How many of you think SS will be around when you retire?

[kv968]

If you don't trust the government to meet its obligations then you better not count all those treasury bonds either. I figure SS is AT LEAST as good a bet as our pensions or money in the stock market.

SS isn't technically an obligation, T-bonds are. Believe me, they'll pay their bonds way before they pay SS. Might have to borrow more to pay them, but they will.

[EEinNJ]

I think SS will be around when I'm eligible to collect, though I'm at the trailing edge of the Baby Boomers. It probably means I'll be caught in the midst of it being restructured. There's the demographic issue of not enough newer workers paying into it to support the Boomers, and also people living much longer. By then (15-20 years from now) questions about the programs solvency won't be projections and speculations, it will be real and pressing.

My guess is they will patch together short term fixes the way government always does. Some means testing, raising the retirement age, limiting COLA's, raising the contribution % of new workers and the income ceiling.

[KTP]

SS will not be available in its current form when 20 & 30 somethings retire. The government is already cutting entitlement programs as they should. Older people who have been contributing for most of their lives deserve the benefit.... they paid for it! The rest of us need to do what's right for the country and stop depending on the government for anything more than roads and bridges.

How is wanting back some of the $250,000 we have contributed so far into SS at only age 42 depending on a government handout? Instead of cutting entitlement programs, they should cut programs for people who have contributed nothing and let charity organizations take care of those. The government should be building roads and bridges, not providing welfare and healthcare, but if they are going to take 12% of my paycheck for 30 years or more, they can afford to give me some form of pension.

[kaleida]

I am 30 and I'm operating under the assumption that I'll have to fend for myself completely.

[AccountantSalary]

I'm retiring in barely 15 years and don't think SS will be around then. I'm not including it in my retirement planning.

[DogDiva]

I am 35...and while I do not think SS will be around in its current form, I do a revised version will be around when I retire.

I do think the points that a huge percent of workers salary goes into this system every year...so to expect nothing back just is not acceptable to me.

But am I counting on it for my main source of retirement income....absolutely not.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

When I hear younger people say they don't think SS will be there for them, I always hope they are making extra effort to save, instead of just throwing up their hands in resignation. Right now while there is a temporary reduction in SS payroll tax, I would hope that at least some of what is showing up in the paycheck is being saved.