Posted on 06/04/2026 9:08:41 AM PDT by MinorityRepublican
Social Security’s finances may be in worse shape than thought.
The Social Security Trustees — who release a report each year on the health of the program that supports about 70 million retirees and people with disabilities — have been relying on overly optimistic forecasts for future fertility rates, according to a blog report from the Cato Institute.
Those forecasts are at odds with projections from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) — the nonpartisan federal agency that provides Congress with independent analysis of budgetary and economic issues — which both have much more sober forecasts for fertility rates.
Fertility rates and longevity are important to the finances of Social Security. Under a “pay-as-you-go” system like Social Security, taxes from current workers pay the benefits of current retirees. As fewer young people enter the labor force, there are fewer active taxpayers to support each beneficiary at a time when people are living longer — and taking benefits for longer.
“The Trustees are likely understating Social Security’s insolvency problem by assuming Americans will start having far more children than current trends suggest,” according to the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank.
“Optimistic population assumptions translate into optimistic financial projections. In a pay-as-you-go system like Social Security, higher assumed fertility means more future workers paying taxes to finance benefits and thus a smaller projected shortfall,” the Cato blog report said.
(Excerpt) Read more at marketwatch.com ...
“Boomers will all get paid
The only thing that matters in the West...whether it is in the US, Canada or the UK.
They don’t care as long as they get paid while we’re getting screwed over.”
Looking forward to it. Now i’ll ask you once again (since you never answered my question) - Are YOU going to file for SS benefits or not? Hmmm???
“Warren Buffett”
Warren Buffet is not the richest cohort in the USA.
1.Warren Buffett”
Warren Buffet is not the richest cohort in the USA.
Thank you for your thoughts. I don’t think we are communicating.
I responded to someone who said, in essence, there was nothing to complain about because an average American takes out more than they contribute to SS.
Your response to me covers the many failures of the welfare state. Interesting, agreed, but I believe the real issue in the topics you raise is where do we go from here to dismantle the welfare state and transition to a sound fuscal state. Probably more complex than we can handle in this format.
He's in the richest cohort.
The richest cohort in America by age, Baby Boomers, holds a staggering $83.3 trillion in aggregate net worth, controlling over half of all U.S. household wealth.
Approximately 40% to 45% of Baby Boomer households have incomes that exceed the overall U.S. median household income. Their wealth generates income sufficient to place them above the national median for household income. They don't need welfare, certainly not welfare paid for by borrowing on the backs of subsequent, poorer, generations.
If these richest boomers were not distributed social security checks the system would be solvent for the next century.
Here’s what Minority Republican posted yesterday:
“But I’m okay with never getting a penny as long as we end the program permanently.”
Virtue signaling at it’s finest. You can bet your a$$ he’ll apply for benefits.
Step 1.
Quit sending welfare checks to households that have incomes above the national median.
Seriously, that takes trillions in future liabilities off the table.
Yes! We need to tax the rich! They don't deserve it!
I didn't say, 'we need to tax the rich!'
I said, 'we can't afford to send welfares checks to the rich too!'
Some folks aren't sharp enough to see the distinction, it's how we get saddled with ponzi schemes like social security in the first place.
“That means that Warren Buffett qualifies for and is estimated to receive a Social Security check of around $5,181 per month.”
And, how much has he been paid in for the last 69 years.
Insofar as w have a democratic government and they had opportunity their whole lives to vote for a replacement. Who is to blame, if not the people, for being suckered into this calamity?
So the whole election fraud issue has blown past you? The politicians who say one thing and do the opposite. Very self serving of you to point the finger of blame on the people you want to demonize when the deck was stacked and they were powerless. Look at Trump and the muscle he has to try and clean the stables. One man with a tremendous committment & drive. No one else has surfaced but you want to blame Joe & Jill Everyman.
Yeah. A family member passed away recently. When the spouse filed for retirement they get $2500 per month. His spouse paid tens of thousands in to SSA insurance.
“If these richest boomers were not distributed social security checks the system would be solvent for the next century.”
These ‘rich’ boomers have kept the system afloat. All the money I had withheld resulted in earning only about 1% based on my monthly check. And I am being taxed on 85% of it.
And those withholding were not tax deductible.
The budgeted administrative overhead costs for Social Security is about 1% of benefit outlays:
I’m certain there is room for increased administrative efficiency and reduced fraud, but the overhead ratio you claimed is not credible. I’d like to see the GAO report you alluded to.
FReepers need to fac the facts:
Catholic Mexicans pop the most babies.
Somali Muslims pop many babies for their relatively small number.
3d generation Americans not so much.
Either we shrink like Japan...or we selectively welcome certain groups and exclude other groups from immigration.
Immigration:
1) No terrorists. No one who gives aid & COMFORT to terrorists.
2) No murderers, rapists....DUI drivers, Drunk n Disorderly.
3) No welfare to immigrants including no welfare to families of immigrants.
4) Temorary means temporary. The above still applies to temorary. Yes, sorry the hurricane, earthquake and volcano were excuses for temporary. But time to go home now.
BUT
For immigrants who work hard, take care of their family, sit beside us in church, welcome. Inter-marry with us. Become Americanized in the best sense of the word.
ELSE
the US has no future.
“They don’t need welfare, certainly not welfare paid for by borrowing on the backs of subsequent, poorer, generations.”
It is not welfare. It is a return on withholding. That return is skewed against higher earners subsidizing lower earners benefits.
Wealth redistribution.
“If these richest boomers were not distributed social security checks ... “
Tho withholding from those rich boomers has been propping up the system.
Do you really think that the government just confiscate their withholdings?
These ‘rich’ boomers have kept the system afloat. All the money I had withheld resulted in earning only about 1% based on my monthly check. And I am being taxed on 85% of it.
And those withholding were not tax deductible.
I agree with you the 'system' is a crock. I don't defend it at all. FDR sold a gullible country a bill of goods.
I'm just explaining that it can be made solvent if we don't pretend we can afford to write welfare checks to people in the wealthiest cohort of society.
Do you really think that the government just confiscate their withholdings?
The reality is, it already has.
Read Flemming v Nestor.
"To engraft upon the Social Security system a concept of "accrued property rights" would deprive it of the flexibility and boldness in adjustment to ever-changing conditions which it demands. ...We must conclude that a person covered by the Act has not such a right in benefit payments as would make every defeasance of "accrued" interests violative of the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment."
They aren’t welfare checks.
I see youbare still in favor of the government confiscating money.
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