Right-wing billionaires have long wanted to shred the safety net. Under Trump, they’re using lies and fears over the deficit to debilitate Social Security.

  • Sludgeyy@lemmy.world
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    7 days ago

    I’m not arguing if the system is good or bad. I think there should be a good retirement system in place.

    Average person makes 65k in America

    SS is 12.4% usually split between employee and employer.

    That’s 8k a year.

    Average SS monthly payment is ~2k

    18 to 62 is 44 years of payment.

    65k × 12.4% = ~8k per year payment

    44 × 8 = ~350k

    62 to 78 is 16 years. 2k × 12 = 24k per year

    16 × 24k = ~384k

    So looking right now if I made average pay, paid SS when I was 18, worked until 62, collected SS at 62, died at 78. I would be looking at a 10% return on my investment

    Even more if I live past 78

    If I came to you said said. “Would you invest for the next 44 years and I’ll give you your money back after and 10% more over 16 years, but I’m going to have to have new people entering my “scheme” to pay you…”

    That would be a ponzi scheme.

    If the government simply kept the money paid and then paid it back with interest earned loaning it out until time to pay. SS wouldn’t be in a crisis.

    • mrbeano@lemm.ee
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      7 days ago

      Social Security is an investment in the health of our society, it’s not a financial instrument. You can’t pool risk and get predictable returns without cutting corners & dropping high-risk members (hello health insurance industry).

      It’s not a Ponzi Scheme by definition.

      • Sludgeyy@lemmy.world
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        6 days ago

        Social Security is an investment

        A financial investment?

        It’s not a Ponzi Scheme by definition.

        So you’re saying “they” don’t define it as a ponzi scheme, so it can’t be one?

        Gee that’s great

        • FMT99@lemmy.world
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          6 days ago

          It’s an “investment” the same way insurance is an investment. We “invest” in social stability. Lots of people never make it to retirement age, for them SS is likely a net loss.

          But as a society we like the idea that the elderly don’t go homeless if they don’t have means of their own. We like that people who lose their jobs don’t lose their daily bread. That’s why we have social security. And we accept that in some cases we’re the ones that end up paying a bit more than we’re getting.