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Will you still get Social Security if you are currently in your 20s?

My DH and I both just turned 30. I keep hearing that by the time we are of age to receive social security, we basically will not see any of it. Or else we will be too old to ever enjoy it because they plan to increase the age you can even receive it at. Just wondering your thoughts on this. I noticed we are both paying a lot into SS from our paychecks and I sure would like to see some of that early enough to enjoy it later on!

Re: Will you still get Social Security if you are currently in your 20s?

  • I think this debate has been going on for awhile now.  Some people are certain it won't be here by the time we retire and then other people say it will.  I sure hope something is available.  
    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
  • I hope so, too!  If I'm not going to get it I sure as heck don't want to be paying so much into it but I guess that is out of my control
  • All I have to say is that I'm very happy I do not pay into this system. I am a public school teacher in Texas and so we pay into TRS instead.

    The problem with SS is that Congress has considered it a piggy bank from which they can borrow money and never repay it. So the money you are paying in today is actually paying your Grandparents SS because their money was taken out by Congress. That system will only continue to work if benefits are significantly slashed, they raise the tax, or Congress finds a way to return the money they took. So no, I do not expect it to be there for me or anyone in my generation.

    I would not plan for it to be there! If it is still around by the time you retire consider it a bonus, but do not depend on it.

    image
  • There has been a lot of talk about this.  Me personally, I think it will be there, just not in the same form it is currently or has been in the past.  Meaning, our generation shouldn't rely on living off it like our grandparents could/are.

    We are setting up our financial goals to not rely on it. If it is there, then it is an added bonus.

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  • I think it will be there too, but we might have to wait longer to get it or it won't be as much. We should get something though. However, it's still best to plan like it won't be there and just treat whatever you get as a bonus.
    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
  • imageVikingsfan 71713:

    All I have to say is that I'm very happy I do not pay into this system. I am a public school teacher in Texas and so we pay into TRS instead.

    The problem with SS is that Congress has considered it a piggy bank from which they can borrow money and never repay it. So the money you are paying in today is actually paying your Grandparents SS because their money was taken out by Congress. That system will only continue to work if benefits are significantly slashed, they raise the tax, or Congress finds a way to return the money they took. So no, I do not expect it to be there for me or anyone in my generation.

    I would not plan for it to be there! If it is still around by the time you retire consider it a bonus, but do not depend on it.

    What's TRS stand for?  I don't think we pay into SS either 

    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
  • imagevlagrl29:
    imageVikingsfan 71713:

    All I have to say is that I'm very happy I do not pay into this system. I am a public school teacher in Texas and so we pay into TRS instead.

    The problem with SS is that Congress has considered it a piggy bank from which they can borrow money and never repay it. So the money you are paying in today is actually paying your Grandparents SS because their money was taken out by Congress. That system will only continue to work if benefits are significantly slashed, they raise the tax, or Congress finds a way to return the money they took. So no, I do not expect it to be there for me or anyone in my generation.

    I would not plan for it to be there! If it is still around by the time you retire consider it a bonus, but do not depend on it.

    What's TRS stand for?  I don't think we pay into SS either 

    I think it stand for Texas Retirement System. It's not unusual- I know my dad had something similar to this and he worked in MN in a state job- if you are working for a school district, the state, police, fire a lot of those will pay into other systems but it depends on your state. (Just based on my experience- can't speak for all 50 states, only lived in 3!)

    image
  • I can't say if it will be there, but the one thing I will recommend is to 1) pay attention to the debates in DC as to how to resolve the future of Social Security, and 2) vote according to your beliefs/interests.

    It really doesn't matter what political party you support, basically no one wants to touch Social Security benefits. It's an entitlement program that has not taken in enough to support the population into the future. There's enough now, and for maybe the next 20 years, but not into infinity. There have been many discussions about ways to increase the intake, and reduce the outtake; still talking, LOL.

    Pay attention to politics. Vote. Vote. Vote. I'm not saying any of the posters here are non-voters, but everyone needs to look out for all the issues and form an opinion on what's important to them.

  • When I initially started working with my financial advisor, I was 22/23 and told her that I basically wanted to pretend for planning purposes that Social Security had gone defunct and wasn't going to be there.  If I get it, great, but it doesn't factor into any of the calculations that I'm doing.
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  • TRS is Teacher Retirement System, or at least that's what it stands for here in GA. I am an SLP in a school system and pay into that.
  • I'm usually conservative with financial decisions, so I am not planning on it being there by the time I retire. 

    BabyFruit Ticker
  • I hope it's there but not counting on it. My dad retired 12 years ago & when he was getting ready I got to see what his SS benefits would be. Basically his social security income for one month is equal to what he use to bring home in one week. So basically his income was cut by 3/4 which is huge. Luckily my parents has been planning & putting money away & investing. They have cut back on what they do but to ask someone to adjust their life to live on 1/4th of what they use to bring home is a huge huge adjustment.
  • Like some others mentioned - I sure hope it's there when I retire but I'm not planning on relying on it. It'll just be an added bonus, if anything (so I can spoil the grandkids, of course!)
  • We're not counting on the govt supporting us when we get older.  The way DH was/will be (he's currently a contract employee with now 401k options until he's a regular FT) investing in 401k alone (not including any ROTH IRA contributions) we'll have more than we'd possibly need in 30 years.  I believe the figures I ran before estimating a 10% average return over the 30 years, DH would have about 3x his annual salary now by just living off of the interest.  I understand we'll have inflation, but we'll have no house payment or other debt, we'll just have our recurring living expenses.  Hopefully inflation doesn't go up that much, but our house payment (like I'm sure for many of us) is by far our biggest current expense.  If SS is there then that'll be great, but our govt doesn't seem to be very good with money so I guess we'll see what's there when the time comes.  I know we don't plan on him "retiring" just to go get a different job like so many retirees do (other than something to just get out of the house).
    GSx1 - 05/13/2013
    babybaby
  • imageErikan73:
    I hope it's there but not counting on it. My dad retired 12 years ago & when he was getting ready I got to see what his SS benefits would be. Basically his social security income for one month is equal to what he use to bring home in one week. So basically his income was cut by 3/4 which is huge. Luckily my parents has been planning & putting money away & investing. They have cut back on what they do but to ask someone to adjust their life to live on 1/4th of what they use to bring home is a huge huge adjustment.
    I estimated that my SS benefits will be 32% of my income when I retire based on the information they gave me about SS and me projecting my income. Even with SS you need other sources of income if you want to do any sort of living after the working years.
    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
  • You can't have a meaningful debate about Social Security without taking about Medicare.  The problem is they are entitlements. 

