My entire retirement strategy is predicated on the fact that Social Security will not be around when I'm ready to retire. All that FICA money I've had taken out of my paychecks over the years might as well have been tossed into a fireplace and set on fire. That's the assumption I'm basing my retirement on.
So that's why I've been maxing out my 401(k) over the past 20 years and have it well into six figures. If I can get another 20 years of work out of my body, I'll have the several million I will probably need to fund a retirement without Social Security. If Social Security is still around, it will be a bonus and I can use it for beer money.
You and everyone else please keep in mind that all that FICA money paid has gone to pay someone else’s SS and Benefits not yours or mine.
The real problem is Demographics and that when all the Baby Boomers finally hit the system there will be about 1 to 1.5 ratio of taxpayers to fund that.
The argument on when to take SS is mute one as far as I am concerned. At 62 I think you take it and get all you can before benefits are cut as they may end up being.