing.

If you earned a good income there is no reason why you could not have done some investing in addition to your FICA contributions. If your income wasn't that good it is very likely you would not have done any investing at all, and without Social Security you now would have nothing and you might become a burden on society. That simple fact of human nature is the reason why Social Security is mandatory.

 

[FaerieGodfather]

I'm waiting for it in NINE MONTHS. get some before it goes bankrupt. because of these slimy people we stuck in our Government to LOOK out for us and Protect us. well, they've done a piss poor job.

I had to fight for seven fucking years to get Social Security to admit I was disabled when their own doctors were telling them I was. My case was decided in October, and I still haven't seen a dime.

 

[MikeK]

I had to fight for seven fucking years to get Social Security to admit I was disabled when their own doctors were telling them I was. My case was decided in October, and I still haven't seen a dime.

What you've described is a legal issue and without a lot of specifics and details there is no point in discussing your complaint in an Internet forum.

 

[Stephanie]

I'm waiting for it in NINE MONTHS. get some before it goes bankrupt. because of these slimy people we stuck in our Government to LOOK out for us and Protect us. well, they've done a piss poor job.

I had to fight for seven fucking years to get Social Security to admit I was disabled when their own doctors were telling them I was. My case was decided in October, and I still haven't seen a dime.

some of the dealing with this government/ Bureaucrat can be horrible. sorry about your ordeal. terrible

 

[Skull Pilot]

Long term investing is not "playing the market"

Planning a 401k portfolio is indeed playing the market.

Not really

 

[Picaro]

So should the FEDS mandate that we get a living wage also?
If everyone is getting 15 bucks an hour, where does that leave us retirees?
Doesn't that move the economy past us? We didn't even get a cola this year.
Down the road this doesn't help the 65 and old crowd

Don't buy the stupid myth that raising minimum wage to reflect real inflation over the years is somehow going to hurt you or anybody else on Social Security. For one thing, it will increase revenues into the system back to near what older people paid into the system in real dollars before 1973, the pre- 'oil crisis' years; we paid something like 3% in in those days, now they pay 7.5% iirc, on far lower wages, and aren't paying as much in adjusted dollars as people were at 3%.

Worker productivity rates are through the roof, and have been climbing throughout the entire 20th century. Raising minimum wage won't hurt the economy, or raise prices much at all, in any field.

 

[Skull Pilot]

So should the FEDS mandate that we get a living wage also?
If everyone is getting 15 bucks an hour, where does that leave us retirees?
Doesn't that move the economy past us? We didn't even get a cola this year.
Down the road this doesn't help the 65 and old crowd

Don't buy the stupid myth that raising minimum wage to reflect real inflation over the years is somehow going to hurt you or anybody else on Social Security. For one thing, it will increase revenues into the system back to near what older people paid into the system in real dollars before 1973, the pre- 'oil crisis' years; we paid something like 3% in in those days, now they pay 7.5% iirc, on far lower wages, and aren't paying as much in adjusted dollars as people were at 3%.

Worker productivity rates are through the roof, and have been climbing throughout the entire 20th century. Raising minimum wage won't hurt the economy, or raise prices much at all, in any field.

If you raise the MW on a business that pays its low skilled workers 7.50 an hour then prices will go up
You can't double labor costs and not see prices rise

So anyone who is already making 15 and hour will see their purchasing power decline which will mean less consumer activity because they will have less disposable income

 

[Geaux4it]

You can fix SS in a minute...maybe 50 seconds. Anybody still making over say....$60K a year at retirement age gets means-tested out. If that changes they get back in. The message would read: "Congratulations! You've achieved the American Dream, done well, and don't need government assistance at this time".

Nope. We weren't means tested when they took money from our pay checks for years. If so, then lets call it a tax paid and itemize as such. I will go back 36 years and revise my 1040 to claim SS tax

-Geaux

 

[Wilbur Right]

No, what is an onanistic fantasy? I cannot find the word in websters.

Another stupid right winger who cant use Google.
To bad your dad didnt know what onanistic means either.

 

[Wilbur Right]

If you raise the MW on a business that pays its low skilled workers 7.50 an hour then prices will go up

Really? Why dont you explain what product is produced by MW workers that people MUST buy and put up with a large increase in prices.

Is it something from a fast food joint? No. How about some junk from walmart? (Though they dont pay MW). Maybe it is something from the dollar store? No.

What is this product produced by MW workers I have to buy and pay substantially more for this product?

 

[Skull Pilot]

If you raise the MW on a business that pays its low skilled workers 7.50 an hour then prices will go up

Really? Why dont you explain what product is produced by MW workers that people MUST buy to put up with a large increase in prices.

Is it something from a fast food joint? No. How about some junk from walmart? (Though they dont pay MW). Maybe it is something from the dollar store? No.

What is this product produced by MW workers I have to buy and pay substantially more for this product?

So you never heard of service businesses?

The service is the product

And then there's this explanation

A $15 Minimum Wage Would Cost 6.6 Million Jobs. Yes, 6,600,000 Jobs

 

[Wilbur Right]

So you never heard of service businesses?

Couldnt answer my simple question eh?

What service business that I as a solidly middle class person use is paid only MW?
HVAC? Not even close. Lawn service? Nope, do my own.

Come on you always have an answer.

What services do you use that is paid MW?