    I didn't look this up so some of the #s might not be perfectly accurate but the basic problem highlights are as follows.

     *  When Social Security was created life expectancy was in the high 50s / low 60s so they set the entitlement at 65, an age most people were not expected to reach.  Life expectancy today is about 80 so the majority of people collect for about 15+ years.  So instead of a system where few people were expected to ever live long enough to get the benefit now almost everyone collects.

    If they want to "fix" this they have to raise the age of eligibility but so many people think this  a right to get it at 65 & groups like AARP scream that the country is abusing seniors if the government even talks about rasing the age.

    *  When SS was created, the young people (workers) outnumbered the collectors.  You had about 5 people paying in for every 1 person collecting.  It's almost oppposite now because the Boomers far outnumber the Gen X, Gen Y & Millenials put together

    *  Medicare -- the health insurance portion that becomes your primary coverage after age 65 is not need based.  The single grandmother who never earned more than minimum wage in her life will get the same coverage as Bill Gates & Warren Buffett.  For truly high earners (& I'm talking assets of at least $5 - $10 million), maybe there should be ceilings on their elegibility. 

  • Pretty sure if you have $5 - $10 million you aren't too concerned about medicare.

    Really like your take on it though. That's a very nice way of looking at it.

    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
  • My mom is nearly 60, and she said that even back when she was my age, there were people who were convinced that Social Security wouldn't be around by the time they were eligible for it.  Nobody can predict the future- we don't know what economic conditions will arise, what kinds of policy future Presidents and other elected officials will implement, or how advances in medicine will affect people's career longevity or life expectancy.  Personally, I think it will be around for a long time in some form, but my husband and I are planning for the worst-case scenario and taking advantage of several different retirement vehicles so that we don't need the SS money in order to survive when we're no longer able to work.
  • imagedalm0m:

    You can't have a meaningful debate about Social Security without taking about Medicare.  The problem is they are entitlements. 

    I didn't look this up so some of the #s might not be perfectly accurate but the basic problem highlights are as follows.

     *  When Social Security was created life expectancy was in the high 50s / low 60s so they set the entitlement at 65, an age most people were not expected to reach.  Life expectancy today is about 80 so the majority of people collect for about 15+ years.  So instead of a system where few people were expected to ever live long enough to get the benefit now almost everyone collects.

    If they want to "fix" this they have to raise the age of eligibility but so many people think this  a right to get it at 65 & groups like AARP scream that the country is abusing seniors if the government even talks about rasing the age.

    *  When SS was created, the young people (workers) outnumbered the collectors.  You had about 5 people paying in for every 1 person collecting.  It's almost oppposite now because the Boomers far outnumber the Gen X, Gen Y & Millenials put together

    *  Medicare -- the health insurance portion that becomes your primary coverage after age 65 is not need based.  The single grandmother who never earned more than minimum wage in her life will get the same coverage as Bill Gates & Warren Buffett.  For truly high earners (& I'm talking assets of at least $5 - $10 million), maybe there should be ceilings on their elegibility. 

     

    my grandparents had to get rid of a lot of their "assets" in order to get on medicare several years ago when my grandpa was in a nursing home with alzheimers.

     

    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
  • imagevlagrl29:

    my grandparents had to get rid of a lot of their "assets" in order to get on medicare several years ago when my grandpa was in a nursing home with alzheimers.

     

     

    Are you sure that wasn't Medicaid? Medicare does not pay for long term care. Medicaid does, but only for the indigent. Medicaid also recovers assets after death, and which ones (e.g., life insurance vs. savings accounts) depends on the state.

     

    For OP, you will have to decide what you guess your likelihood of getting a meaningful amount of SS money is and whether you want to plan on it. With my specifics, I don't plan on SS being a notable amount. 

  • I'd say that it will be greatly reduced.  Something will need to be done to ensure its solvency.  It's not feasible that there will only be two or three workers working for each retiree.

    I will not have SS because in our state teachers don't get it.  

    now i know how Nancy Kerrigan felt. that's insight into SCARY ISLAND. you have no clue what really went down.
  • imagepolooo26:

    Pretty sure if you have $5 - $10 million you aren't too concerned about medicare.

    Really like your take on it though. That's a very nice way of looking at it.

    Yes, she did do a good job explaining it.  I feel that even if the person makes a lot of money, he or she paid into it just like everybody else.  In that respect it is not an "entitlement" per se, but something that was promised and should be paid back.  (just for argument's sake)

    now i know how Nancy Kerrigan felt. that's insight into SCARY ISLAND. you have no clue what really went down.
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