Another case for an FR ‘Like’ button. We put away a goodly percentage in our 401(k)s, but if I had the 12.4% from my and my employer’s ‘contributions’, I would be able to retire easily years ahead of 70 or 67 or 65....Seriously. Take your yearly SS form that tells how much you paid in over the years and use your computer to find how much the S&P 500 went up or down over the years you paid in. Starting with first $150 I paid and the $150 my employer paid in and the resultant increases over the years, until I retired, would have netted me about four million dollars. Of course, the politicians wouldn’t be able to spend MY savings on vote buying schemes.
Exactly right, I’m 43 and have been paying in since 1985. Heres the deal, Government will never pay “us” out what we paid in, ever.
Accept that, it’s like crying over a steak the dog ate, it’s never coming back, except a poop the next morning on a walk.
I will share something that State employees (a bit off-topic as it about CALPERS vs. SS). My mother-in-law worked for a state university and when she contributed to her pension plan each month, at the end of the year, CALPERS would match her contribution 100%. This is the other dirty little secret to the billions broke State retirement plans. To not freak out the public, the state and the media don’t tell you these over-inflate the contribution numbers by say 95-99% whereas a private employer gives 1-5% annual matching.
Defined benefits present better when the low-information voter cannot piece together that a state worker’s comp is really closer to the rich they are whipped up to despise.